Monday 9th October

The 14th Raindance Film Festival came to a dramatic climax last night with the closing night gala and world premiere of Ed Blum's highly anticipated British comedy Scenes of a Sexual Nature.  The film boasts a stellar British cast and is set in London's Hampstead Heath one glorious August afternoon, where temperatures soar as seven couples explore love, sex and relationships. Shot in less than one month for a budget of £260,000, the film will be self-distributed and released nationwide in the UK on November 3rd. "I am so delighted that Scenes of a Sexual Nature has been selected as closing night film of this year's Raindance Festival which has always been a celebration of independent filmmaking, encouraging young filmmakers to live the dream," says the films producer/director, and former Raindance film course student, Ed Blum.

"I am always astounded by the quality of all the films at our festival," says Raindance director Elliot Grove. "And now that our impressive jury have spoken, wish all of the films and filmmakers the best success for their independent films."

Prior to the screening, Raindance Director Elliot Grove announced the winners of this year's awards, selected by a jury that included Dame Judi Dench, Lou Reed, Mark Ramone, ER's Parminder Nagra and Touching The Void Director Kevin Macdonald.

The prize for Best UK Feature went to London to Brighton, having already won a New Directors Award at Edinburgh this year.  The directorial debut from Paul Andrew Williams, was made for the relatively miniscule budget of £60k, and tells the raw and emotional story of two young women who will do anything to get out of London one brutal night.

Best Debut Feature went to Alice. Set in Portugal, the film follows a father who is grieving over the disappearance of his little daughter Alice 193 days ago.

Presented by Tarnation Director Jonathan Caouette, the Best Documentary award went to The Trials of Darryl Hunt. When a young black man, accused of the brutal rape and killing of a white woman, was sentenced to life imprisonment in North Carolina in 1984, filmmakers Ricki Stern and Anne Sudberg recorded over ten years of the subsequent twenty-year battle against racism, injustice, and police corruption, resulting in this impressive documentary.

Official Selection Feature went to Argentinian Director Eduardo Mignogna for The Wind. This compelling tale of grief and redemption follows a cattle farmer who must travel to Buenos Aires to break the news to his estranged granddaughter that her mother has died.

Prize for Best Official Shorts went to Three Towers from Italy, who won an all expenses paid trip to Cannes next year. The film was set in remote rural Italy just after the twin towers have collapsed in New York.

For the third year running the festival were proud to announce the Diesel Film of the Festival prize, which this year went to Booth Story.  The winner of this award is selected to make the trailer for the next Raindance Film Festival. Last years winner Kosai Sekine (Japan) was selected for his unique and original style of filmmaking. Diesel supported Kosai's win by funding his project to produce this years trailer which can be seen here. Kosai's trailer went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at the Shots Broadcasting Awards in Cannes earlier this year.

Other prizes included Best Nokia Shorts, 15 second movies shot by using just a mobile phone, which went to Tour of the House, who won a mobile phone worth £800, Best UK Short went to Film Noir, a mixed-media adventure that manipulates live action and animation to create a darkly romantic story, which won free flights to America courtesy of Delta Airlines.

Earlier in the weekend, the Raindance Film Festival revealed the Surprise Film, Sean Lennon's Friendly Fire. To accompany the release of the new Sean Lennon album, Sean had made 35mm film pieces for each individual track, produced by Michele Civetta. These fantastical shorts, which together comprise a conceptual film about betrayal and the failure of love, feature appearances from Lennon and friends including Lindsay Lohan, Bijou Phillips, Asia Argento, Carrie Fisher, Devon Aoki, Jordana Brewster and others. Followed by a Q and A, this was the only UK screening of the film in theatres and was introduced by Sean Lennon himself.

Highlights of the festival included headlining films Brothers of the Head, London To Brighton, Cargo, Johnny Was and Marky Romane's introduction of Mandy Stein's new Ramones documentary Too Tough To Die: A Tribute to Johnny Ramone, plus a series of special events including: Straight 8 Showcase which presented the films that played best at their Cannes Film Festival and Leicester Square screenings earlier this summer; Retrospective celebrating the work of maverick director Stanley Kubrick in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cinema and filmmaking; The Making of Scenes of a Sexual Nature, post-production team, cast and crew gave an in-depth look to the making of the world premiere; Bollywood Explosion, marking the 75th anniversary of Bollywood, Raindance sponsors Percept Picture Company from India, helped to celebrate the booming industry with a screening of Corporate, a look at the corrupt world of corporate politics in Mumbai (which screened in place of Page 3).  Director Madhur Bhandarkar and Producer Shailendra Singh (dubbed the Harvey Wienstein of Indian cinema) gave a talk about filmmaking in India and how it's changing international cinema with a look at their own films which steer away from the traditional Bollywood style of filmmaking; Director In Residence – we spoke with Zhang Yuan (Little Red Flowers), the vanguard of China's most important recent developments and one of the leading members of the 'sixth generation' of Chinese filmmakers whose work challenge the strict Chinese system (full interview running shortly).

6 Degrees festival highlights also included the following films:

Cargo (UK, Spain, Sweden)
When Chris (Brühl) has a run in with the police in an African market and loses his passport he becomes desperate to travel home. When he meets the crew of a cargo vessel headed for Europe in a bar he decides to join them as a stowaway, but he soon discovers that the ship is not the escape route he had hoped for. Clive Gordon's psychological thriller, from a Paul Laverty screenplay, is a tense and haunting story of the breakdown of a society – the motley crew of the ship into which Chris is drawn. Brühl is fantastic as Chris, an opportunistic traveller who must resist the deadly camaraderie of the men and is ultimately confronted by a terrible and impossible choice.
(Dir. Clive Gordon, Cast: Peter Mullan, Daniel Brühl, Luis Tosar)

Bambi Bone (Japan)
Tadao is a young boy who is sent to private school but meets up with his local friend Aya whenever he can to play in the streets. The two often get into dangerous situations but rely on each other. Both have difficult home lives. Aya is left to sit in the park at night while her mother entertains men, while Tadao, whose mother is disinterested, is being sexually abused by his father. At just 78minutes in length Bambi Bone will nonetheless be an endurance test for some. A disturbing tale of child neglect and sexual abuse, Japanese newcomer Noriko Shibutani's debut feature doesn't pull its punches but fails to make an emotional connection.
(Dir. Noriko Shibutani, Cast: Shintaro Tsunoda, Marina Narushima, Kozo Nishizawa).

Karaula (UK, Serbia & Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Rep.of Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina)
The first co-production to involve all of the former Yugoslavia's republics – Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia – Karaula (The Border Post) is a tragicomic drama is set in 1987, before the break-up, at a out of the way border post on the Yugoslavian-Albanian border. A unit of young soldiers led by the crusty alcoholic Captain Pasic (Emir Hadzihafizbegovic) while away their national service by romancing local women, smoking cannabis and quarrelling amongst themselves. But when Pasic discovers that he has caught syphilis from a prostitute he enlists the help of Sinisa (Tony Gojanovic) a soldier and medical student from Dalmatia, and things change. Desperate that his wife should not discover the truth Pasic tells the men that he has received intelligence of an imminent threat from Albania and cancels all leave – an audacious move designed to buy him time to be treated for the infection before he has to see his wife again. Driven by boredom, unit rebel Paunovic (Sergej Trifunovic) dreams up more and more ludicrous ways in which to infuriate Pasic, while his idealistic friend Sinisa is driven into dangerous territory by his love for a lonely older woman. Rajko Grlic's Karaula is an engrossing and often hilarious story of friendship and love with a bitter sting in its tail. A strong cast, with standout performances from Gojanovic, Hadzihafizbegovic and the brilliant Trifunovic, who delivers many of the laughs, make for a highly watchable and memorable film.
(Dir. Rajko Grlic, Cast: Toni Gojanovic, Sergej Trifunovic, Emir Hadzihafisbegovic)

Friday 28th September

The 14th Raindance Film Festival opened on Wednesday this week to a tremendous reception with the opening of Brothers of the Head, penned by Toni Grisoni (Leaving Las Vegas, Tideland) and produced by Simon Channing Williams (The Constant Gardener, Vera Drake). In attendance were cast and crew, including Luke and Harry Treadaway who play conjoined twins the Howe brothers headlining a rock band called The Bang Bangs in the 70's. Guests on the evening also included Ralph Fiennes and Samantha Morton (pictured).

Brothers of the Head will be opening in cinemas nationwide next week Friday 6th october.

The pace looks set to continue as the weekend approaches with even more amazing independent features and documentaries. Highlights of the next few days include Joanna Lipper's Little Fugitive (29 Sept 13:00), the story of an 11 year-old in Brooklyn, looking for the little brother who's supposed to be in his care – but who has run away to Coney island after a practical joke went too far. A London premiere is Neil Young: Heart Of Gold (29 Sept 19:15). When Neil Young played Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium in August 2005, after successfully undergoing lifesaving surgery to remove a brain aneurysm just months earlier, his performance was captured by Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme. As Friday ends, you have a provocative choice of either the 35th Anniversary screening of Stanley Kubrick's most astonishing work A Clockwork Orange (29 Sept 21:30) or the the intriguingly titled Japanese feature The Strange Saga Of Hiroshi The Freeloading Sex Machine (29 Sept 21:45).

On Saturday is the International Premiere of offbeat American comedy Fat Girls (30 Sept 13:45). This heartfelt and often very funny gay film was written, directed by, and stars 19-year old Ash Christian. He plays a shy and awkward school student in a small Texan town who loves the theatre and dreams of being on Broadway. A British highlight is Mark Hammond's Johnny Was (30 Sept 18:00). Starring Vinnie Jones as a man whose efforts to escape a violent past in Ireland by lying low in Brixton are thwarted when a former mentor (Patrick Bergin) breaks out of Brixton Prison. The eclectic cast also includes Eriq La Salle, Lennox Lewis, Samantha Mumba, John Fashanu, and Roger Daltry. A London premiere is Wristcutters: A Love Story (30 Sept 20:15), by debut director Goran Dukic. The film is set in a strange afterlife reserved for those who have committed suicide, and stars Patrick Fugit, Shannyn Sossamon, and rock singer Tom Waits. From Australia comes the subversive and sexually explicit documentary Liberty In Restraint (30 Sept 22:15), which follows fetish photographer Noel Graydon as he explores the BDSM community.

For a full festival programme please visit www.raindancefilmfestival.org/festival/.

The 14th Raindance Film Festival - Europe 's largest independent film festival - is cruising into its 14th year and once again, there will be a flood of screenings of the best indie films from around the world.

Like a rebellious teenager, proudly wearing their Ramones teeshirt as they watch A Clockwork Orange, the 14th Raindance Film Festival is ready to embrace punk rock, BDSM sex, comic books, graffiti and similar subcultures. Are you?

Widely known as a platform for independent films and aspiring filmmakers, the Raindance Film Festival has previously "discovered" films such as Memento, as well as hosting the world premiere of The Blair Witch Project. This year looks set to be another voyage of discovery: many of the festivals most anticipated films are by first-time directors – some having their premiere at Raindance. Be amongst the first to catch tomorrow's coolest movies by seeing them at Raindance today.

As well as screening a vast number of remarkable short films alongside some motivating discussion panels and the infamous Live!Ammunition! pitching event, Raindance has assembled a selection of original independent features and documentaries the range and scope of which you won't find anywhere else.

The festival opens on Wednesday 27 September with the London premiere of Brothers Of The Head. Having previously directed various making-of films, this is directing duo Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe's debut feature. Based on a story by sci-fi writer Brian Aldiss, and with a screenplay by Tony Grisoni, it's a dark and twisted mocumentary that follows a 1970s music promoter as he plucks conjoined twins Tom and Barry Howe from obscurity and grooms them into a freakish rock'n'roll act. It took top honours at last month's Edinburgh Film Festival where it won the Michael Powell award for best new British feature film, so you won't want to miss its London debut.

Another British highlight is Mark Hammond's Johnny Was. Starring Vinnie Jones as Johnny Doyle, a man whose efforts to escape a violent past in Ireland by lying low in Brixton are thwarted when a former mentor (Patrick Bergin) breaks out of Brixton Prison. Questioning race, morality and loyalty, this gangsta flick features a Rastafarian reggae pirate radio station, Yardie crack dealers, a brilliant soundtrack, and an eclectic cast that includes former ER star Eriq La Salle, boxer Lennox Lewis, actress and pop star Samantha Mumba, former footballer and TV presenter John Fashanu, and The Who's Roger Daltry.

Rock music has long been an integral part of Raindance, and this year is no exception with a handful of music documentaries that supplant some of the decades most significant live performances onto celluloid. Too Tough To Die: A Tribute To Johnny Ramone is a rocumentary capturing an unforgettable benefit concert that took place on September 12, 2004, just two-and-a-half days before Johnny Ramone's death. Joined onstage by a group of musicians and friends – including Deborah Harry, The Dickies, X, Eddie Vedder, Joan Jett, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers – the concert was staged to celebrate The Ramones 30th Anniversary and to raise money for cancer research. This world premiere screening, sponsored by HMV, will be introduced by Marky Ramone, followed by a Q&A with Marky and Mojo's Kieron Tyler.

When Neil Young played Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium in August 2005, after successfully undergoing lifesaving surgery to remove a brain aneurysm just months earlier, his performance was captured by Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme. The resulting feature, Neil Young: Heart Of Gold, is a unique collaboration that has its London premiere at Raindance. Another London premiere is Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man, a biographical snapshot of one of the greatest poets of popular music. Taking the recent "Came So Far For Beauty" tribute concert as its starting point, the film splices live performances of Cohen's songs by artists like Nick Cave, Beth Orton, and Rufus and Martha Wainwright, with behind-the-scenes interviews that reflect Cohen's quietly gripping presence and dry humour.

Taking its name from the bands key philosophy, There Is No Authority But Yourself is a documentary following British anarcho-punk band Crass from 1977 to 1984 and through to the present day. This screening will be hosted by Crass co-founder Penny Rimbaud and Crass video artist Gee Vaucher. Unauthorised and Proud of It: Todd Loren's Rock'n'Roll Comics examines the life and death of publisher Todd Loren, who spearheaded unauthorised comic book biographies of rock, pop, and rap stars. Beginning with Guns & Roses in 1989, he was famously sued by New Kids On The Block, and more famously murdered in 1992 – the principal suspect being serial killer Andrew Cunanan who later murdered Gianni Versace.

The 14th Raindance Film Festival is privileged to celebrate the work of maverick director Stanley Kubrick with a 35th anniversary screening of what is possibly his most notorious work, A Clockwork Orange. Festival filmgoers will also have a rare opportunity to see Kubrick's sci-fi masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey on the big screen. Rounding off this Kubrick retrospective is the acclaimed documentary Stanley Kubrick: A Life In Pictures, which will be hosted by the films director Jan Harlan – also Kubrick's long-time executive producer and brother-in-law.

From Australia comes the subversive and sexually explicit documentary Liberty In Restraint, which follows fetish photographer Noel Graydon as he explores the BDSM community via rope artists, adult babies, electro-torture, and blood play enthusiasts. The result is a provocative, erotic, and graphic exploration of sexual desire and freedom of expression.

From China comes the intriguing Little Red Flowers by Zhang Yuan, this years Director In Residence. The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and took home the C.I.C.A.E. award at Berlin. It follows four-year old Qiang, deposited in a kindergarten in post-1949 Beijing by his travelling parents. But the kindergartens sunny rituals and carefully organised regime, designed to train each child to be a good member of society, doesn't sit comfortably with Qiang's rebellious nature. Someone else who doesn't fit in is Rodney Miller, the protagonist of offbeat American comedy Fat Girls. This shy and awkward school student in a small Texan town loves the theatre and dreams of being on Broadway, hence only his theatre teacher (played by award-winning documentary filmmaker Jonathan Caouette) understands him. This heartfelt and often very funny gay film was written, directed by, and stars 19-year old Ash Christian. This will be its international premiere.

A London premiere is Wristcutters: A Love Story, by debut director Goran Dukic. The film is set in a strange afterlife reserved for those who have committed suicide, and stars Patrick Fugit, Shannyn Sossamon, and rock singer Tom Waits. One of the most intriguing films to emerge from Eastern Europe is Serbian debut director Stevan Filipovic's Sheitan's Warrior. A group of secondary schoolchildren find an old esoteric book that can be used to summon a demon but, this being a dark Harry Potter-type tale, it falls into the wrong hands...

The festival closes on Sunday 8 October with the World premiere of British comedy Scenes Of A Sexual Nature. This debut feature from former Raindance film course student, Ed Blum, was shot in less than a month for a budget of under £500,000. Following seven couple as they explore love, sex and relationships one sunny afternoon on Hampstead Heath, the film boasts a stella British cast that includes Ewan McGregor, comedienne Catherine Tate, Oscar-nominated actress Sophie Okonedo, Adrian Lester, Andrew Lincoln, Douglas Hodge, Gina McKee, Hugh Bonneville, Mark Strong and Polly Walker. "I am so delighted that Scenes Of A Sexual Nature has been selected as closing night film of this year's Raindance Festival which has always been a celebration of independent filmmaking, encouraging young filmmakers to live the dream," says the films producer/director Ed Blum.

The 14th Raindance Film Festival will run from September 27 to October 8, and will feature 90 films screening over 12 days at Cineworld Shaftesbury Avenue (opening and closing night films to be screened at Cineworld Haymarket) Ticket Prices: peak: £8.90 / before noon: £5.50 / off peak: £6.50 / students & concessions: £6.00.

Bookings can be made on 0871 200 2000.

Jury

This year's jury will include Rock n' Roll legends Lou Reed from The Velvet Underground, and Marky Ramone from The Ramones; Scottish film director Kevin Macdonald famed for his compelling documentary Touching the Void; US cinematographer Matthew Libatique (Requiem for a Dream/Tigerland) and Anton Corbijn, a celebrated stills photographer and music video director who has worked with U2 and Nirvana. Bend it Like Beckham and ER actress Parminder Nagra will represent the acting contingent alongside veteran British actress, Dame Judi Dench.