26th Raindance Film Festival
26th Raindance Film Festival
September 26th – October 7th, 2018
by Alex Plant
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Dizzy Pursuit
Directed by Jay Alvarez
Starring Jay Alvarez, Megan Kopp, Lorraine Bahr, Jennifer Neala Page and Andrew Kopp
Anyone who feels that they’ve ever made sacrifices for their art or a partner will be able to relate to the protagonists of Dizzy Pursuit. It’s a film that brutally, and often hilariously, depicts what it’s like to be a struggling creative in the 21st century, as well as what it’s like to live with a struggling creative, while you yourself are struggling to make ends meet. Also, you live in a grotty postage-stamp-sized apartment infested with roaches and bed bugs, in a building filled with unsavoury characters… read more
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Jay Alvarez descended upon London for Raindance 2018 where his new movie Dizzy Pursuit is playing on Wednesday Oct 3rd and Thursday October 4th. Each screening is followed by a Q&A with the director and star. Jay’s first film, I Play with the Phrase Each Other, won him the attention of filmmaking titans Joe and Anthony Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Arrested Development) who jumped at the opportunity to executive produce Jay’s next feature. They even set up an IndieGoGo campaign for Dizzy Pursuit, offering backers a chance to visit the set of the then-in-production Avengers: Infinity War. Jay sat down with us to discuss the film, working with the Russos and how the production made the movie’s producer homeless… read more
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Love Possibly
Directed by Michael Boccalini and Che Grant
Starring Steve Hodgetts, Anna Danshina, Dean Kilbey, Julie Nesher and Michelle Thomas
On paper, Love Possibly sounds great; a mockumentary following a hapless, rom-com-obsessed sap’s quest to find love that results in him ordering a Moldovan bride online. Unfortunately, the execution is sloppy and amateurish and there’s a palpable sense that the filmmakers bit off more than they could chew when they decided to go for a largely improvised comedy style… read more
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Major Arcana
Dircected by Josh Melrod
Starring Ujon Tokarski, Tara Summers and Lane Bradbury
There is an undeniable enjoyableness to observing somebody capable of undertaking a task that you couldn’t comprehend doing yourself. There’s a pureness to the skill that is almost hypnotic. Long time editor/first-time director Josh Melrod understands this idea and Major Arcana is nothing if not a study in rapt observation… read more
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First-time director Josh Melrod and first-time actor Ujon Tokarski brought their film Major Arcana to Raindance 2018 for its world premiere. We sat down with the pair to discuss cabin building, the film and the unusual way that Ujon became its star… read more
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Princesita
Directed by Marialy Rivas
Starring Sara Caballero, Marcelo Alonso and María Gracia Omegna
Director Marialy Rivas’ follow up to her 2012 feature Young and Wild is a bold and timely piece of work. Drawing inspiration from the true story of a Chilean family that believed their young daughter would carry the child that could prevent 2012’s impending apocalypse, Princesita is a dark fairytale for the modern age.
Twelve year old Tamara (Caballero) has grown up in a cult that keep themselves confined to the beautiful countryside of Southern Chile. As she verges on the cusp of puberty and womanhood, cult leader Miguel (Alonso) selects her as the chosen one and as such allows her to be the first of the cult’s children to attend a mainstream school. Time goes by and she realises that Miguel has actually chosen her to be the bearer of his child, who will be the true chosen one. As she learns more about the outside world her admiration and affection for Miguel shifts to something more primal and she anxiously awaits the arrival of her first period, signalling that she will be ready to conceive… read more
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