About Raindance

Our History

Since 1992 Raindance has been offering advice and support for independent fimmakers. We started the Raindance Film Festival in 1993, and the British Independent Film Awards in 1998. We also have a training programme that has had remarkable success. Presently there are nine of us working out of our office in Soho, London. Although we are London-based we are on the look-out for anyone who might like to work with us in another city or country.

We are always looking for new ideas, or your stories about your movie. We are always looking for new ideas, new scripts, new films, new writers, new directors, new actors and new producers. Please let us know what you are looking for, and what you need. We will do whatever we can to help.

Raindance founder, Elliot Grove, found himself at odds after crashing out of the London property market in the 1990 recession. After two years of thumb-twiddling, his neighbour, a part-time farmer, reminded him of his roots and said: “As long as you are feeling sorry for yourself, no doctor in the world can cure you.” Thus, Raindance was born, with Elliot casting back to his long experience as a scenic artist and set designer on some 700+ projects, his inherent Canadian organisational ability, and good, old-fashioned PMA (Positive Mental Attitude).

The first Raindance event was a Dov S-S Simens class in early April, 1992 – on the weekend before the last general election that John Major won. A few months later, with friends of Raindance making movies, Elliot launched the festival in the heart of London, during the pre-MIFED week mid-October. With MIFED long gone, it’s easy to forget that during the first 9 years of the festival over 1,000 international acqusision executives attended the festival each October. During that period, over 63% of the films screened at Raindance found an international distributor. MIFED died a death post 9/11, and the festival has developed from a trade and industry event into a bell-weather festival.

The British Independent Film Awards were created despite much industry scepticism in 1998. The first producer was Fred Hogge, who worked closely with Tessa Collinson, who is now one of the BIFA directors. Publicity for the first 8 years was the domain of Phil Symes, who managed to break down the press resistance to our awards show, and to launch it into the event it is today.

Raindance is run by a talented team currently 9 full time strong and passionately enthusiastic about independent filmmaking. Weekends and evenings are filled with private shorts, feature and documentary projects which each individual hopes will be good enough to make it into our own festival., Many have left Raindance to pursue other industry jobs. Many of our approximately 30-35 interns a year still keep in touch.

1992: Raindance founded by filmmakers, for filmmakers
Year round training courses (2,800 attended in 2006) attended by Guy Ritchie, Mathew Vaughn, Christopher Nolan, Paul Brooks (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and many others attend industry standard courses.

1993: Festival founded. Read the complete history.
UK Premieres include Blair Witch, Memento, Ghost World
The 15th anniversary festival in 2007 will feature over 300 shorts, features, special events and parties.

1997 – present: Raindance has produced 3 features, including The Living And The Dead (2006) which has won 11 international awards

1998: British Independent Film Awards founded.
Now considered by the British film industry to be the most important film event in the country. (“Time Out, Screen International and Variety”)
Supported by the whole independent industry from established filmmakers like Ken Loach, Ewan Macgregor and Michael Winterbottom to debutante filmmakers.
10th anniversary at the Roundhouse

1999 – Weekly newsletter launched, now reaches 40,000 and growing: half UK, 1/3 Europe, balance Canada and USA.
You can subscribe here

2003: Nokia Shorts launched
Set a benchmark for user generated content with this innovative short film competition.

2005: Raindance Canada started by Hector Arenas and Elliot Grove

2007: Raindance.tv founded
Set to become the premiere IPTV channel and community for Independent Film.

2010: Raindance International launches with offices in NYC, Brussels, Berlin and Budapest

2011: The Raindance team jpoined by independent filmmakers in Vancouver and Montreal