New York, United States, May 21st, 2026, FinanceWire
Raindance announced the programme and schedule for the 34th Raindance Film Festival, which will take place from 17 to 26 June at Vue Piccadilly with an opening gala at Vue West End and a closing gala on 26 June.
The festival programme comprises 85 narrative and documentary feature films and 112 short films, with 48 features by emerging first-time filmmakers, representing 56% of the feature slate. The 11th Raindance Immersive strand will present 27 XR projects across an in-person Immersive Showcase running 23–25 June and an online component in VRChat from 12–25 June. Vue Piccadilly will serve as the festival’s primary venue for the full duration, with supplemental activity at One Ninetyfour beneath the BAFTA building at 194 Piccadilly, designated as the Canon Lounge for 2026.
Raindance confirmed Canon Europe as Main Sponsor for the festival year. Canon’s involvement includes the rebranding of One Ninetyfour as the Canon Lounge, the presence of Canon experts within that space, and a Canon-presented cinematography masterclass within the festival’s industry programme. Canon equipment was used to shoot the festival trailer and will be used by festival production and marketing teams during the event.
The festival opens on 17 June at Vue West End with the UK premiere of the debut feature APRIL X (dir: Michel K. Parandi, USA), a near-future thriller featuring lead performances as twins. The opening night will also include a festival screening of the animated short THE MOUNTAIN, THE MOON CAVE AND THE SAD GOD by the virtual band Gorillaz. The 26 June closing gala will present the UK premiere of EDDIE COCHRAN: DON’T FORGET ME (dir: Kirsty Bell, UK), the first official biographical documentary focused on the life and musical influence of Eddie Cochran.
Competing programmes will be adjudicated across eleven feature award categories, including Best International Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Discovery Award for Debut Feature, Best Debut Director, Best Performance in a Debut Feature, Best UK Feature, Best Director of a UK Feature, Best Performance in a UK Feature, Best UK Cinematography, the Spirit of Raindance Award and a new category for 2026, Best Horror Feature. Short film awards will be presented in four categories: Best UK Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Animation Short and Best Documentary Short.
A jury of industry practitioners and performers has been assembled for adjudication. Named jurors include Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Charlotte Hope, David Ajala, Jacob Anderson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Sope Dirisu, Anthony Andrews, Ashanti Omkar, Fiona Lamptey, Hayder Hoozeer, Lee Knight and Rita Osei, with additional jurors to be confirmed.
Feature highlights selected for competition and screening include world, international and UK premieres across a range of subjects and geographies: BORN TO LOSE (dir: Joseph Zentil, USA), FRÄNK (dir: Tönis Pill, Estonia), JARDINES DEL BOSQUE (dir: Álex Barragán, Diego Barragán, Mexico), LOST LAND (dir: Akio Fujimoto, Germany/Philippines), NO LASTNAME (dir: Mohammed Reza Sattari, Iran), PARO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BRIDE SLAVERY (dir: Gajendra Vitthal Ahire, India), PESCADOR (dir: Harry Domenico Rossi, USA/Costa Rica), ROOTED OUT: CHAPTER 1 (dir: F. Hutton-Mills, UK), SILENT REBELLION (dir: Marie-Elsa Sgualdo, Belgium/France/Switzerland), SUMMER SCHOOL, 2001 (dir: Dužan Duong, Czechia/Slovakia), THANKS FOR NOTHING (dir: Stella Marie Markert, Germany), THE JANITOR (dir: Mauro Mueller, David Figueroa García, Mexico) and TRAMP (dir: Philip James McGoldrick, UK). Documentary selections include CHILD OF DUST (dir: Weronika Mliczewska), COPELAND (dir: Pablo Aragüés) and GASLIT (dir: Katie Camosy), among others.
Industry activity will centre on the Canon Lounge at One Ninetyfour and the festival’s scheduled panels, masterclasses and networking sessions designed for filmmakers, cinematographers and producers. The Immersive Showcase and online XR presentations will operate alongside conventional screenings to present narrative, documentary and experimental work that reflects a range of contemporary perspectives.
About Raindance
Raindance is an independent film festival and organisation presenting films, training and industry events with a focus on emerging filmmakers and independent cinema. Founded to provide a platform for new voices in film, Raindance programmes screenings, awards, immersive work and industry activity in London and through associated initiatives.
Website: https://raindance.org/