The 34th edition of the Raindance Film Festival runs from 17 to 26 June 2026 at Vue Piccadilly in central London, with additional activity across nearby West End venues.

This year, Raindance presents 85 narrative and documentary features, 112 short films and 27 immersive projects, with more than half of the features from first-time directors.

The festival opens with the UK premiere of April X, a near-future thriller about twins separated in a destabilised city. It closes with the European premiere of Eddie Cochran: Don’t Forget Me, a documentary tracing the life and influence of rock and roll musician Eddie Cochran.

Across the programme are international premieres and UK debuts spanning fiction and documentary. Titles include the Iranian features My Daughter’s Hair (Raha) and 1001 Frames, Mexican coming-of-age story Jardines del Bosque, and Iranian drama No Lastname, alongside documentary work such as Occupy Cannes. A newly added horror prize strand includes genre titles such as Corporate Retreat and Pinocchio: Unstrung.

Short films run throughout the festival in curated programmes. The strand includes documentary, fiction and experimental work, with selected titles eligible for BAFTA and Academy Award qualification. Films such as FABRIC sit within this section, following a Paris atelier training refugees in couture production.

Alongside screenings, Raindance runs an industry programme across central London venues, including talks, panels and networking events for filmmakers, producers, distributors and press. Canon returns as main sponsor, with activity centred at the Canon Lounge at One Ninetyfour Piccadilly, under the BAFTA building.

The festival also includes 27 XR projects across in-person and VRChat presentations, continuing its immersive strand across both physical and online formats.

What to see

My Daughter’s Hair (Raha)

An Iranian family crisis unfolds inside a home, centred on tensions within a household and the decisions that follow.

1001 Frames

In a studio setting, actors audition for the role of Scheherazade in a production of One Thousand and One Nights, with casting taking place across multiple sessions.

Occupy Cannes

A documentary follows the makers of Troma Films as they travel to Cannes, moving through meetings, filming activity, and preparations connected to their planned intervention.

The Troll

A pop star–influencer story centred on a performer whose online presence becomes inseparable from her personal life as she encounters insecurity and external pressure.

Your Mum

An Italian hybrid documentary in which a writer works with a filmmaker to document her thoughts on motherhood, remaining directly involved in shaping the film as it progresses.

Silent Rebellion

Set in rural Switzerland during the Second World War, the film follows a teenage girl living in a conservative Protestant community after becoming pregnant following sexual violence.

Jardines del Bosque

A coming-of-age story interrupted by the disappearance of a neighbourhood girl, leading a group of friends to investigate and confront changes in their relationships.

No Lastname

An undocumented family living in poverty in Iran is followed in a realist style, with the film combining observational form and narrative structure.

Think of England

A Second World War-set story follows six people brought together for a secret government project to produce propaganda films for soldiers at the front. The group includes a mix of performers, military figures and a German filmmaker, all working on a remote coastal location.

The project they are assigned is unusual and tightly controlled, and the work unfolds under pressure as production begins to strain relationships within the group.

FABRIC

A documentary short following African American model and entrepreneur Maya Persaud and her Paris-based Espero Atelier, which trains refugees in couture fashion work and production.

Raindance Industry Programme 2026

The industry programme runs alongside the festival across central London venues, bringing together filmmakers, producers, distributors and press.

It includes talks, panels and masterclasses, as well as networking events throughout the festival period. Canon supports the programme with the Canon Lounge at One Ninetyfour Piccadilly, used as an industry hub for screenings and cinematography-focused sessions.

Raindance Key Info

Raindance Film Festival 2026
Official website

Dates: 17–26 June 2026
Location: Vue Piccadilly and central London venues, UK

Programme at a glance:

• 85 feature films
• 112 short films
• 27 XR / immersive projects
• Industry talks, panels and networking events
• Oscar and BAFTA qualifying short film categories
• Focus on debut and independent filmmaking