Some people just get it right on their first tries. Jordan Peele with Get Out, Ari Aster with Hereditary, Celine Song with Past Lives, — many directors and filmmakers nail it right away (or at least with their official directorial debuts), cementing their legacies and future viewers right off that bat.
When a director’s debut hits the mark, I’m always looking forward to their future movies. That’s why I have such high expectations for sophomore films: Us, Midsommar, and Celine Song’s soon-to-release Materialists. And I haven’t been disappointed yet.
Directorial debuts are extra exciting since they have so much potential. It’s a new story, a new style, a new voice. Read this list of directorial debuts on this year’s Raindance program so that you can be the first to discover the next big director as soon as their debut releases.
Granny Must Die (nominated Discovery Award for Debut Feature, Best International Feature, and Best Performance in a Debut Feature)
Taiwan | Director: Yi Jung Chen | Writer: Chiou Yi Tsai, Ken Chang | Producer: Ken Chang | Principal Cast: Li Yin Yang, Wei Hua Lan, Shih Ying Chang, Tammy Lin, Wan Chun Chen
Runtime: 87 min
Three generations under one roof – a grandma who won’t budge, and a granddaughter who’s had enough. In a tiny Taipei apartment, Granny Must Die unravels as a dark absurdist comedy where family care rubs up against simmering tension—and love, duty, and lunacy spiral delightfully out of control.
Showings:
Thu, Jun 26th, 7:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Fri, Jun 27th, 12:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for Granny Must Die HERE
God Teeth (nominated Discovery Award for Debut Feature)
Costa Rica | Director: Robbie C Williamson | Writer: Robbie C Williamson | Producer: Stephanie R. M. Smith, Cassandra Bickman Williamson
Runtime: 60 min
A wildly original and fantastical odyssey about four recently deceased souls who find themselves on an abandoned ship at sea. Part confessional, part elegy, the narrators must recount the circumstances which led to their untimely deaths, before a marauding gang of sting rays destroys their memories. Created entirely from found internet footage.
Showings:
Thu, Jun 26th, 6:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Fri, Jun 27th, 1:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Buy tickets for God Teeth HERE
James (nominated Best Debut Director, Best International Feature, and Best Performance in a Debut Feature)
Canada | Director: Max Train | Writer: Max Train | Producer: Max Train, Casey Klinkeaw, James R Cowley, Anthony Zwartouw, Joe Train | Principal Cast: Dylan Beatch, Paulina Munoz, James R. Cowley, Adam Klassen, Yumi Nagashima
Runtime: 99 min
JAMES (WINNER BEST FILM, Oldenburg ’24) is a Hoser-Noir comedy about an East Vancouver nihilist who finds new purpose after restoring a race bicycle salvaged from the trash. When a crooked dealer, aware of the bike’s true value, steals it, our anti-hero becomes trapped in a relentless pursuit, navigating Vancouver’s underbelly to reclaim his ride—or risk slipping back into the garbage heap of nihilism.
Showings:
Sun, Jun 22nd, 9:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Mon, Jun 23rd, 3:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Buy tickets for James HERE
Pet Peeves (nominated Best Debut Director)
Spain/Mexico | Director: Javier Polo | Writer: David Pascual, Enric Pardo, Guillermo Guerrero | Producer: Joshua Rivera, Geneviéve Velez | Principal Cast: Enrique Arce, Berta Vázquez, Arturo Valls, Andrea Duro, Vito Sanz
Runtime: 93 min
Carlo, an eccentric watchmaker, seems to have the power to influence the townspeople, pushing them to their limits and challenging them to take control of their chaotic destinies. How will a misunderstood hypochondriac react when confronted with the news of his imminent death? Will a young woman be able to answer whether her relationship is more burden than blessing? What will happen when a peaceful yoga teacher is unsettled by the arrival of a mysterious new neighbor? And what if a dream vacation turns into a nightmare? Are our protagonists ready to face their own pet peeves?
Showings:
Fri, Jun 20th, 6:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Sat, Jun 21st, 12:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Buy tickets for Pet Peeves HERE
The Lonely Musketeer (nominated Best Performance, Feature, and Cinematography in UK category)
UK/Germany | Director: Nicolai Schümann | Writer: Nicolai Schümann | Producer: Addy Raja, Marc Schneider, Nicolai Schümann | Principal Cast: Edward Hogg, Richard Glover, Angela Peters, Jennifer Preston, Holly Gordon-Clark
Runtime: 97 min
Star investor Rupert Bauman wakes up in a locked, windowless room with no memory—only his phone. As he investigates, fragments of his past resurface. When his best friend is murdered, Rupert is forced to confront the horrifying truth behind the nightmare he’s trapped in…. Kafka meets Hitchcock in this multi-award winning psycho thriller.
Showings:
Wed, Jun 25th, 7:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5
Thu, Jun 26th, 3:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5
Buy tickets for The Lonely Musketeer HERE
Saba
Bangladesh | Director: Maksud Hossain | Writer: Maksud Hossain | Producer: Uri Singer, Tamim Abdul Majind, Arifur Rahman, Barkat Hossain Polash, Mehazabien Cchowdhury, Trilora Khan | Principal Cast: Mehazabien Chowdhury, Rokeya Prachy, Mostafa Monwar
Runtime: 95 min
Saba, a 25-year-old woman, is the sole caregiver to her paralyzed mother Shirin. Balancing caregiving and work, Saba feels the weight of responsibility grow unbearable. Amidst her exhaustion, she meets Ankur, offering a brief escape. As her mother’s death approaches, Saba faces a life-altering transformation.
Screenings:
Wed, Jun 25th, 6:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Thu, Jun 26th, 12:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for Saba HERE
Shakespeare: The Tempest (nominated Discovery Award Debut Feature)
USA | Director: Garret Replogle | Writer: William Shakespeare, Garret Replogle | Producer: Garret Replogle, Josh Rodriguez, Patrick Snitchler | Principal Cast: William Gillean, Natalie Jean Beisner, Chris Coon, Garret Replogle, Nichole MacDonald
Runtime: 124 min
A betrayed spaceship captain, Prospero, is marooned on a desert planet with his daughter Miranda. He uses his mastery of magic and android servant, Ariel, to shipwreck the very crew that betrayed him. Prospero’s enemies are trapped on the planet and he orchestrates a series of events to confront them.
Showings:
Wed, Jun 25th, 8:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Thu, Jun 26th, 2:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Buy tickets for Shakespeare: The Tempest HERE
Saint Damian
Italy | Director: Gregorio Sassoli, Alejandro Cifuentes | Writer: Gregorio Sassoli, Alejandro Cifuentes | Producer: Gregorio Sassoli, Guendalina Folador | Principal Cast: Damian Eugeniusz Bielicki, Sofia Noviello
Runtime: 86 min
Arriving at Roma’s Termini Station from Poland with 50 euros in his pocket, Damian makes his home atop an ancient Roman tower across from the station, conducting his search for love and family with contagious vitality all the while wielding a dangerously violent energy to all who surround him.
Showings:
Wed, Jun 25th, 6:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Thu, Jun 26th, 12:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Buy tickets for Saint Damian HERE
Dirty Boy (nominated Best Performance, Feature, and Cinematography in UK category)
UK | Director: Doug Rao | Writer: Doug Rao | Producer: Giles Alderson, Sarah Ann-Grill, Marek Lichtenberg, Doug Rao | Principal Cast: Graham McTavish, Stan Steinbichler, Susie Porter, Honor Gillies, Alice Lucy
Runtime: 96 min
Raised in an oppressive cult, a reclusive schizophrenic discovers that he’s being framed by the cult leaders for a series of ritualistic murders and must prove his innocence by saving their next victim and destroying the evil sect from within.
Showings:
Sun, Jun 22nd, 7:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for Dirty Boy HERE
Our Happy Place
USA | Director: Paul Bickel | Writer: Paul Bickel | Producer: Paul Bickel, Raya Miles, David Ho, Tracie Thoms | Principal Cast: Raya Miles, Paul Bickel, Tracie Thoms, Eugene Byrd, Allyson Fasso
Runtime: 90 min
Raya wakes in the forest, cold and confused, with no memory of how she got there. Each day, it happens again. By the third day, she wakes in a shallow grave. The graves deepen each time, as if an unseen force is burying her alive. Back in her cabin, she’s haunted by visions of tortured women whose screams echo in her mind. Night after night, her visions intensify, blurring the line between dream and reality. As the hauntings intensify, Raya must confront a horrifying truth that shatters everything she had believed
Showings:
Fri, Jun 20th, 3:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Sat, Jun 21st, 3:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Buy tickets for Our Happy Place HERE
God As My Witness (nominated Best Documentary Feature)
USA | Director: Lindsay Q. Pitre | Producer: John Alexander, JC Guest, Shawn Rhodes, Lindsay Q. Pitre, Stephanie Magistretti | Principal Cast: Michael Brandner, Sr., Richard Trahant, Ramon Antonio Vargas, Thomas P. Doyle
Runtime: 82 min
Decades after losing his brother, a man begins to uncover dark secrets within the Archdiocese of New Orleans, exposing a generations-long cover-up. The quest for truth soon leads into one of the largest U.S. archdiocese bankruptcies, as survivors reveal their haunting stories of betrayal, sexual abuse, and corruption in the Crescent City.
Showings:
Thu, Jun 26th, 8:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Fri, Jun 27th, 3:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Buy tickets for God As My Witness HERE
In Symbiosis (nominated Best Director UK)
UK | Director: Helena Berndl, Francesco Maria Gallo | Writer: Helena Berndl | Producer: Helena Berndl | Principal Cast: Vandana Shiva, Peter Brown, Nora McKeon, Peter Melchett, Michael Antoniou
Runtime: 123 minutes
As the world is grappling with the emergent challenges of its development path, In Symbiosis’ striking and vibrant cast of interviewees, from land to lab, unveils the driving forces behind a broken food system and puts forward a path to building true resilience in and around us.
Showings:
Tue, Jun 24th, 9:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Wed, Jun 25th, 3:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Buy tickets for In Symbiosis HERE
Palestine Comedy Club
UK | Director: Alaa Aliabdallah | Writer: Alaa Aliabdallah and Charlotte Knowles | Producer: Charlotte Knowles | Principal Cast: Alaa Shehad, Hanna Shammas, Diana Sweity
Runtime: 93 min
When six Palestinian comedians hit the road to tour a stand-up show across Palestine and Israel, their search for humour amidst the injustice of everyday Palestinian life becomes a plea for humanity in the face of brutal war.
Showings:
Mon, Jun 23rd, 8:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 4
Tue, Jun 24th, 3:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 4
Buy tickets for Palestine Comedy Club HERE
Reaching for Light (nominated for Best Cinematography UK)
UK | Director: Matt Lanning, Eva Yap, Alex Keen | Writer: Alex Keen | Producer: Matt Lanning | Principal Cast: Chris Rose, Alex Baker, Matt Lanning, Alex Keen
Runtime: 47 min
Combining scientific experiment with artistic vision, a team of high-altitude filming experts from the UK set out for the Arctic Circle to document the Northern Lights from closer than ever before. Driven by the need to push their technology to new heights, they aim to deploy an array of 360° cameras at the edge of space, inside the Aurora Borealis. Should they succeed, they seek to inspire the next generation of explorers, scientists and artists. But up against extreme environmental conditions, a narrowing launch window and untested technology, can they capture this fleeting natural wonder, or are they chasing moonbeams?
Showings:
Fri, Jun 27th, 6:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Buy tickets for Reaching for Light HERE
The Dark Fantastic
UK | Director: Lg White | Writer: Lg White | Producer: Tim Luna, Bianca Hugens | Principal Cast: Simon Boswell, Dario Argento, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Clive Barker, Nick Willing, Danny Boyle
Runtime: 109 min
Music documentary/ live concert ‘The Dark Fantastic’ directed and written by Lg White, is a psychedelic dive into the mind and work of renowned film composer Simon Boswell. This immersive journey explores Boswell’s innovative approach to music and his impact on cinema.
The film features conversations with directors of the films for which Boswell has composed memorable scores, including Alejandro Jodorowsky, Dario Argento, Richard Stanley, Michele Soavi, Lamberto Bava, Álex de la Iglesia, Clive Barker, Nick Willing, and Danny Boyle, among others. It also highlights Boswell’s unique embrace of roles such as the devil’s voice. Through intricate visuals and evocative soundscapes,
The Dark Fantastic celebrates Boswell’s contribution to the film industry and invites viewers to experience a perfect marriage of heaven and hell in the realm of music and cinematic storytelling.
Showings:
Thu, Jun 26th, 6:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5
Fri, Jun 27th, 12:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5
Buy tickets for The Dark Fantastic HERE
Turtle Walker (nominated Best Documentary Feature)
India/USA | Director: Taira Malaney | Writer: Taira Malaney, Sam Rogers | Producer: Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Vikram Malaney, Angad Dev Singh, Taira Malaney | Principal Cast: Satish Bhaskar, Rohan Joglekar, Adhith Swaminathan
Runtime: 75 min
In the late 1970s, Satish Bhaskar embarked on an epic journey along India’s coastline and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where he uncovered the vital nesting beaches of sea turtles. During his death-defying quest, he unravels mysteries surrounding these enigmatic ocean creatures – and sets out to save them from extinction. After a devastating tsunami strikes in 2004, Bhaskar grapples with a pressing question: What happens to sea turtles when their nesting beaches disappear?
Showings:
Thu, Jun 19th, 6:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Mon, Jun 23rd, 1:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for Turtle Walker HERE
Emma: One Last Dance (nominated Best Documentary Feature and Best Director UK)
UK | Director: Maya Amin-Smith | Producer: Felicity Cross
Runtime: 75 min
Emma: One Last Dance tells the story of Emma Hayes, the most successful manager in WSL history, charting the impact she has had on the growth of women’s game, and following her last six months at Chelsea Football Club as she attempts to lead her team to victory one last time.
Showings:
Sat, Jun 21st, 6:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Sun, Jun 22nd, 2:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Buy tickets for Emma: One Last Dance HERE
The Two of Us (nominated Best Documentary Feature and Best Cinematography UK)
UK | Director: Owen Ward | Writer: Owen Ward | Producer: John May | Principal Cast: Tim Edwards, John May, Brian Conlon
Runtime: 86 min
After his daughter Elle is murdered on Christmas Eve, Tim Edwards begins a powerful journey of healing. Joined by comedian John May, he walks the length of the UK, confronting grief, forging unexpected connections, and inspiring others to find hope in the face of unimaginable loss.
Showings:
Mon, Jun 23rd, 8:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Tue, Jun 24th, 3:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for The Two of Us HERE
Saturnalia
USA | Director: Daniel Lerch | Writer: Daniel Lerch, Julia Nilsen, Darrell Workman | Producer: Vivian Owen | Principal Cast: Sophia Anthony, Velvet, Dante Blake
Runtime: 100 min
Saturnalia is a high-concept homage to the cerebral and stylish world of the Italian Giallo films of the 1970s. After the mysterious death of both her parents, Miriam Basconi, a newcomer to a prestigious boarding school, realizes that the macabre institution and its cruel headmistress are a front for something much more evil. The film is scored by the legendary Claudio Simonetti, composer of Suspiria, Deep Red, and Dawn of the Dead.
Showings:
Fri, Jun 20th, 9:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for Saturnalia HERE
Snatchers (nominated Discovery Award for Debut Feature)
Australia | Director: Craig Alexander, Shelly Higgs | Writer: Craig Alexander | Producer: Craig Alexander, Shelly Higgs, Sebastian Chan, Denai Gracie | Principal Cast: Hannah McKenzie, Craig Alexander, Justin Hosking
Runtime: 82 min
A pair of old friends try to make a quick buck selling the organs of a fresh corpse but get thrown a curveball when she wakes up on the operating table.
Showings:
Sat, Jun 21st, 8:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for Snatchers HERE
The Invisible Half (nominated Best Performance in a Debut Feature)
Japan | Director: Masaki Nishiyama | Writer: Masaki Nishiyama | Producer: Atsushi Sakamoto, Noboru Suzuki(Co-Producer) | Principal Cast: Lisa Siera , Miyu Okuno , Runa Hirasawa
Runtime: 106 min
Elena, a “half” Japanese high school girl, struggles with the feeling she’s not Japanese. While constantly watched, she discovers she is also being watched by something else—a monster that can only be seen through her smartphone and whose sounds can only be heard through her earphones.
Showings:
Fri, Jun 20th, 10:30 AM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets to The Invisible Half HERE
Thinestra
USA | Director: Nathan Hertz | Writer: Avra Fox-Lerner, Nathan Hertz (Story By) | Producer: Kelly Ann Parker, Alexandra Lubenova | Principal Cast: Melissa Macedo, Michelle Macedo, Gavin Stenhouse, Mary Beth Barone, Annie Ngosi Ilonzeh
Runtime: 87 min
It’s a sweltering Christmas in Los Angeles. Penny—haunted by binge eating and body dysmorphia—takes Thinestra, a mysterious Ozempic-like drug. That night, she violently expels grotesque masses of fat. But the flesh returns—twisted, ravenous, reborn as PENELOPE. As her doppelgänger wreaks bloody havoc, Penny fights to regain control.
Showings:
Fri, Jun 20th, 1:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for Thinestra HERE
Loner (nominated Best Performance, Feature, and Director in UK category)
UK | Director: Charlie Robb, Douglas Tawn | Writer: Charlie Robb | Producer: Dillon Hollis | Principal Cast: Charlie Robb, Kat Johns-Burke, Jessica Summer, Douglas Tawn
Runtime: 99 min
Aspiring vlogger Angus embarks on a wilderness retreat to make videos about nature and disconnecting from city life. But an ancient presence protects the woods, and Angus is held at the mercy of a higher natural order. Loner is a raw, found-footage folk horror with a darkly comic pulse.
Showings:
Sat, Jun 21st, 10:30 AM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for Loner HERE
Corina (nominated Best Debut Director)
México | Director: Urzula Barba Hopfner | Writer: Urzula Barba Hopfner, Samuel Sosa | Producer: Carlos Hernández, Iván López Barba | Principal Cast: Naian González Norvind, Cristo Fernández, Carolina Politi, Laura de Ita, Mariana Rodriguez
Runtime: 96 min
Set in the director’s hometown of Guadalajara, the film tells the story of Corina, a young woman who, for the past 20 years, has rarely left her house except to work at a local publishing house. When she makes a grave mistake in the final installment of the company’s most famous book saga, her world is thrown into turmoil. To save her job—and the future of the publishing house—she must confront her deepest fears and, with the help of Carlos, embark on a daring journey to track down a mysterious writer whose words hold the key to redemption.
Showings:
Fri, Jun 20th, 9:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Sat, Jun 21st, 3:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Buy tickets for Corina HERE
If You Should Leave Before Me
USA | Director: J. Markus Anderson, Boyd Anderson | Writer: J. Markus Anderson, Boyd Anderson | Producer: Chris Pegut, J. Markus Anderson, Boyd Anderson | Principal Cast: Shane P. Allen, John Wilcox, Tom Noga, Merrick McCartha, Susan Louise O’Connor
Runtime: 120 min
A devastating loss drives a rift between Mark and Joshua after many years of marital bliss. To avoid coping with their grief they immerse themselves in their work… which just so happens to be guiding the recently deceased to the afterlife. A touching story of love and loss.
Showings:
Sat, Jun 21st, 8:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Sun, Jun 22nd, 3:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Buy tickets for If You Should Leave Before Me HERE
Nawi: Dear Future Me (nominated Best International Feature and Best Performance in a Debut Feature)
Kenya | Director: Vallentine Chelluget, Apuu Mourine, Toby & Kevin Schmutzler | Writer: Milcah Cherotich, Kevin Schmutzler, Tobias Schmutzler | Producer: Caroline Heim, Lydia Wrensch, Brizan Were | Principal Cast: Michelle Lemuya Ikeny, Joel Liwan Benson Ochungo Obiero
Runtime: 103 min
13-year-old Nawi finds out her father is selling her to a much older man for a herd of goats. Instead of obeying tradition she chooses to fight her impending marriage and embarks on a journey to reclaim her dream of joining high school.
Showings:
Thu, Jun 19th, 9:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Fri, Jun 20th, 2:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Buy tickets for Nawi: Dear Future Me HERE
Paternal Leave (Debut Feature) (nominated Best Debut Director and Best Performance in a Debut Feature)
Germany/Italy | Director: Alissa Jung | Writer: Alissa Jung | Producer: Cécile Tollu-Polonowski, Viola Fügen, Michael Weber, Sonia Rovai | Principal Cast: Juli Grabenhenrich as Leo, Luca Marinelli as Paolo, Arturo Gabbriellini as Edoardo, Joy Falletti Cardillo as Emilia, Gaia Rinaldi as Valeria
Runtime: 113 min
Alone and looking for answers, a teenager travels to the North Italian coast to meet her biological father. Their first encounter is tense & fraught with questions, longing and unresolved anger. Can they work towards finding acceptance, love and honesty?
Showings:
Tue, Jun 24th, 8:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Wed, Jun 25th, 3:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for Paternal Leave HERE
Regina (nominated Discovery Award for Debut Feature and Best Debut Director)
USA | Director: Ashley De Grandy | Writer: Dan Brat | Producer: Ashley De Grandy, Francesco Senatore, Dan Brat | Principal Cast: Isabella Bobadilla, Roxana Frontini, Loren Swan, David Fields, Gley Viera
Runtime: 103 min
After refusing a flower delivery, Regina’s cat disappears, unraveling her sense of reality. As strange encounters accumulate and familiar faces grow unrecognizable, she’s forced to confront unsettling truths about her mother, her memories, and herself. Regina is a surreal mystery about loss, identity, and the quiet collapse of control.
Showings:
Thu, Jun 19th, 6:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Fri, Jun 20th, 12:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Buy tickets for Regina HERE
The Academy (nominated Best International Feature)
Germany | Director: Camilla Guttner | Writer: Camilla Guttner | Producer: Marcos Kantis, Camilla Guttner, Josef Brandmeier | Principal Cast: Maja Bons, Jean-Marc Barr, Andreas Lust, Luise Aschenbrenner, Christoph Luser, Isolde Barth
Runtime: 104 min
When young Jojo is accepted into one of the most prestigious art academies, she can hardly believe her luck. She is now allowed to attend the painting class of the world-famous Professor Robert Copley, whose work she admires. Before her eyes, a rich panorama of the art world gradually unfolds: students, artists, professors, gallery owners – colorful and eccentric characters, all struggling with their work, love, and life. But soon, this dazzling world reveals itself to be a ruthless terrain. Jojo does everything she can to stay true to herself in this toxic environment.
Showings:
Fri, Jun 27th, 6:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 4
Buy tickets for The Academy HERE
The Party’s Over (nominated Best International Feature, Best Debut Director, and Best Performance in a Debut Feature)
Spain/Belgium | Director: Elena Manrique | Writer: Elena Manrique | Producer: Belen Atienza, Sandra Hermida, Olmo Figaredo, Carlos Rosado, Hans Everaert | Principal Cast: Edith Martínez-Val, Sonia Barba, Beatriz Arjona, José Manuel Seda
Runtime: 97 min
A young Senegalese immigrant hides in a magnificent Andalusian manor where Carmina, the erratic mistress of the house, and Lupe, the maid, uncover his hiding place. Both women conceal Bilal’s existence from one another, transforming the manor from a sanctuary into a precarious prison and triggering a suspenseful struggle.
Showings:
Thu, Jun 19th, 9:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5
Sun, Jun 22nd, 12:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5
Buy tickets for The Party’s Over HERE
Wet Monday (nominated Best International Feature, Best Debut Director, and Best Performance in a Debut Feature)
Poland/Estonia/Czech Republic | Director: Justyna Mytnik | Writer: Justyna Mytnik, Rosanna Hall, Monika Dembinska | Producer: Lava Films/ Marta Gmosińska, Alexandra Film, EC1 Lodz – The city of culture Regional Fund (ES), Bionaut (CZ) | Principal Cast: Julia Polaczek, Nel Kaczmarek, Weronika Kozakowska, Jowita Budnik, Maja Kleszcz
Runtime: 84 min
Teenager Klara and her friends are eagerly awaiting Easter and the wild water fight that celebrates the arrival of spring. However, for Klara, the festive holiday marks the anniversary of a painful experience. Tormented by shame, she begins to suffer from nightmares and develops a strange fear of water. With the help of her new friend Diana, Klara embarks on a journey to confront and heal her repressed trauma.
Wet Monday is a magical tale about teenage-hood and the healing power of empathy, set against the colorful backdrop of Polish Easter traditions.
Showings:
Mon, Jun 23rd, 9:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Tue, Jun 24th, 3:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Buy tickets for Wet Monday HERE
Srishti
India | Director: Paul Antar | Writer: Paul Antar | Producer: Matthew Samuel Kilari | Principal Cast: Sumeet Thakur, Chitrangada Satarupa, Indira Tiwari, Debdeep Mukherjee, Murari Kumar
Runtime: 95 min
Neerav, a nihilistic photographer haunted by childhood guilt, travels to the remote Himalayan Sector K to investigate a mysterious phenomenon. As obsession consumes him, fate drags him through a series of unfortunate events that manifest a terrifying curse, until reality itself begins to fracture beyond repair.
Showings:
Sat, Jun 21st, 6:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2
Buy tickets for Srishti HERE
Breakwater (nominated for Best Performance UK Feature)
UK | Director: Max Morgan | Writer: Max Morgan | Producer: Jemima Chen | Principal Cast: Daniel McNamee, Shaun Paul McGrath, Will Gao, Agnes Halladay
Runtime: 91 min
Set between the sandstone colleges of Oxford and the salt-encrusted Suffolk coast, Breakwater follows the tentative romance between university student, Otto, and retired angler, John. Their lives fuse irreversibly over the shared trauma of losing a loved one. However, their relationship darkens when the past exhumes itself in the form of guilt, grief, and ghosts.
Showings:
Mon, Jun 23rd, 6:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5
Tue, Jun 24th, 12:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5
Buy tickets for Breakwater HERE
Dali (nominated Discovery Award for Debut Feature, Best Performance in UK Feature, Best UK Feature, and Best Director UK Feature)
UK | Director: Mickey Angelov | Writer: Mickey Angelov | Producer: Joseph Bushell, Jazelle Cheong | Principal Cast: Mickey Angelov, Lucrezia Galeone, Philip Avramov, Victoria Valcheva, Nina Singh
Runtime: 91 min
A Bulgarian-born, American-raised rapper dies and faces The Gatekeeper at the crossroads of the afterlife, where he must relive his tumultuous past—family struggles, lost love, and a life of excess—to determine whether he belongs Above or Below. Explores themes of cultural identity and nature vs. nurture.
Showings:
Mon, Jun 23rd, 6:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Tue, Jun 24th, 12:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3
Buy tickets for Dali HERE
Heavyweight (nominated Best Performance UK Feature, Best UK Feature, Best Director UK Feature, and Best UK Cinematography)
UK | Director: Christopher M. Anthony | Writer: Christopher M. Anthony | Producer: Tiernan Hanby, Kevin Harvey, Nicholas Pinnock, Oliver Slinger, Antoine Dixon-Bellot, Simon Marriott | Principal Cast: Jordan Bolger, Nicholas Pinnock, Osy Ikhile, Jason Isaacs, Joplin Sibtain, Barry Aird, Rob Malone, Blake Harrison, Sienna Guillory, Jamie Bamber, Adrian Lukis
Runtime: 98 min
‘Heavyweight’ follows wildcard boxing contender, ‘Diamond’ Derek Douglas, and his support team ahead of a title fight he doubts he can win. The pressure escalates in realtime, as dirty tricks and revelations are revealed. ‘Heavyweight’ is an intense and visceral experience exploring a side of elite sport rarely seen.
Showings:
Wed, Jun 18th, 5:30 PM @ Vue West End
Thu, Jun 19th, 3:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1
Buy tickets for Heavyweight HERE
Row (nominated Best Performance UK Feature, Best UK Feature, Best Director UK Feature, and Best UK Cinematography)
UK | Director: Matthew Losasso | Writer: Nick Skaugen, Matthew Losasso | Producer: Nick Skaugen | Principal Cast: Bella Dayne, Sophie Skelton, Akshay Khanna, Nick Skaugen, Mark Streppan
Runtime: 118 min
A bewildered and exhausted woman is rescued and subsequently interrogated after washing ashore on a bloodstained rowing boat. Appearing to be the sole survivor of an attempted World Record North Atlantic crossing, she pieces together repressed memories and faces the terror of what happened out at sea.
Showings:
Sat, Jun 21st, 6:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5
Sun, Jun 22nd, 3:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5
Buy tickets for Row HERE
Explore the Raindance Film Festival Programme
Austin Hughes is a mixed-media animator and illustrator studying in Arkansas with equal passions for storytelling and design. He’s currently in London with Raindance Film Festival focusing on their Jury and Box Office, immersing himself in a wide variety of films and voices before diving into the production of his own independent animated short thesis film next year.
