Erik Paschall September 5th, 2014 - 4:56 PM
Raindance is a film institute with various schools set up all over North America and Europe. Every year since 1992 Raindance puts on its own film festival, with the goal of showing off independent film and filmmakers. This year’s Raindance Film Festival is being held in London from September 24th to October 5th. Its recently announced lineup includes science fiction (I Origins), crime thrillers (Wolf, Things People Do), comedies (Monument to Michael Jackson, Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats), documentaries (Kung Fu Elliot, A People Without a Land), and hallucinatory fantasy where live-action meets animation (Luna).
From the Raindance Film Festival’s official Site:
Now in its 22nd year, the festival has a strong legacy of showing alternative films and uncovering the hottest new filmmakers to hit the cinematic scene. Raindance-premiered hits include Memento, Old Boy, the Blair Witch Project, Pusher, Ghost World and Love Exposure. Listed by Variety as one of the world’s top 50 ‘unmissable film festivals’, Raindance aims to nurture, support and promote independent films and filmmakers from the UK and around the world.
Check out the lineup below:
And the Mud Ship Sails Away
Director: Hirobumi Watanabe
Country: Japan
Stubborn, unemployed Takashi leads a pitiful lifestyle; will the sudden arrival of his unknown sister give his life meaning?
Angel Azul
Director: Marcelina Cravat
Country: USA
Our natural coral reefs need saving; art might be the answer in this stunning meditation on environmental conservation.
Art of Darkness
Director: David Parker
Country: Canada
Artist Bryan Lewis Saunders has painted a self-portrait every single day… since 1995.
Barbarians
Director: Ivan Ikic
Country: Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia
Luka, a troubled teenager living in a discordant family, takes to violence as a way of expressing himself and escaping his reality.
Before I Disappear
Director: Shawn Christensen
Country: USA/UK
Richie’s suicide attempt is interrupted by a request for him to look after his precocious niece.
Between Dog and Wolf: The New Model Army Story
Director: Matt Reid
Country: UK
An inspirational documentary on the lives, careers and beliefs of rock band New Model Army.
Big Moccasin
Director: Chelsea Moynehan, Andrew Moynehan
Country: USA/UK
Four residents of an Appalachian Valley relay their stories of rural American living.
Black Soup
Director: Erik Novák
Country: Hungary
The son of a mafia boss takes up a big job with a misfit gang to repay his gambling debts.
Bonobo
Director: Matthew Hammett Knott
Country: UK
A straight laced middle-aged widow attempts to remove her daughter from a hippy sex commune.
Buttercup Bill
Director: Émilie Richard-Froozan, Rémy Bennett
Country: UK/USA
Pernilla and Patrick, long-lost soul mates, start to reconnect. There is a reason they were apart in the first place.
Ceasar Chavez
Director: Diego Luna
Country: USA
This film traces the path of Cesar Chavez, a legendary Mexican civil rights campaigner known for his use of non-violent protest.
Chefurs Raus!
Director: Goran Vojnovic
Country: Slovenia
17-year old Marko and his friends get stranded in the middle of a forest at the dead of night in this wonderful adaptation from director Goran Vojnovic’s award-winning novel.
Children of the Sun
Director: Antonio Mitrikeski
Country: Macedonia
The story of a family who are forced to leave their home having crossed one of the local mob.
Clownwise
Director: Viktor Taus
Country: Czech Republic/Luxembourg
Three aging clowns start on the road to re-uniting their legendary performance group after a 30-year rift.
Days of Hope
Director: Ditte Haarløv Johnsen
Country: Denmark
A close look at the shocking struggles of illegal immigrants travelling across the Mediterranean, from Africa to Europe.
Dealer
Director: Jean Luc Herbulot
Country: France
Along for the ride with small-time drug dealer on the worst day of his life.
Down Dog
Director: Andres Dussan
Country: UK
Playboy Frank Clayton neglects the fragile strands of his relationship with his family – until he’s convinced that he has just a year to live.
Eden
Director: Elise DuRant
Country: Mexico/USA
Alma returns to her childhood village in Mexico. Her inquisitiveness will uncover long-kept secrets about her past.
Fight Church
Director: Daniel Junge, Bryan Storkel
Country: USA
How do Christianity and the brutal sport of Mixed Martial Arts fit together?
Fishermen’s Conversations
Director: Chiara Bove Makiedo
Country: UK/Croatia
A beautifully shot insight into the traditions of a community that is being changed by modern tourism.
Flim: The Movie…
Director: Raffaello Degruttola
Country: UK
“We’re making a film of the making of a film” – A film about someone making a film about someone trying to make a film.
Forgetting To Know You
Director: Quan Ling
Country: China
Xuesong’s husband learns of a past relationship she’s had and begins to suspect that all is not right with their marriage.
Fort Tilden
Director: Sarah Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers
Country: USA
Join hip Brooklynites Harper and Allie on an epic (10-mile) road-trip to the beach.
Fourever
Director: Anton Saunders
Country: UK
Johnny is stuck in the past. Desperate for understanding or revenge, he invites his (few) friends to a party.
Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats
Director: Yosuke Fujita
Country: Japan
A Japanese slacker comedy about the loveable Fuku, who is too shy to speak to women.
Goldberg & Eisenberg
Director: Oren Carmi
Country: Israel
Goldberg is a computer scientist who keeps himself to himself, until he is suddenly forced into a hostile dynamic with a formidable stranger, Eisenberg.
Gonzalez
Director: Christian Díaz Pardo
Country: México
In severe debt, a young man finally gets a job at the call centre of a corrupt Christian cult in Mexico.
Grazing the Sky
Director: Horacio Alcala
Country: Mexico/Spain
A dizzying and intimate look at the lives of circus performers from the Cirque Du Soleil.
Greencard Warriors
Director: Miriam Kruishoop
Country: USA
An undocumented family struggles to adapt to the violent Los Angeles.
Gregor
Director: Mickey Down, Konrad Kay
Country: UK
After losing his job, Gregor needs to find “a very fit girlfriend and £70K a year”.
Heavenly Shift
Director: Mark Bodzsar
Country: Hungary
A slick tragicomedy that will make you think twice about death and the arbitrary power of paramedics.
Heavy Mental
Director: Sebastian Buttny
Country: Poland
A struggling actor gets an opportunity to change his fortunes through an immoral deal with a dodgy care worker.
Hinterland
Director: Harry Macqueen
Country: UK
Set over one February weekend, Hinterland is the story of two old friends who escape the city for a trip full of nostalgia, love and new beginnings.
How Selfish I Am!
Director: Daigo Matsui
Country: Japan
4 stories, following 4 characters, and dealing with the irony, loneliness and regrets in their lives.
Human Capital
Director: Paolo Virzi
Country: Italy
A web of greed, lust and lies threatens to bring about the financial and moral bankruptcy of two Italian families in this gripping neo-noir mystery.
I Origins
Director: Mike Cahill
Country: USA
A molecular biologist and his laboratory partner uncover evidence that may fundamentally change society as we know it.
In The Sands of Babylon
Director: Mohamed Al-Daradji
Country: Iraq/UK
A docu-drama following an Iraqi soldier’s path through the Gulf War: from escape to imprisonment, torture and finally death.
Inside Love
Director: Santiago Tabernero
Country: Spain
A couple’s last-ditch attempt to fall in love again becomes a fight for survival in the mind.
Istanbul United
Director: Olli Waldhauer, Farid Eslam
Country: Germany/ Czech Republic/ Turkey/ Switzerland
In Istanbul, football and politics merge into one. Despite the dangerous hooligan culture, this mix provided an unlikely breeding ground for friendship in the summer of 2013.
It Came From Connemara!
Director: Brian Reddin
Country: Ireland
An inspirational documentary outlining Roger Corman’s investment in the Irish film industry.
Kebab & Horoscope
Director: Grzegorz Jaroszuk
Country: Poland
Two down-and-out men, Kebab and Horoscope, go on a quest to re-establish themselves as marketing experts.
Keeping Rosy
Director: Steve Reeves
Country: United Kingdom
Betrayed in the boardroom, Charlotte returns home and takes her rage on the cleaner.
Kung Fu Elliot
Director: Matthew Bauckman, Jaret Belliveau
Country: Canada
China has Bruce Lee. America has Chuck Norris. Could Elliot ‘White Lightning’ Scott be Canada’s first action hero?
Like Sunday, Like Rain
Director: Frank Whaley
Country: USA
After breaking up with her boyfriend, desperate Eleanor takes a job as a nanny to a gifted 13-year-old boy.
Like the wind
Director: Marco S. Puccioni
Country: Italy/France
‘Like The Wind’ chronicles the sorrowful life of Armida Miserere – one of Italy’s first female prison governors.
Living Dolls
Director: Maureen Judge
Country: Canada
This documentary depicts the quirky subculture of doll-collecting, following a group of adults who dedicate their lives to collecting dolls in their various forms.
Looking is the Original Sin
Director: Gail Harvey
Country: Canada
Helene, a photographer, runs away from home. Her daughter must put together the pieces of the puzzle and find her mother.
Lucky Stiff
Director: Christopher Ashley
Country: USA
A lowly shoes salesman is about to get the exotic adventure of his life in this uplifting musical comedy.
Luna
Director: Dave McKean
Country: UK
Dave McKean’s lyrical blend of live action and animation in a stunning sophomore film.
Misunderstood
Director: Asia Argento
Country: Italy
Aria’s narcissistic parents are divorcing and neither of them has the time or compassion to care for her. Is there anyone who will love her?
Monument to Michael Jackson
Director: Darko Lungulov
Country: Serbia/Germany/Macedonia/Croatia
Daydreamer Marko hopes to revive his town and his relationship with his estranged wife by building a monument to Michael Jackson.
Navajazo
Director: Ricardo Silva
Country: Mexico
A series of stories highlight what a band of characters are willing to do in order to survive.
Ninah’s Dowry
Director: Victor Viyuoh
Country: Cameroon
Ninah runs away from her abusive husband Memfi to be at her dying father’s side, but Memfi wants payment – in money or blood.
Norjmaa
Director: Bayaneruul
Country: China
Norjmaa, a Mongolian shepherd, tries to look after two injured soldiers. What she didn’t bank on was the soldiers’ incessant attempts to take each other’s lives.
Number 55
Director: Kristijan Milić
Country: Croatia
A long-awaited representation of the 1991 Croatian Homeland War, from the perspective of a Croatian unit.
Occupying Ed
Director: Steve Balderson
Country: USA
Ed gradually discovers he has a split personality. Unfortunately, his literal other half is a woman in a relationship with Nicole, who Ed himself also quickly falls in love with.
One Shot
Director: Robert Orhel
Country: Croatia
In the middle of university exams, an accidental pregnancy becomes Petra’s second biggest problem after she fires a shot and unintentionally kills a man.
Panic
Director: Sean Spencer
Country: UK
Deeley is a journalist who must overcome his fears of the outside world to track down a neighbour he witnesses being brutally kidnapped.
Project Cancer
Director: Damjan Kozole
Country: Slovenia
Framed by his battle with cancer, this documentary traces the life and career of German photographer and performance artist Ulay.
Quiet Bliss
Director: Edoardo Winspeare
Country: Italy
Four women try to settle for rural life after their business goes bankrupt
Refugiado
Director: Diego Lerman
Country: Argentina/Colombia
Laura and her son Mati flee an abusive husband through a constantly shifting environment.
Sacred Sperm
Director: Ori Gruder
Country: Israel
An eye-opening documentary explaining the concept of ‘sacred sperm’ within the ultra-orthodox Hasidic Jewish community.
Seth’s Dominion
Director: Luc Chamberland
Country: Canada
An atmospheric and insightful documentary on Canadian comic artist ‘Seth’.
So Hot Was The Cannon
Director: Slobodan Skerlić
Country: Serbia
Following a grenade attack that kills his parents, a boy goes mute. In the hell of war, it seems his path to destruction is pre-determined.
Songs for Alexis
Director: Elvira Lind
Country: Denmark
Trans singer / songwriter Ryan Cassata writes songs about city life, love, family and of course, Alexis.
South is Nothing
Director: Fabio Mollo
Country: Italy/France
Convinced her brother is still alive, 17-year-old Grazia sets out to search for him, despite her father’s reservations.
Standing Aside, Watching
Director: Yorgos Servetas
Country: Greece
Antigone returns to her childhood village, only to find it full of crime and corruption.
Take Me to the River
Director: Martin Shore
Country: USA
A star-studded documentary telling the story of the musical and socio-economic history of Memphis.
The Absent Stone
Director: Sandra Rozental, Jesse Lerner
Country: Mexico
This documentary plots the journey of the Aztec monolith ‘The Tlaloc Stone’, both through the ages and from its home in Coatlinchan to Mexico City.
The Agreement
Director: Karen Stokkendal Poulsen
Country: Denmark
A rare and insightful glimpse into the early negotiation stages of dispute resolution between Serbia and Kosovo.
The Art of Disappearing
Director: Bartek Konopka, Piotr Rosołowski
Country: Poland
A Haitian voodoo priest visited Poland in 1980. Through his eyes we get an alternative perspective on Poland and communist life.
The Beat Beneath My Feet
Director: John Williams
Country: UK
Tom, a shy teenager with musical ambitions, takes guitar lessons from a washed-up rock god.
The Culture High
Director: Brett Harvey
Country: Canada
Hard-hitting documentary about the legalisation of marijuana in the United States.
The Goa Run
Director: John Owen
Country: India
A Goan taxi driver accepts a job from a local crime boss to pay his debts.
The Horses of Fukushima
Director: Yoju Matsubayashi
Country: Japan
A documentary following the plight of the wild horses near Fukushima after the nuclear accident of 2011.
The Light Shines Only There
Director: Mipo O
Country: Japan
Tatsuo and Chinatsu, two deeply wounded people, fall in love – but their trials are far from over.
The Lust of Angels
Director: Nagisa Isogai
Country: Japan
A not-so-angelic quartet of high school girls goes on a ruthless hunt for gropers.
The Ninth Cloud
Director: Jane Spencer
Country: UK/Switzerland
Zena has landed in London, determined to uncover the simple question of why she exists. Bob, an ageing thespian, may be the key to her quest.
The Otherworld
Director: Richard Stanley
Country: France
A spellbinding documentary on places where people believe we can come close to touching the magical ‘otherworld’.
The Quiet Hour
Director: Stéphanie Joalland
Country: UK
A wonderful twist on the alien invasion genre that reveals humanity to be the deadliest threat of all.
The Record Keeper
Director: Jason Satterlund
Country: USA
Raina, Heaven’s own civil servant, attempts diligently to record the events of creation while trying to stay detached from what is unfolding around her.
The Sentimentalists
Director: Nicholas Triandafyllidis
Country: Greece
Two hitmen fall in love with two forbidden women: a prostitute and the daughter of their mobster boss.
The Supreme Price
Director: Joanna Lipper
Country: USA/Nigeria
The struggle for women’s rights in Nigeria is explored in this powerful, unforgettable documentary.
The Ultimate Accessory
Director: Valerie Lemercier
Country: France
A fashionable couple adopt a little boy as their latest accessory, despite being completely unprepared for the rigors of parenthood
The Word
Director: Anna Kazejak
Country: Poland
Janek broke Lila’s heart, and now he has to make up for it. But Lila’s idea of getting even is more sinister than Janek might expect.
They Are All Dead
Director: Beatriz Sanchis
Country: Spain/Mexico
An exhilarating drama about evoking the dead and re-discovering love.
Things People Do
Director: Saar Klein
Country: USA
Bill, a devoted family man, loses his job and turns to crime to support his family.
Through the Eyes
Director: Michel Franco, Victoria Franco
Country: Mexico
Monica looks after not only the destitute of Mexico’s streets, but her son Omar who is slowly going blind. She hatches a plan to save his eyesight.
Today and Tomorrow
Director: Yang Huilong
Country: China
Three highly educated but unemployed youths, a small ‘ant tribe’, fight for their future from their dilapidated apartment.
Traceable
Director: Jennifer Sharpe
Country: Canada
This documentary examines the fashion industry process, and its conscience, from a designers’ perspective.
United We Fall
Director: Gary Sinyor
Country: UK
Mockumentary in which 5 ex-Manchester United footballers recount the team’s fated attempt to win the triple in 2010.
Unlucky Woman’s Blues
Director: Shinji Imaoka
Country: Japan
Toko, Kasumi, Gunji and Yamashina frequent the bars of the ‘Shinjuku Golden Road’, but once you’re in, it’s harder than you think to find a way out.
Vis-à-Vis
Director: Nevio Marasovic
Country: Croatia
While a confused artist struggles to make some last cuts to his script, he decides to invite the main actor of the film to visit Vis – the island where shooting will take place.
We Don’t Wanna Make You Dance
Director: Lucy Kostelanetz
Country: USA
A chronicle of the never-quite-made-it rock band Miller, Miller, Miller & Sloan.
Who the Fuck is Arthur Fogel?
Director: Ron Chapman
Country: Canada
The story of the biggest name you’ve never heard of in the music business.
Wild Canaries
Director: Lawrence Michael Levine
Country: USA
A young Manhattan couple discover their elderly neighbour’s body, leading them on a zany murder-mystery adventure.
Window Licker
Director: Brian McGuire
Country: USA
Funny, mysterious and fantastical, ‘Window Licker’ brings to light a part of life barely understood.
Wolf
Director: Jim Taihuttu
Country: Netherlands
Maj-id is a talented kick boxer from a gray, anonymous suburb in The Netherlands. As his fighting prowess brings him increasing notoriety in-and outside the ring, the worlds of kickboxing and organized crime begin to blur.
