{"id":131,"date":"2026-05-18T08:05:35","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T08:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=131"},"modified":"2026-05-18T08:05:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T08:05:35","slug":"raindance-sets-full-34th-edition-lineup-adds-best-horror-feature-prize-as-festival-expands-competition-slate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=131","title":{"rendered":"Raindance Sets Full 34th Edition Lineup, Adds Best Horror Feature Prize as Festival Expands Competition Slate"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\n\tThe 34th Raindance Film Festival has unveiled its complete program, with 85 narrative and documentary features, 112 short films and 27 immersive projects set for the June 17\u201326 run in London. Forty-eight of the features \u2013 56% of the total \u2013 come from first-time directors, and a new best horror feature prize has been added to the jury competition for 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=129\">Kylie Minogue on Opening Up for a Netflix Docuseries, Refusing to Be \u2018Boxed In\u2019 and Navigating \u201990s Tabloids: \u2018Thankfully, I Gave Myself a Chance\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe full feature slate spans material on topics including the Southport riots, fracking in West Texas, the Rohingya refugee crisis, bride slavery in India, artificial intelligence and the deforestation of Canada\u2019s Boreal Forest. International competition titles include the world premieres of Mexican coming-of-age mystery \u201cJardines Del Bosque,\u201d Iranian pandemic drama \u201cNo Lastname\u201d and debut Estonian feature \u201cFr\u00e4nk,\u201d from T\u00f6nis Pill, assistant director on Christopher Nolan\u2019s \u201cTenet,\u201d alongside U.K. premieres of Venice-awarded \u201cLost Land\u201d and Indian narrative feature \u201cParo: The Untold Story of Bride Slavery,\u201d produced by two-time Oscar-listed producer Trupti Bhoir.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tDocumentary competition highlights include \u201cGaslit,\u201d executive produced by Jane Fonda, which follows the activist across oil fields in West Texas and Louisiana; \u201cGhost in the Machine,\u201d which premiered at Sundance and examines the origins of artificial intelligence; and \u201cCopeland,\u201d a world premiere portrait of Stewart Copeland, drummer of English rock band The Police.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe horror sidebar, newly eligible for its own jury prize, includes \u201cCorporate Retreat,\u201d starring Odeya Rush, Sasha Lane, Alan Ruck, Ashton Sanders and Rosanna Arquette; Robert Englund-led Pinocchio reimagining \u201cPinocchio: Unstrung\u201d; M\u0101ori-inflected supernatural chiller \u201cBroken Beak,\u201d an international premiere from New Zealand; and slasher-comedy \u201cFriday the 69th.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe festival\u2019s Oscar-qualifying short film program features the directorial debut of actor Kit Harington, the black comedy \u201cPsychopomp,\u201d starring Harry Melling; \u201cJoke,\u201d a tribute to late British comedy writer Barry Cryer featuring Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, Alison Steadman and Harry Hill; and BAFTA-winning comedian Joe Lycett\u2019s \u201cDating Mark Silcox.\u201d Among the international short titles, \u201cPankaja\u201d and \u201cStairs\u201d both carry Sundance nominations, while Palestinian documentary \u201cFree Fish,\u201d filmed in Gaza, closes the strand.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=127\">Berlinale Title \u2018Light Pillar\u2019 Acquired by Greenwich Entertainment for U.S. Theatrical Release (EXCLUSIVE)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tThis year\u2019s jury includes actors Jacob Anderson (\u201cInterview with the Vampire,\u201d \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (\u201cMatch Point\u201d), Aimee-Ffion Edwards (\u201cSlow Horses\u201d), Sope Dirisu (\u201cGangs of London\u201d), Charlotte Hope (\u201cThe Spanish Princess\u201d) and David Ajala (\u201cThe Woman in Cabin 10\u201d), alongside Fiona Lamptey, a producer and former head of U.K. features at Netflix.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tCanon Europe returns as main sponsor. The Canon Lounge at One Ninetyfour on Piccadilly will serve as the industry hub, hosting a cinematography masterclass and an AI-assisted short film screening in partnership with CapCut. The 11th Raindance Immersive presents 27 XR projects online in VRChat from June 12 through June 25, with an in-person showcase at the Canon Lounge from June 23\u201325.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tAs previously announced, the festival will open with the U.K. premiere of Michel K. Parandi\u2019s sci-fi thriller \u201cApril X,\u201d starring Connor Storrie (\u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d) and close with the European premiere of Kirsty Bell\u2019s documentary \u201cEddie Cochran: Don\u2019t Forget Me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cSome films can\u2019t wait,\u201d Raindance founder Elliot Grove said, \u201cand we at Raindance can\u2019t wait to share this year\u2019s selection of must-see indie films. With the return of our main sponsor Canon Europe, Raindance has an even greater capacity to champion emerging filmmakers along with under-the-radar films that other festivals may overlook. So don\u2019t wait on the sidelines, come join our celebration of indie cinema in the heart of London.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=125\">From TikTok to Cannes: How \u2018Elephants in the Fog\u2019 Made Nepal\u2019s Historic Un Certain Regard Breakthrough<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 34th Raindance Film Festival reveals 85 features, a new best horror prize and a jury including Jacob Anderson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[158,159,160],"class_list":["post-131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","tag-connor-storrie","tag-heated-rivalry","tag-raindance-film-festival"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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