Since 1998, Raindance Film Festival has continued in its strong support for Japanese filmmaking, with its Way Out East section the largest annual showcase for new Japanese cinema in the United Kingdom, screening at least ten recent features and documentaries annually. The 17th Raindance Festival, held between 30 September - 11 October 2009, this year turns its spotlight on the rising number of women filmmakers in Japan, with a special selection of five features and one shorts program from some of the country's most exciting talent.

Director Momoko Ando will be in attendance to introduce the World Premiere of her debut feature, A PIECE OF OUR LIFE - KAKERA -. The film, scored by Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, is a touching portrait of a romantic relationship between Haru, a college student whose relationship with her self-centred boyfriend is going nowhere, and Riko, a bisexual medical artist who makes prosthetic body parts. Born in 1982, Ando is the daughter of the acclaimed actor-director Eiji Okuda and the sister of rising starlet Sakura Ando (LOVE EXPOSURE, AIN'T NO TOMORROWS). A former student of the Slade School of Fine Art, her return to London to present her new film promises to be an unforgettable experience.

From Raindance's Joe Pearshouse

The Box Office of the 17th Raindance Film Festival (30 September - 11 October 2009) opened on 15 September and some screenings are already sold out.

New this year: Raindance opens the Raindance Film Cafe on 2nd Oct for seminars/masterclasses/networking and live music events. Raindance's famous pitching event LIVE!AMMUNITION! as well as 'Plug and Play' - chances for you to screen your own work will also be held at the Cafe.

Highlights of this year's screenings include COLIN, the 45-pound micro-budget Zomebie feature and Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven, Che, Sex, Lies and Videotape) 's highly anticipated new feature 'The Girlfriend Experience'.

  To provide key information and hands-on experience of directing drama for the screen. Students will gain an understanding of screen grammar and techniques for directing actors in the time frame of a shoot.   Tutor: Patrick Tucker Venue: Craven St Rehearsal Rooms Date: 4/5 July Duration: 2 day weekend Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm Price: £250 + 15% VAT   Everyone wants to be a director. If you can create a 'look' for your film, your career will rocket. But why do so many British feature films, especially those by first-time directors, fail to achieve this important artistic success? When the technique needed for visually pleasing single-camera direction is so basic, why do so many directors fail to make the right choices? And when actors can add so much to a production, why don't directors take the time to ensure that their actors perform to the best of their abilities? This intensive seminar teaches you the secrets of maximising performance from the cast while realising the importance of the ultimate audience - the camera. Learn how to direct on-time and on-budget, get the results you want and keep the producers happy. Single camera shooting techniques are explored in depth. Students will be given a number of exercises to undertake, including the opportunity to participate in directing a short dramatic scene which will be critiqued by Patrick Tucker. Tucker illustrates his points throughout with handouts and examples from Film and Television. There will be practical demonstrations and hands-on exercises using a professional digital camera. Day One: The Grammar Of Directing Shooting techniques Roots and reasons for selecting a camera style The grammar of single camera placement Style: approaching the script in an individual way Shooting script: developing your visual shorthand Planning: reading and analysing the script Turning Points: finding the key dramatic moments Storyboarding versus the scene sheet Screen geometry and grammar The 'Line': what it is and how to avoid crossing it Lenses: eyelines, hitting the mark, blocking, the 'look' .....

From Raindance:

The final deadline for the 17th Raindance Film Festival is 19 June.

Raindance is the UK’s leading independent film festival and each year more and more films achieve success after Raindance screenings. Recent triumphs include IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS (Independent Spirit Award-winner, 2009), TOYLAND (Oscar-winner, Best Short 2009) and ONCE (Oscar-winner, Best Song, 2008).

Over the years, the festival has hosted such guests and filmmakers as Christopher Nolan, Shane Meadows, Ken Loach, Marky Ramone, Iggy Pop, Anton Corbijn, Mick Jones, Andrea Arnold, Adam Yauch, Quentin Tarantino, Faye Dunaway and Lou Reed.

But we’re here for the little guys too. Our big-name successes ensure that attention is on the whole programme. Everyone’s looking for the next big indie hit. Our audience of film fans, journalists, acquisition executives, actors, producers and directors know that a screening at the Raindance Film Festival is a sign of quality.

If you think your film has what it takes to make Raindance ’09 then submit your film before 19 June 2009.

For more details, visit www.raindance.co.uk/site/festival-submissions-2009

In Anatomy Of A Reel, director Mark Tonderai and his key heads of department breakdown the first reel of the thriller Hush (Generalrelease: 13 March 2009) from idea to final cut. The reel will be pulled apartand looked at from the perspective of the Writer, Director, DOP, Composer andEditor in their singular effort to create a low budget suspense story with abig budget look. A must see event for anyone interested in the mechanics andart of filmmaking!

Tired and irritable, Zakes (Will Ash) and Beth (Christine Bottomley) drive home along the M1, a familiar journey full of harshly lit service stations and bad coffee. When a white truck narrowly avoids hitting them, its back doors open to reveal a woman terrified and screaming caged up inside. Unsure if what he has seen is real, Zakes calls the police but drives on. Beth is furious that he hasn’t done more to help and at the next petrol station storms off. When she doesn’t return, Zakes slowly realises that she too has been snatched by the white truck driver and is forced into a vicious game of cat and mouse with a ruthless killer who has terrifying plans for his human cargo.

*DUE TO LIMITED AVAILABILITY TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED PRIOR TO THIS EVENT*

Date: 11 March 2009, Start time: 18h30, Venue: Cineworld Shaftesbury Avenue/13 CoventrySt/London/W1D 7DH. Book tickets: £10.00 Go to www.raindance.co.uk or call 0207 287 3833

This month Raindance brings you a free screening of Zebra Crossings. Zebra Crossings premiered in last years Raindance Film Festival and also won an award at the 2008 BIFAs.

Set amongst the towering, concrete-clad estates of south London ‘Zebra Crossings’ blends a mixture of characters that all share onething in common: The incredible loneliness of living alongside 7 million other people.

 ‘Hard-hitting’ would be an appropriate phrase to describe this tale of four south London lads from writer and director Sam Holland. Not only because their lives are depicted completely without compromise but also because these boys solve most problems with their fists. They are the children ofthe council estates, urban thugs with little chance of release from the concrete coliseum that surrounds them.

17th Raindance Film Festival
30 September - 11 October 2009

OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS   The 17th Raindance Film Festival is now open for submissions. Raindance is the UK's leading independent film festival and takes place annually in London's West End.

Raindance showcases features and shorts made by independent filmmakers from all around the world to an audience of film fans, journalists, acquisition executives, actors, producers and directors. Nearly 2000 films were submitted for last year's festival, of which just over 200 were screened. Festival admissions were up over 40%.

Films can be submitted via Withoutabox.com, the world's first site dedicated to film festival submissions. Simply visit the Raindance page at Withoutabox, create a login name, fill in the info about your film, submit an online press pack, and send us your DVD in the post. Alternatively, go to the Raindance website, download, fill in and send us the submission form. 

From Raindance:

Dogwoof Presents: The Best Of The 15th Raindance Film Festval Shorts

The sixth in the Raindance DVD series, The Best Of The 15th Raindance Film Festival Shorts is a unique collection of innovative short films from the 2007 festival. This eclectic mix includes festival award winners, award nominees, the 2007 festival trailer, and a behind-the-scenes peek of the making of the festival directed by Jonathan Caouette. The Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the UK and continues to discover and foster new filmmakers.

Dan Martin will guide you through a comprehensive list of special effects, tailored for low to no budget horror and action films.

Raindance presents on June 26th at 7.30pm

Live!Ammunition! at the Edinburgh International Film Festival

followed by an afterparty

hosted by Shooting People and Wallflower Press

HAVE YOU GOT A GREAT IDEA FOR A MOVIE? This is it! Your chance to pitch your movie idea directly to a panel of top British film executives. These are the people who matter. They are the people who buy and develop scripts – they are the people who decide what will be made and what won’t.