2012 is the 20-year anniversary for Raindance Film Festival, and they have a jam-packed schedule to celebrate! Showcasing 105 features and over 138 short films, with 64 UK premieres, 19 world premieres, 13 International premieres, 5 European premieres and 24 directorial debuts from 38 countries, Piccadilly Circus doesn’t know what’s about to hit it.
Opening on Wednesday 26th September is the International premiere of HERE COMES THE DEVIL – when a family lose their children on holiday in Tijuana, it seems everything is right again when they’re found. However, something strange has happened when the kids went missing and not everything is as it seems…
The UK Home Grown Strand includes LOVE TOMORROW (directed by Christopher Payne, with choreography designed by The BalletBoyz); CITY SLACKER (starring Tom Conti); CONFINE (starring Daisy Lowe and Alfie Allen, with direction from Tobias Tobbell) and STRING CAESAR (featuring Derek Jacobi).
The American Indie Strand will showcase the world premiere of DARK HEARTS (directed by Rudol Buitendach and starring Sonja Kinski); THE GRIEF TOURIST (starring Melanie Griffith and Michael Cudlitz); MON AMI (a horror movie disguised as a buddy comedy) and ME AND YOU AT THE ZOO, which chronicles the life of “Leave Britney alone!” Internet star Chris Crocker.
The European Strand features HEAVY GIRLS (a German film focusing on the battles of love and dementia); the Serbian THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO BELGRADE WITH SINGING AND CRYING and the Croatian Pula Award-winning VEGETARIAN CANNIBAL, which won Best Director and Best Actor.
This year’s Documentary Strand features some superb work, including TRASHED (Jeremy Irons and the composer Vangelis will be in attendance); HIDDEN HAND (the EBE award-winning feature focusing on UFOs); ZERO KILLED (directed by Michael Kosakowski, who asked people from different backgrounds what their murder fantasies are); ORANIA (a documentary focusing on the lives of a whites-only community in South Africa) and BANAZ – A LOVE STORY, which chronicles and life and death of the young British woman Banaz Mahmod, who was murdered by her own family for choosing her own lifestyle.
The festival has always had an affinity with music, and this year’s Raindance Symphony Orchestra Strand is no different. Featuring MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK (based on the life of music legend Johnny Cash and the story of his troubled manager, Saul Holiff) and SOUNDBREAKER, focused on Finland’s infamous contemporary musician Kimmo Pohjonen.
If you so far thought that the schedule was packed enough, wait until you read the Shorts Programme. This years programme includes THE END (starring Charlotte Rampling); MAPMAKER (Charles Dance and Jenny Agutter); NO REST FOR THE WICKED (Malcolm McDowell); LIFE & FREAKY TIMES OF UNCLE LUKE (Jennifer Lopez); 82 (Nick Moran); NO PRISONER (Josie Lawrence and Phil Jupitus) and WONDER (directed by Johnny Daukes and starring Diana Hardcastle and Henry Goodman). One of these shorts will win the privilege of being entered into the Oscars Shortlist for Best Short Film!
FIGHT CLUB novelist Chuck Palahniuk will also be in attendance, and will showcase his new short film ROMANCE, which is based on one of his stories. He will also be hosting a fund-raising dinner for the Independent Film Trust, which encourages and funds UK-based independent film making.
Raindance will also host two retrospectives – one based on the life and career of French auteur Chris Marker, which will screen 3 films which have never been shown in the UK before. The second focuses on Trent Harris, who is probably best known for his film PLAN 10 FROM OUTER SPACE. Harris will also be in attendance at the festival.
Closing Raindance on Sunday 7th October will be the UK premiere of 7 CRATES. Set and based in Paraguay, the story follows Victor, a 17 year-old boy who is payed $100 to deliver 7 crates. However, things aren’t that simple as the crates contain something everybody wants to get their hands on…
Raindance Film Festival runs from Wednesday 26th September to Sunday 7th October at the Apollo Cinema, West End, 19 Lower Regent Street, SW1Y 4LR.
You can book tickets for Raindance 2012 from here or phone 08712 240242 from mid-September onwards.
Considering Jazmine grew up watching CARRY ON SCREAMING, THE LION KING and JURASSIC PARK on repeat for weeks on end, it made sense for her to study film at London South Bank University. It’s also a good thing that her course requires a lot of sitting down because she’s very accident-prone. When she’s not examining her bruises, she likes pretending that she doesn’t live in Southend-On-Sea and spends hours mindlessly blogging.
Favourite films include BLUE VALENTINE, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and TOY STORY 2.
