In the vein of the opening night American indie sensation Humpday, this year’s American Indie Strand is a very strong contender.
In one of his final performances, David Carradine stars in MY Suicide, which will be hosted by director David Miller. Maverick underground director Steve Balderson (nominated for Best International Feature last year for Watch Out) returns to the festival with the World Premiere of Stuck!, starring Karen Black, Mink Stole and Susan Traylor.
Raindance will host the UK Premiere of Canadian Ryan Ward’s Son of the Sunshine and the London Premiere of Zach Clark’s Modern Love Is Automatic, starring Melodie Sisk, Maggie Ross and Carlos Bustamante.
The outstanding Documentary Strand includes contentious films such as A Necessary Death (European Premiere) directed by Daniel Stamm which takes the character-as-cameraman approach of Cloverfield and Diary of the Dead and applies it to a more intimate story of suicide.
Playing Columbine by Danny Ledonne raises moral questions surrounding the shoot to kill video games inspired by the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. My Big Break directed by Tony Zierra and filmed over 10 years is a controversial documentary that follows residents of the same house and their rise to fame and eventual breakdowns, including Brad Rowe (Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss), Wes Bentley (American Beauty) and Chad Lindberg (October Sky).
Finally the World Premiere of They Call it Acid the story of acid house culture will be supported by director Gordon Mason which features interviews with Carl Cox, Pete Tong and Paul Oakenfold. There will also be a post-screening rave with DJs Evil Eddie Richards, Trevor Fung, Jazzy M and Noel Watson.
Raindance continues its cutting edge industry profile by continually pushing the boundaries of independent filmmaking with this year’s festival trailer subsequently banned to general audiences but receiving a BBFC 15 certificate - which will be revealed exclusively at the festival press launch and play throughout the festival.
This year Raindance also launches the Raindance Film Café and creative hub at the Vinyl Factory/Phonica Records basement on Poland Street, Soho, which will host interactive screenings, events, workshops, parties and daily networking happy hours throughout the festival.
Bill Martell, "the Robert Towne of made-for-cable movies" will also be giving free daily scriptwriting classes at the Raindance Film Café.
All award winners will be announced before the screening of the Closing Night Film The Girlfriend Experience at the Apollo West End on Sunday 11 October.