The 16th Raindance Film Festival: Line-up announced
Story by Jack Foley
THE UK premiere of breakout new writer-director Clark Gregg and maverick author Chuck Palahniuk’s (Fight Club) Choke (pictured) is to open The 16th Raindance Film Festival in London on October 1, 2008.
The line-up of movies was announced by festival patron Ken Loach on Tuesday, September 2, 2008, during which a total of 75 features and over 100 shorts were unveiled, alongside a host of live events, exclusive Q&As and masterclasses.
The Raindance Film Festival will take place from October 1-12, 2008 in London’s West End with some of the film industry’s most exciting filmmakers sitting on this year’s jury, including Oscar-winning Peter Capaldi, Beastie Boys’ filmmaker Adam Yauch, Rebecca O’Brien (The Wind That Shakes the Barley) and Nicolas Roeg (Walkabout, Don’t Look Now, Puffball).
Choke opens the event on Wednesday, October 1, while the World premiere of Mark Tonderai’s directorial debut Hush, starring William Ash, Christine Bottomley and Guy Burnet, will bring the festival to a close on Sunday, October 12.
Anjelica Huston is expected to guest appear for the Opening Night Gala as well as screen goddess Faye Dunaway for her new film Flick, directed by David Howard. There are also expected appearances from co-stars Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman), Liz Smith (The Royle Family) and Mark Benton (Murphy’s Law).
80’s superstar Corey Feldman (Stand By Me, The Goonies) will feature at the festival promoting his new film The Birthday, and will participate in a special retrospective event. And cult director Jeremy Podeswa (Six Feet Under, Queer as Folk) will also be in attendance with his new film Fugitive Pieces.
This year’s festival will also host a special event with Giles Martin, son of the legendary music producer Sir George Martin, in aid of the London Premiere of All Together Now, a new film charting the creation of The Beatles/Cirque du Soleil collaboration Love.
And The Arctic Monkeys will attend the London Premiere of their new documentary Arctic Monkeys Live At The Apollo with director Richard Ayoade (The Mighty Boosh, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace).
Adam Yauch from old school hip-hop megagroup the Beastie Boys features on this year’s Raindance jury with the European Premiere of his basketball directed documentary Gunnin For That #1 Spot.
Les Claypool (Primus, Fearless Frog Brigade) will also be doing a guest Q&A at the screening of Electric Apricot: Quest For Festeroo, a mockumentary film he directed.
Strongly anticipated UK features for this year’s festival include Matthew Thompson’s directorial debut Dummy, David Howard’s Flick starring Faye Dunaway, Michelle Ryan, Liz Smith and Mark Benton, as well as Peter Greenaway’s Nightwatching, starring Martin Freeman, Emily Holmes and Eva Birthistle.
Acclaimed director and Raindance patron, Mike Figgis will be in attendance presenting a new short film for Sony Ericsson entitled Life Captured.
The international competition gives participants the chance to take part in the creation of this pioneering new film made entirely out of still mobile phone images. Mike will nominate five Outstanding Achievers who will win a VIP trip for them and a friend to attend the film’s red carpet premiere at the Raindance Film Festival in London on Thursday, October 2, 2008.
Feature films, documentaries and shorts from around the globe will transport cinema-goers to: Australia, Canada, Palestine, USA, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Brazil, Italy, Serbia, Japan, Kenya, France, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Sovenia, Czech Republic, Austria, Mexico, Columbia, Uraguay, Spain and Argentina.
New to this year’s Festival Awards is the Audience Award, which will be given to the best feature film at the 16th Raindance Film Festival as selected by you.
Festival patron Ken Loach commented: “It’s good news that Raindance looks set for another lovely festival. Let’s hope you make some mischief.”
Elliot Grove, Director of The Raindance Film Festival, added: “We are especially pleased to welcome Ken Loach as festival patron for our 16th Anniversary of The Raindance Film Festival. We are excited to present a fantastic line-up of international films which represent the true nature of the festival and excellence within independent filmmaking.”
For the full Festival programme please go to www.raindance.co.uk
Tickets can be booked online at www.raindance.co.uk or by telephone on: 0871 200 2000 from September 10, 2008. Festival programmes will be available from September 29.