Raindance Film Festival Announces Official Programme For 2026 Edition

In an increasingly divisive and polarised world, the power of storytelling has never been more crucial. The UK’s leading indie film festival, Raindance is privileged to be a platform for sharing stories from emerging filmmakers: the new voices in cinema who won’t wait for big-time producers or major studios to greenlight their projects, because some films can’t wait. That urgency might be to share important truths about headline-making topics ranging from Ukraine to AI, fracking to deforestation, refugees to bride slavery. It may be to celebrate and contemplate heroes past and present, including music icon Eddie Cochran and Oscar winner and activist Jane Fonda. Or it may simply be to provide much-needed escapism with thrilling new sci-fi and horror genre films crafted with an indie sensibility.

Running 17 – 26 June, the 34TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL delivers all of this and more, with a programme comprising 85 narrative and documentary features, including 48 films by emerging first-time filmmakers (i.e. 56% of the feature programme). The programme also includes 112 short films. Raindance’s vanguard XR strand, the 11th Raindance Immersive comprises 27 projects across the in-person Immersive Showcase (23 – 25 June) and the online festival in VRChat (12 – 25 June).

Vue Piccadilly will once again host Raindance exclusively and entirely for the festival’s full duration, complemented by the opening gala at Vue West End in Leicester Square and opening party at the Waldorf Hilton’s grand Palm Court. Thanks to the return of main sponsor Canon Europe, the festival will take over not only Vue Piccadilly but also One Ninetyfour. Located right under the BAFTA building on Piccadilly, it will once again be utilised by filmmakers and guests as Raindance’s industry hub, the Canon Lounge. Industry highlights include a Cinematography Masterclass presented by Canon.

Raindance founder Elliot Grove says:

“Some films can’t wait and we at Raindance can’t wait to share this year’s 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’t wait on the sidelines, come join our celebration of indie cinema in the heart of London.”

OPENING GALA: APRIL X (UK Premiere)

The 34th Raindance Film Festival opens on 17 June at Vue West End with the UK Premiere of Michel K. Parandi’s debut feature APRIL X (dir: Michel K. Parandi, USA). A multi-award winner at film festivals around the world, this high octane, near future thriller stars Connor Storrie, (Heated Rivalry) and Lilly Krug (Shattered, Plane) as twins Bax and April. When April goes missing, Bax searches every dark corner of the post-Soviet cityscape trying to find her, ultimately descending into madness. Vertigo Releasing is set to release April X in the UK and Ireland in September.

The Opening Gala will also feature the first and exclusive festival screening of Gorillaz’s short film THE MOUNTAIN, THE MOON CAVE AND THE SAD GOD (dir: Jamie Hewlett, Timothy McCourt, Jonathan Djob Nkondo, UK), an animated short by the English virtual band Gorillaz, from their latest album The Mountain.

CLOSING GALA: EDDIE COCHRAN: DON’T FORGET ME (UK Premiere)

The festival closes on 26 June with the UK Premiere of EDDIE COCHRAN: DON’T FORGET ME (dir: Kirsty Bell, UK). From the Academy Award-winning producers and filmmakers behind acclaimed documentaries like Quant and Ronnie’s comes the first official biography of rock & roll icon Eddie Cochran. Despite his brief 21 years, Cochran’s musical legacy resonates across generations and genres, influencing icons from David Bowie to The Sex Pistols. His timeless hits like “C’mon Everybody” and “Summertime Blues” continue to shape the soundtracks of countless lives. This landmark documentary explores Cochran’s journey from country roots to rock & roll pioneer, showcasing his profound impact on music history, including his influence on legends ranging from The Beatles to Rod Stewart to Yungblud.

MAIN SPONSOR: CANON EUROPE

The 34th Raindance Film Festival welcomes Canon Europe returning as Main Sponsor. As Main Sponsor, Canon’s presence will once again be central to many aspects of the festival. This year’s industry hub will occupy One Ninetyfour: located under the BAFTA building at 194 Piccadilly, this space will be re-branded the Canon Lounge, a film-focused place created to inspire a new and upcoming generation of indie filmmakers. Within the Canon Lounge will be a dedicated area where filmmakers can interact with Canon experts throughout the festival, alongside showcase elements that demonstrate the full scope and potential of Canon products.

Raindance’s industry programme will feature a cinematography masterclass presented by Canon, with guest speakers and brand ambassadors highlighting Canon’s wide-ranging product lines. The festival trailer was shot by the filmmakers behind Srishti (winner of Raindance’s 2025 Discovery Award for Best Debut Feature) using Canon equipment, and Canon cameras will be utilised by Raindance’s production and marketing/social media teams throughout the festival.

IN COMPETITION: AWARDS AND JURY

The 34th Raindance Film Festival jury awards honour features in eleven categories: Best International Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Discovery Award for Debut Feature, Best Debut Director, Best Performance in a Debut Feature, Best UK Feature, Best Director of a UK Feature, Best Performance in a UK Feature, Best UK Cinematography, Spirit of Raindance Award & new for 2026 is Best Horror Feature.

Raindance further honours shorts in four categories: Best UK Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Animation Short, Best Documentary Short.

This year’s jury includes: Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Slow Horses, Believe Me, Peaky Blinders, Luther), Charlotte Hope (Evil Dead Wrath, The Spanish Princess), David Ajala (The Woman in Cabin 10, Nine Bodies In A Mexican Morgue, Law And Order), Jacob Anderson (Interview with the Vampire, Bad Apples, Game of Thrones), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Edge of the World, The 12th Man, Match Point), Sope Dirisu (My Father’s Shadow, Gangs of London, His House, Slow Horses), Anthony Andrews (founder: We Are Parable), Ashanti Omkar (film critic and broadcaster), Fiona Lamptey (producer and former Head of UK Features at Netflix), Hayder Hoozeer (filmmaker: BAFTA-winning short film Rock, Paper, Scissors), Lee Knight (filmmaker: Oscar® nominated short film A Friend Of Dorothy), Rita Osei (producer and talent executive). More tbc.

IN COMPETITION SELECTION: FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

NARRATIVE FEATURES: premieres of maverick independent films

BORN TO LOSE (dir: Joseph Zentil, USA) International Premiere. First Feature. A young biker races to restore a vintage motorcycle, while grappling with his father’s troubled legacy and escalating debts to a local gangster. Featuring Sarah Pidgeon (Love Story, Tiny Beautiful Things) and Dylan Arnold (You, Lady In The Lake).

FRÄNK (dir: Tönis Pill, Estonia) UK Premiere. First Feature. Following a serious domestic violence incident, a boy arrives in an unfamiliar town where he makes one bad decision after another – but his seemingly inevitable downfall is thwarted by a strange disabled man. The feature debut by Tönis Pill, assistant director on Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, had its world premiere at Tallinn film festival.

JARDINES DEL BOSQUE (dir: Álex Barragán, Diego Barragán, Mexico) World Premiere. First Feature. Three friends remember the summer of 2014, when they were preteens, and when a girl from their neighbourhood vanished one day without a trace. Their obsession with the case slowly turns into a dark mystery that changes them forever.

LOST LAND (dir: Akio Fujimoto, Germany/Philippines) UK Premiere. An award-winner at Venice, Pingyao and Red Sea film festivals, it follows a 4-year-old and his 9-year-old sister, who leave a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh on a perilous journey to reach Malaysia in the hope of reuniting with their family.

NO LASTNAME (dir: Mohammed Reza Sattari, Iran) World Premiere. First Feature. During the COVID-19 pandemic, an undocumented family living on society’s margins struggles with poverty, grief and emotional collapse. As death and desperation close in, fragile relationships begin to fracture. 

PARO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BRIDE SLAVERY (dir: Gajendra Vitthal Ahire, India) UK Premiere. Bringing unheard voices to the forefront, Marathi actress and 2x Oscar-listed producer Trupti Bhoir (Agadbam, Touring Talkies) plays a woman whose journey exposes the horrors of being sold as a bride, enduring abuse, and losing her son. A story that challenges perceptions & celebrates resilience.

PESCADOR (dir: Harry Domenico Rossi, USA/Costa Rica) European Premiere. First Feature. Magical and existential stories of American siblings in Costa Rica. A biologist searches the jungle for a mythical fish. Her erratic brother, lost at sea, is taken in by a lonely fisherman who longs for a son.

ROOTED OUT: CHAPTER 1 (dir: F. Hutton-Mills, UK) World Premiere. The First Feature from the producer of Boiling Point, it’s set against the backdrop of the Southport Riots of 2024, when a dispute between neighbouring families spirals into a volatile confrontation, exposing buried prejudice, racial tension, and moral hypocrisy.

SILENT REBELLION (dir: Marie-Elsa Sgualdo, Belgium/France/Switzerland) UK Premiere. First Feature. Regarded at Venice film festival, this WW2 drama follows a virtuous teen in 1943 Switzerland who questions her village’s morality when they turn away French refugees.

SUMMER SCHOOL, 2001 (dir: Dužan Duong, Czechia/Slovakia) UK Premiere. First Feature. Having premiered at Karlovy Vary and winning awards at the Czech Lions, it’s the story of a teenager who returns to his family in Czechia after 10 years in Vietnam – but instead of a warm welcome, he finds a distant father, a mother desperate to mend the past, and a harsh younger brother.

THANKS FOR NOTHING (dir: Stella Marie Markert, Germany) UK Premiere. First Feature. Four teenagers have created their own little anarchic utopia in the group home where they live. But one of them, sick of the world and its expectations, is determined not to survive past 18. Her friends try to keep her suicide attempts hidden, terrified of losing the only semblance of ‘home’ they’ve ever known.

THE JANITOR (dir: Mauro Mueller, David Figueroa García, Mexico). European Premiere. The First Feature from two filmmakers who’ve both made Student Academy Award nominated shorts. An aging janitor at an elementary school struggles to balance his work and care for his sick wife, especially when lewd graffiti appears around the school and the responsibility of finding the culprit falls on him.

TRAMP (dir: Philip James McGoldrick, UK) UK Premiere. First Feature. When an MMA fighter discovers she’s unexpectedly pregnant, she grapples with the repercussions on her fighting career.

DOCUMENTARIES: impactful & relevant global stories

CHILD OF DUST (dir: Weronika Mliczewska, Poland/Vietnam/Sweden/Czechia) UK Premiere. First Feature. An award-winner at festivals around the world, this moving portrayal of 55-year-old Sang: an unwanted and discriminated child from the Vietnam war, who must confront his own weaknesses and fatherly shortcomings when he miraculously finds his American father.

COPELAND (dir: Pablo Aragüés, Spain/USA) World Premiere. Documenting the amazing life and music of Stewart Copeland, the American musician and composer who achieved global fame as the drummer of English rock band The Police.

GASLIT (dir: Katie Camosy, USA) UK Premiere. First Feature. Executive produced by Jane Fonda, this powerful fracking doc follows the multi-award-winning actress and activist as she travels across the oil fields of West Texas’ Permian Basin and through the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, visiting the communities impacted by oil and gas production. Greenpeace UK and other guests will join the post-screening Q&A.

GHOST IN THE MACHINE (dir: Valerie Veatch, USA). UK Premiere. Following its premiere at Sundance, it explores how artificial intelligence’s unsung beginnings are found in power rather than computers, illuminating the dreams that underlie the hype that brought us to this point.

HANNAH’S STORY (dir: Pete Cohen, UK) World Premiere. The deeply moving story of Hannah Cohen’s fight against a deadly brain tumour: a relentless journey across the boundaries of conventional medicine that saw Hannah and her husband Pete pursue innovative treatments and rally a global community around them. Screening with the support of restaurant group Leon.

HIGHER CALLING (dir: Benjamin Forman, USA) World Premiere. First Feature. Following the tragic death of his brother, director Ben Forman embarks on a motorcycle journey through the Himalayas, seeking a cure for his broken heart and asking: where do we go when we die? Sponsored by Royal Enfield, motorcycles will be displayed at the Canon Lounge during the festival.

IN THE PATH OF GIANTS (dir: Fayed Khan, Kirsty Anna Wells, UK/Singapore) European Premiere. In southern Bangladesh, hungry wild elephants trapped by the world’s largest refugee camp are rampaging over farmland, resulting in a tense stand-off between the refugees, local Bengalis and indigenous farmers.

LET US BE (dir: Viviane D’Avilla, Brazil) World Premiere. First Feature. An intimate portrait of Intersex individuals — born with sex anatomy not typically male or female — across India, Brazil, and the USA. Through personal stories, the film explores social & medical norms imposed on bodies and identities.

OCCUPY CANNES (dir. Lily-Hayes Kaufman, USA) UK Premiere. First Feature. Directed by his daughter, it follows Lloyd Kaufman and the Troma Team as they use guerrilla tactics to market their film Return to Nuke ‘Em High at the Cannes Film Festival. Troma has become a famed staple of the festival for over-the-top activity on the Croisette, but now the French police have them in their sights.

RESCUE (dir: Alessio Schiazza, USA/Ukraine) World Premiere. Executive produced by actor and Raindance Film School alumni Sadie Frost, this film focuses on those who risk everything to save animals left behind as the full-scale war in Ukraine forces millions to flee.

SECTION 1591 (dir: Cort Kristensen, Dan Poole, USA). World Premiere. A retired Delta Force operative puts in place systems to assist those who hurt and destroy the lives of the young and vulnerable, in this film focusing on victims trafficked for sex in the USA and the advocates who assist them.

SILENT STRUGGLE (dir: Sara Sálamo, Spain) UK Premiere. The First Feature directed by Spanish actress Sara Sálamo, an intimate portrait of her husband, renowned Spanish footballer Isco, at a point in his career when serious injury meant he missed playing for his country in EURO 2024.

THE ISSUE WITH TISSUE (dir: Michael Zelniker, Canada) UK Premiere. Supported by the government of Canada, this is the little-known story of the Boreal Forest and the Indigenous Peoples who call it home – and how it’s being cleared for the manufacture of toilet paper.

THE LAST DIVE (dir: Cody Sheehy, USA/Mexico) UK Premiere. An award-winner at Tribeca, it follows an ex-Hells Angel who once formed an unlikely bond with a giant manta ray. He now makes one final dive expedition to a remote island, hoping to reunite with his extraordinary ocean friend.

RAINDANCE HORROR: indie thrills & chills

BROKEN BEAK (dir: Christian Carroll, New Zealand/USA) International Premiere. After the murder of her uncle, a Māori photographer returns to New Zealand to claim her inheritance. Once home, she begins to have visions of a mythical monster, and as more family members die, she feels compelled to right an ancestral wrong.

CHILD (dir: Cyrus Neshvad, Luxembourg) World Premiere. First Feature. In an increasingly haunting atmosphere, a couple become willing to cross every boundary to save their dying child.

CORPORATE RETREAT (dir: Aaron Fisher, USA) UK Premiere. With a cast including Odeya Rush (Lady Bird), Sasha Lane (American Honey), Alan Ruck (Succession, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Ashton Sanders (Moonlight) and Rosanna Arquette (Desperately Seeking Susan, Pulp Fiction), this horror-comedy sends a group of ambitious young executives on a luxury team-building escape that devolves into a brutal, blood-soaked fight for survival. 

FRIDAY THE 69th (dir: Alex Montilla, USA) UK Premiere. First Feature. Slasher-comedy paying tribute to the bottom-shelf horror films of the early ’80s. Porn filmmakers in 1981 aim to capitalize on the slasher trend by making their own independent ripoff about a group of spring breaking college coeds terrorized by a mysterious killer beekeeper.

PINOCCHIO: UNSTRUNG (dir: Rhys Frake-Waterfield, UK) UK Premiere. Starring horror film icon Robert Englund (Freddie Kruger in A Nightmare on Elm Street) as Jiminy Cricket, this dark coming-of-age reimagining of Pinocchio follows the iconic puppet’s disturbing journey toward becoming real.

SERENA (dir Rob Alicea, USA) International Premiere. A down-on-his-luck former rock star becomes a beta tester for a revolutionary new chat bot named Serena – but who is testing who?

THE DEVIL WHISPERED MY NAME (dir: Emilia Cotella, John Mathis, Argentina). UK Premiere. Carla returns to her hometown 10 years after the death of her friend in an ayahuasca ritual and confronts ancient malevolent forces and resurfaced part traumas.

For a full A-Z of features, and a breakdown of nominations in each award category, please visit: www.raindance.org/festival

IN COMPETITION: ACADEMY AWARD® QUALIFYING SHORT FILM PROGRAMME

Raindance is an Oscar-qualifying festival. The recipient of Raindance’s Best Live Action Short, Best Animation Short, and Best Documentary Short are eligible for consideration in the three Short Films categories of the Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run (provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules).

Highlights this year include the World Premiere of A TWIST OF HATE (dir: Madeleine Shenai, UK), a dark comedy that interrogates our fear of morality, starring Sally Phillips. JOKE (dir: Bob Cryer, UK) pays tribute to British comedy legend Barry Cryer, and features Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, Alison Steadman, Harry Hill and Rebecca Frost, plus music by Jools Holland. Starring BAFTA winner David Bradley and Emmy nominee Matt Berry, LIFE GOES ON (dir: Daniel Audritt & Kat Butterfield, UK) is a dark comedy about a man in end-of-life care who is stuck in an infinite Groundhog Day style time loop. The directorial debut of actor Kit Harington, the black comedy PSYCHOPOMP (dir: Kit Harington, UK) stars Harry Melling as a desperate man who’s decided to end his own life with the help of a hired assassin. I AM THE PRIZE (dir: Sai Karan Talwar, UK) stars Russell Tovey as a polarizing self-help figure whose carefully constructed identity begins to unravel during a lecture tour. THE MAN THAT I WAVE AT (dir: Ben S. Hyland, UK) sees a man’s life turned upside down after his wife teases him about the identity of the man who he waves at. Unsure who the man is or why he waves, he spirals into an existential crisis. BAFTA-winning comedian and television presenter Joe Lycett’s comedy short DATING MARK SILCOX (dir: Joe Lycett, UK) sees a man who is unlucky in love try a novel new approach. BAFTA and BIFA nominated filmmaker Abdou Cissé’s documentary short AUTHORS OF THE ESTATE (dir: Abdou Cissé, UK) tells the story of how a north-west London neighbourhood turned council houses into publishing houses, transforming lived experience into literature.

Winner of Best Short Film at PÖFF, SOMETHING WILD (dir: Konrád Zsuzsanna, Hungary) tells of a straight-A-student whose future seems to be set in stone, yet deep inside there’s something wild and unrestrained that wants to be free – that force manifests with her sometimes turning into a bear. Nominated for Best Short Film at Sundance, PANKAJA (dir: Anooya Swamy, USA/India) follows a woman who, along with her daughter, desperately navigates the slums and bureaucracy of Bangalore in a quest to locate her missing husband. Nominated for Best Short Film at Sundance and SXSW, STAIRS (dir: Riley Donigan, USA) sees a woman’s life unravel after she becomes addicted to throwing herself down flights of stairs. RARE BIRDS (dir Lily Weisberg, USA) sees a rambunctious 12-year-old trying to convince her former camp counsellor to ditch his dead-end job at the local antique store for one last game of basketball. A young mother’s fleeting wish to abandon her family comes true in an instant in science fiction micro-epic CERULEA (dir: AJ Lambert, USA). Set in a coastal town where women are not allowed to sing, ALI (dir: Adnan Al Rajeev, Bangladesh/Philippines) sees a teenager join a singing competition for a chance to move to the city, while hiding his true voice in a sinister way. Animation short CRAB DIANE (dir: Ryan McCown, USA) portrays a young woman who, tired of working at a seaside diner, reaches out to cosmic forces. Filmed entirely in Gaza during one of the deadliest years in recent history, documentary short FREE FISH (dir: Bisan Owda, Palestine) follows two brothers, separated by siege and displacement yet bound by the sea. And the World Premiere of A TOWN CALLED NEEDVILLE (dir: Audrey Lane, USA/Canada) documents the filmmakers 4-month inpatient stay at an all-women’s mental health facility in Needville, Texas, revealing a raw, nonlinear journey through trauma, memory, and communal healing.

Altogether there are 112 short films in the official selection, screening in 16 shorts programmes: Animation 1 & 2, B-Reel, Comedy Showcase, Docs 1 & 2, Gone Astray, Horror Show, LGBTQ+ 1 & 2, Lost Clause, Nova Express, Radical Agendas, Relative States, Transient Ventures, Young Blood.

SPECIAL OUT-OF-COMPETITION SCREENINGS

LIFEHACK (dir: Ronan Corrigan, UK). First Feature. A group of friends hack for fun, pranking online scammers. Seeking a bigger thrill, they target a billionaire through his daughter’s social media, stealing his cryptocurrency. A contemporary heist caper with a cast including Georgie Farmer (Wednesday) and Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper, Doctor Who)

THINK OF ENGLAND (dir: Richard Hawkins, UK) London Premiere. In this bold WWII drama, six disparate souls are sent on a secret government mission to make morale boosting propaganda porn films for the boys on the front. The ensemble cast includes Ronni Ancona (EastEnders, Big Impression), Natalie Quarry (Call The Midwife) and Jack Bandeira (Happy Valley, Lockwood & Co). Including special cast & crew Q&A.

RHINO (dir: Tom Martienssen, UK) First Feature. Narrated by Tom Hardy, this documentary follows rangers who must relocate 21 black rhinos to a new sanctuary, as their current space is overcrowded and surrounded by poachers.

THE HOME (dir: James DeMonaco, USA) A rebellious twentysomething is sentenced to community service at a quiet residential home with one rule: never visit the residents on the fourth floor. As he begins to question the treatment of the patients, he uncovers a chilling secret.

MOON DUST (dir: Bruno de Champris, France) Blending live-action, anime and personal transformation to document the story of Jérémy, a young talented artist who reinvents his life after surviving a deadly crash.

CHALO INDIA WITH ERIC JI (dir: Ranjeep Choudhury, India). Having premiered at IFFI Goa, this pilot episode of a travelogue concept demonstrates the nature and variety of India’s past and present, together with the vibrancy of its huge and diverse population.

RAINDANCE INDUSTRY STRAND @ CANON LOUNGE (194 Piccadilly)

This year’s RAINDANCE INDUSTRY STRAND presents a bold and diverse programme. Highlights include a Cinematography Masterclass presented by Canon and an AI-assisted shorts screening with CapCut, where filmmakers will premiere original short films made using CapCut Video Studio, showcasing the next generation of technology-powered workflows.

Further features this year include a session on sustainable production hosted by Get Set Hire, a panel by Spotlight on vertical casting, a session by London Flair PR on the traits of an Oscar®-winning film, an AI Filmmaking Masterclass hosted by Moonmax, and an inspiring conversation with esteemed Harry Potter actor, David Bradley.

11th RAINDANCE IMMERSIVE

Now in its 11th year, Raindance Immersive’s vanguard programme continues to champion new and innovative devices for storytelling with a dynamic array of 27 projects, including World Premieres and first-look previews. Raindance Immersive enables you to witness first-hand as stories unfold around you. The visionary curation team of Mária Rakušanová, Joe Hunting, Joanna Leigh, Mary Lee Desmond, Jiyue Hu and Jelle Kayen present Raindance Immersive’s standout selections. 

The team determined that this year’s curation should be about co-operation not competition, and by abandoning the structure of previous editions driven by award categories has allowed for a more organic and experimental programme. Taking inspiration from the global Ecstatic Dance free-form movement practice, and adapting it for the virtual spaces of VRChat, Raindance Immersive aims to bring joy to the world with Ecstatic Raindance: where attendees can immerse themselves in the palpable energy of live music and dance. IN THE DANCE (creators: Laurie “Hadean” Denman, Seenic, Beam Immersive) invites you to step into east London’s vibrant nightlife, let go of any judgments, and surrender to the flow. Hand-drawn entirely in Open Brush, the whimsical world of TRIPPY DREAMS: THE ODYSSEY (creators: libellule86, plOv) is a live immersive experience where music shapes and reshapes worlds in real time. Inspired by ancestral rainmaking rituals from across the globe, CHANT OF RIPPLES: AN INVOCATION BENEATH THE SCENT OF RAIN (creators: Maru-17, Favisama, Az, Ambii, York) is a meditative fusion of dance and music, weaving contemporary electronic soundscapes with the raw pulse of live djembe and sacred Buddhist chants – all set within an environment that evokes the crisp scent of falling rain. A nod to iconic LGBTQ+ clubs of the 1980s, LOVE IS THE GROOVE (creators: Dust Bunny, DJ Snow Wolf) is a judgement free, disco-ball centred space. NEUTRINO LIGHTFALL (creator: Tonevok) welcomes you to step inside a vast chamber inspired by the deep-underground Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica, where invisible particles pour through space, ignite into light, and erupt into a luminous storm.

Attendees of the festival via VRChat may also embark on guided tours of hand-crafted art worlds led by their visionary world builders or immerse themselves in the sonic energy of live music. Highlights include PROJECT LOST WORLDS, JOURNEY TO ERIOS (creator: Fins), which breathes life into a childhood dream, inviting players to venture beyond the stars and uncover the mysteries of a distant planet. THICKNESS OF CALLIGRAPHY – CONTINUATION (creators: Jessien, Boyan) is a new exhibition displaying Boyan’s ongoing research and creation of 3D calligraphy. SPATIALOGRAPHY (creator: VoxelKei) showcases technologies such as photogrammetry and 3D Gaussian Splattering (3DGS) which have opened new ways to record and reconstruct real-world spaces. Originally created for Sanrio’s Virtual Festival 2026, A WONDERFUL THING TO REALISE (creator: Screaming Color) is an immersive music video that oscillates between pulsing electronic dance music, surreal and psychedelic environments, and soft introspective moments. UN_COMFORTABLE.EXE (creator: JustJaime) combines live music, dance and poetry to confront anxieties and to reflect on the ‘milestone’ of turning 31. Informed by the lyric “I feel happy” from the legendary Brazilian singer Gal Costa, SINTO FELIZ (creator: PK) is a unique electronic music experience, with dancing and moving through vibrant virtual landscapes.

Highlights of the in-person XR Showcase at the Canon Lounge (23-25 June) include LESBIAN SIMULATOR (creator: Iris van der Meule), an immersive narrative game about exploring your sexual orientation, the violence queer women are still confronted with, experiencing coming-out, and being embraced by the LGBTQ+ community. Set in a beautifully conceived version of Barcelona, SONDERAMBLA (creator: Tomis Fras)is a narrative-driven XR experience that explores the concept of sonder (the realisation that every stranger has a life as vivid and complex as your own) as you meet an elderly widower as he prepares for a blind date. Centred on a world made of cubes that’s populated by creatures who always follow instructions and push cubes endlessly, THE BIG CUBE (creator: Menghui Huang) is an artistic VR experience that takes viewers on a contemplative journey where they can feel, interpret and construct their own understanding of the world – because when you choose another path, unexpected things can happen. CHORNOBYL: INSIDE THE NEW SAFE CONFINEMENT (creator: Visualise, EBRD) is an immersive 360º documentary that brings viewers inside Chornobyl, featuring exclusive interviews with people who lived and worked there, including those who witnessed the accident and its aftermath. DALADALA VERSE (creator: Aurelio Mofuga, OnaStories) is an immersive documentary experience that follows Tanzania’s only female daladala conductor as she navigates the fast-paced streets of Dar es Salaam. VR games at the XR Showcase include arcade-puzzle experience SQUINGLE ARCADE (creators: Ben Outram, Squingle Games), open-world VR flying adventure COMPASS (creators: Trebuchet, Creature), and THIEF VR: LEGACY OF SHADOW (creators: Maze Theory, Vertigo Games) where players use immersive VR mechanics to steal, evade, and outsmart the forces controlling a shadowy city.

For the fourth year, Raindance Immersive spotlights emerging talent with a dedicated showcase of short films created in VRChat, screening online as well as in Vue Piccadilly. The selection is curated by Joe Hunting, the acclaimed filmmaker whose Sundance-nominated documentaries We Met in Virtual Reality and The Reality of Hope were groundbreaking for being filmed entirely in VRChat. This programme comprises 3x personal narratives MEMORIES OF THE REDWOODS (creator: Eliza Zhang), the empowering story of a person reflecting on their new trans identity, DROWNING IN REFLECTION (creator: Luxifinity), a reflection on grief following the death of a grandparent, and MINUTES (creators: Quinn Heptig, CrispyWisp) which sees an office worker reflect on her life when she learns that an unexpected blast will destroy the building in minutes, and 3x sci-fi films: SCOUT (creators: Fangs, Kinsycat, Sacred, SunnySpirit), HALLEY: A LEAP OF FAITH (creator: JalidenVR), GUARDIAN (creator: Quinnster).

This year’s Raindance Immersive festival runs 12 – 25 June in VRChat (including a physical Immersive Showcase 23 – 25 June at the Canon Lounge). The annual Immersive Summit will be held online on June 12 and again on June 19. This year’s lineup features a premier roster of XR pioneers including representatives from VRChat, Sanrio, AGOG, Electric South, Maze Theory, Squingle Games, Trebuchet, Ferryman Collective, Agile Lens, Visualise, and vTuber TFMJonny, headlined by a keynote from Kent Bye, host of the influential Voices of VR podcast. www.raindanceimmersive.com

RAINDANCE SCRIPT COMPETITION

The Raindance Script Competition showcases fourteen standout film and television scripts selected from a record number of submissions, double last year’s total, and marking a shift towards a more development-led format with advisory support, enabling selected projects to be introduced to industry partners, including Bosena (Rose of Nevada) and Tempo Productions (I Swear), amongst others. Highlights include PORTRAIT OF A MISTY SUN (Đỗ Đức Hùng, Đồng Xuân Các & Oliver Trần), a love story set in 1940s Hanoi amid imperial conflict between France and Japan; THE PITCH (Lada Kopytova), a bold Ukrainian satire of the film industry that interrogates the commodification of trauma; and ORANGEMEN’S DAY (Molly Jennings), a pilot exploring an Irish-English family, generational trauma and identity around Orangemen’s Day. Supported by IMGN and Script Angel, the initiative marks Raindance’s expanding focus on script development.