Preview: Raindance Film Festival

This article is brought to you by our amazing paying subscribers - aficionados who pay £5/month or £50/yr to support our coverage and our mission to bring you exciting new voices in culture, and have deeper conversations about pop media. Thank you so much for your support 💕

We are so excited for Raindance and will have a lot to discuss over the next week. Be sure not to miss a thing by signing up to our newsletter! For now, let's see the most anticipated watches for some of our team at Obscurae.

NOR GARCIA

A Cell Phone Movie

Description from Raindance Website: “A scrappy meta comedy shot entirely on a cellphone, "A Cell Phone Movie" stars writer/director Will Sterling as...himself, an out-of-work actor trying to make a movie on his phone about an out-of-work actor trying to make a movie on his phone. It’s lo-fi, low-budget, and high on self-deprecation.”

Nor’s thoughts: If there’s one thing a filmmaker loves to hear, it’s that a lack of fancy equipment doesn’t have to get in the way of your ability to make a film. Can’t wait to see how this film proves this is true!

Hot Young Geek Seeks Blood-Sucking Freak

Description from Raindance Website: “Fighting off a vampire is hard, but coming out is harder. In the midst of pre-party dress-up, Max finds himself the online target of an angry vampire bent on drinking his blood.”

 Nor’s thoughts: Vampires, queerness and online commentary? This film promises to be a short and sweet camp treasure.

UMNIA

Palestine Comedy Club

Description From Raindance Website: "When six Palestinian comedians hit the road to tour a stand-up show across Palestine and Israel, their search for humour amidst the injustice of everyday Palestinian life becomes a plea for humanity in the face of brutal war."

Umnia's Thoughts: I chased this one all around SXSW London - Palestinian humour is elite and I can't wait to watch this one!

Heavyweight

Description From Raindance Website: "'Heavyweight’ follows wildcard boxing contender, ‘Diamond’ Derek Douglas, and his support team ahead of a title fight he doubts he can win. The pressure escalates in real-time, as dirty tricks and revelations are revealed. ‘Heavyweight’ is an intense and visceral experience exploring a side of elite sport rarely seen."

Umnia's Thoughts: The Gala Opener of the festival looks like a kettle of a character drama - I'm looking forward to discovering some gems of the scene and watching them literally battle it out wit for wit with some industry veterans.

Juanita Prieto

Thinestra

Description From Raindance Website: "It’s a sweltering Christmas in Los Angeles. Penny—haunted by binge eating and body dysmorphia—takes Thinestra, a mysterious Ozempic-like drug. That night, she violently expels grotesque masses of fat. But the flesh returns—twisted, ravenous, reborn as PENELOPE. As her doppelgänger wreaks bloody havoc, Penny fights to regain control."

Juanita's Thoughts: Ever since I read its description, I immediately felt a resemblance to The Substance, which I loved. But I’m also really curious to see how it differs. I love how it connects body horror with body dysphoria while shedding light on the struggles of women and the pressures of social expectations.

If You Should Leave Before Me

Description From Raindance Website: "A devastating loss drives a rift between Mark and Joshua after many years of marital bliss. To avoid coping with their grief they immerse themselves in their work… which just so happens to be guiding the recently deceased to the afterlife. A touching story of love and loss."

Juanita's Thoughts: The cover art is a favorite and gives me a strong hint of the visual style, which really intrigues me. Plus, it’s a queer feature about a couple who guide ghosts to the afterlife? And apparently with some jump scares and comedy? I don’t understand, but fine, you’ve got me—I’m curious!

Santiago

"LGBT+ shorts Queer stories (particularly those of trans folk) are VITAL to tell. "

Breakwater

Description From Raindance Website: "Set between the sandstone colleges of Oxford and the salt-encrusted Suffolk coast, Breakwater follows the tentative romance between university student, Otto, and retired angler, John. Their lives fuse irreversibly over the shared trauma of losing a loved one. However, their relationship darkens when the past exhumes itself in the form of guilt, grief, and ghosts."

Santiago's Thoughts: Babygirl but queer? I’m SOLD!