When I first visited Raindance Film Festival last year I was, needless to say, heavily apprehensive. With a programme of shorts, music videos, documentaries and feature films all made by up-and -coming independent filmmakers, I was understandably overwhelmed realising that most of the people working on such films would be there, giving Q and A’s, panels, as well as networking with those at the week long event. This year, however, I knew what to expect.
After picking up my Industry festival pass, complimentary tote bag and film programme on the 19th of September, I was ready to reap the benefits. The festival was, like years before, situated at the Vue cinema in Piccadilly. The inside is sleek and modern despite its unassuming exterior, and once you head two stairways down, you’ll be at the lounging area. With a festival pass you can indulge in the occasional free chocolate bar or wait until happy hour and grab a cheeky beer. What most people are there for however, and many others are, is the schedule of films and rewarding industry events.
Whilst there this year I managed to see an array of shorts, features, and attend some very educational and informative industry events. It’s best to highlight the ones that stuck with me the most however, for the sake of both whoever is reading this and myself! One particular series of shorts centred around the theme of activism yet made by different filmmakers contained a beautiful entry by Director Duncan Cowles and Ross Hogg. The film, titled Just Agree Then, centred on the dichotomy between two Scottish filmmakers clashing over their short in Austria, yet it equally reflects the tumultuous politics of Europe at the moment. Equally, a feature-length documentary called Searching for Oscar directed by Octavio Guerra, which centres on the strange, sad and oddly humorous existence of film critic Oscar Peyrou who never watches the films he critiques. Lastly was the industry event hosted by Zoran Veljkovic; a cinematography masterclass by someone working in the industry successfully for decades. These were just some experiences I was privileged enough to take part in, as someone hoping to break into the filmmaking industry it is a truly rewarding experience for networking and inspiration. It therefore gave me the opportunity to catch up with one of the directors of this years scheduled films made by ex-journalist, and activist filmmaker Juliana Piccillo!
Me: What film did you direct?
Juliana: I directed Whores on Film, a documentary that sheds light on female sex workers and the way the industry functions.
Me: Is this your first time in the festival circuit?
Juliana: No, I actually made a short film with another creator before that ended up doing quite well in the festival circuit, but was much easier to programme. This is my first time specifically at Raindance however, and it’s a much more competitive and challenging environment!
Me: How do you think Raindance has benefitted you?
Juliana: Of course! if you get a good audience for your premiere screening to both filmmakers and enthusiasts alike then there’s always the chance you’ll catch the eye of a distributor.
Me: Have you met anybody you have connected with whilst here?
Juliana: Oh yeah! I did a panel on mental health the first day I was here, and met the London based actress Amaka Okafor who is currently acting in The Son at The Duke of York Theatre.
Me: What films have stood out to you while you’ve been here?
Juliana: I have to say I was absolutely blown away by Josephine Mackerras’ film Alice, I thought it contained the same activism my own film, which is critical of how minorities such as female sex workers are treated. It’s powerful to initiate those kinds of conversations.
Me: Do you enjoy this part of the filmmaking process?
Juliana: Well, of course it’s nerve-wracking to show your work to audiences at an open premiere for the first time. However, I have had wonderful closed screenings in Paris, Berlin and such, in which women who are part of the sex worker industry talked to me afterwards about how they were relieved to finally be represented in a more positive way, and feel seen. I was truly touched to see that women from the industry in London came to the first premiere screening as well!
Me: Last, but by no means least, would you recommend Raindance to other budding filmmakers and audience participants?
Juliana: I think this is a fantastic festival! The programmers here are not afraid to show challenging and provocative pieces of work. They consider marginalised independent filmmaking, here, representation is important.
Me: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, and good luck!
This interview alone demonstrates just how accessible and ultimately welcoming the Raindance film festival is to both filmmakers and viewers alike. If you are like me at the start of this article, nervous and unsure about coming here, meeting and talking with new and interesting creators then I hope this has quelled those fears slightly. Raindance is for everyone, it’s not Cannes, Berlin or Sundance where everything feels somewhat overwhelming and out of reach. I think their trailer puts it perfectly this year “Raindance Means Raindance”. I personally cannot wait for next year, and I hope you guys check it out too!