Read all the updates from sponsoring the 33rd Raindance Film Festival
The 33rd Annual Raindance Film Festival has just concluded. Over 10 days a wide range of global premieres of documentaries, narrative features, short films, talks and events filled the Vue Piccadilly, Neon Piccadilly and other venues around the West End of London.
Proud Sponsors
Get Set Hire were proud to be sponsoring Raindance for the first time. Attendees of the festival will have seen our directors’ chairs, sofas, make up mirrors, pipe and drape kits, rope and post barriers, lights, water coolers and a range of other Get Set Hire equipment. We also screened a 60 second advert at the start of each film which offered festival attendees a discount on sustainable shoot equipment hire using the code Raindance25.
Heavyweight
The festival began with a sucker punch of a opening film – the premiere of ‘Heavyweight’ Written and directed by Christopher M Anthony. Heavyweight was a tense and superbly acted feature film set in a heavyweight fighter’s (Jordan Bolger) dressing room as he prepares for a life changing match. The centre of the drama hinges on his relationship with his trainer (Nicholas Pinnock) and his former friend (Osy Ikhile). Also appearing is Jason Isaacs as a hilariously sleazy promoter.
After the black-tie premiere, Raindance held an opening party for a star-studded guest list where Celia Imrie and Jason Isaacs both received Raindance Icon awards. In two inspiring speeches Celia Imrie (honoured by Ol Parker) shared memories of all the icons who shaped her early career including Barbara Stanwick and Bette Davis. Jason Isaacs (honoured by Lennie James) celebrated having a life and people to support you who don’t care about your career in the industry and focussing on making films that an audience actually wants to see.
Team Highlights
The Get Set Hire team went to a wide range of events and screenings, bringing existing Get Set Hire clients and meeting new prospective clients for our one stop shop of film and television production shoot kit. We were all impressed by the high quality and range of films being shown and the passion and ingenuity of the filmmakers.
Here are our Top 5 film picks from the festival:
Flamingo Camp – Documentary Feature – USA
Directed by Chris Coats who joined the festival for Flamingo Camp’s European premiere. In Slab City, an off-grid squatter town in the California desert, a group of young queer and trans anarchists create a thriving safe space. We get to know them, their stories and reasons for living at Flamingo camp and watch their performances and community. But then unexpectedly an unthinkable tragedy leaves this community, and the film’s viewers shocked and with many questions to unravel. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature.
Deformelody – Narrative Feature – USA
Our team enjoyed the International Premiere and Q+A for Deformelody, a darkly satirical horror film following a pop culture-obsessed serial killer on a cross-country rampage. Told through his manifesto, he aims to “unite” America through indiscriminate murder while confronting a traumatic past. Blurring fiction and reality, he prepares for a final showdown with a mysterious figure known as Freddy. Shot over three years on a phone for just $4,000, actor-director Joshua Rivera delivers a disturbing, funny, and uniquely American descent into madness.
Grandma Nai Who Played Favourites – Narrative Short – Cambodia/France/USA
This poignant and funny short film by Chheangkea already won awards at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for Best Live Action Short at Raindance. It begins at Grandma Nai’s tomb on ancestors’ day, and her and her neighbouring ghost choose to follow her grandson on an important date. So much is shown in this film by subtle looks and moments of connection.
Row – Narrative Feature – UK
Raindance hosted the world premiere of this tense psychological thriller about a doomed attempt to row across the North Atlantic in 28 days. Starring Outlander’s Sophie Skelton this film shows the crew as they face brutal seas, mounting tension, and psychological breakdown. Directed by Matthew Losasso and shot by Zoran Veljkovic, this claustrophobic debut kept us gripped to the end. Winner for Best UK Feature, Nominated for Best Director of a UK Feature, Best UK Cinematography, Best Performance in a UK Feature
Heavyweight – Narrative Feature – UK
Winner for Best Director of a UK Feature. Nominated for Best UK Feature, Best UK Cinematography, Best Performance in a UK Feature (see film description above).
Full list of 2025 Award Winners
Netflix Day
Another highlight was Thursday 27th June in the festival which was dubbed Netflix Day. This included a launch and panel explaining the Netflix Documentary Shorts Fund. This took place in the Canon Lounge at Neon 194 Piccadilly. This venue provided a home base for film makers and a range of interesting talks and parties throughout.
Netflix Day also included a chance to watch all of last year’s winning films from the Shorts Fund and to meet and learn from these award-winning filmmakers.
Elliot Grove’s Advice for Filmmakers
Since 1992, Raindance has championed independent, maverick filmmaking and debut directors. Based in London’s West End, its film festival is Oscar® and BAFTA qualifying, with several shorts gaining prestigious recognition. Raindance also runs the British Independent Film Awards, a production arm (Raindance Raw Talent), and Raindance Film School, a hands-on affordable school taught by industry professionals.
At this year’s festival there was an entire day dedicated to showcasing new student talent. Elliot Grove Raindance founder gave some key pieces of wisdom such as reflections on Raindance Film Festival 25:
🎬 What You Can Learn from Attending (or Watching) Raindance 2025
Originality still rules.
The most talked-about films weren’t the slickest—they were the boldest. Unfiltered. Personal. Made with blood and duct tape.
You don’t need permission.
Half the selections were self-funded, crowdfunded, or pulled together with favours and guts. You can start now. No gatekeeper’s going to greenlight your hustle.
Story is currency.
From lo-fi sci-fi to single-location dramas, it was the power of the narrative—not gear, budgets, or cast—that carried the film.
Genre is your friend.
Horror. Comedy. Thriller. These travel. They sell. And Raindance loves filmmakers who understand how genre can stretch a budget while pulling audiences in.
The personal is universal.
Stories about grief, identity, love, and resistance—when grounded in truth—hit the hardest. No matter where you’re from, your story can resonate globally.
Read Elliot’s full piece here:
Get Set Hire party
Get Set Hire, as official partners and sponsors of the festival, held a reception for guests of Raindance and clients of Get Set Hire. It was a chance to see familiar faces, meet new ones and share tips for what to see at the festival. The Canon Lounge also had a range of Get Set Hire equipment on display and for festival goers to take photos in front of, including our banner, lights, make up mirrors, sofas, rope and post barriers and more.
Closing Gala
As quickly as we started on one hot summer night in London, we were dressed up again for the closing gala of the festival. We got to know a lot more filmmakers at Raindance, the home of independent film and now we are getting ready to support their future shoot needs for film production.