The Raindance Film Festival is the UK’s largest independent film festival

Raindance exists to discover, foster and champion new talent and audiences, the lifeblood of the industry. Since 1992 Raindance has ignited and overseen major shifts in the world of British independent film. eW are proud to provide a platform for first-time filmmakers and promote all aspects of independent cinema in the UK, from guerrilla style low budget shorts to international indie blockbusters. Raindance premières have included Memento, Ghost World, Blair Witch Project, and Pulp Fiction. We satisfy the public’s thirst for bold, original filmmaking through diverse international programming. Current patrons of the festival include Nick Broomfield, Terry Gilliam, Ken Loach, Marky Ramone, Ewan McGregor and Vanessa Redgrave. The Raindance brand unites established talent with the next generation of filmmakers, the film industry and film fans.

In 2008 Raindance is relaunching as the UK’s first festival dedicated to both Film and Music. The festival will continue to promote the same independent values exhibited in its film programming for years but will further enhance the music element of the festival harvested since the festival’s inception. The film programme will continue to show the best independent features and shorts of all genres from all over the world, with the addition of live musical acts and special film and music events. These events will feature an eclectic mix of filmmakers and musicians exhibiting creativity and contemporary artwork making Raindance ‘08 a place for both film and music lovers alike. Raindance is currently seeking partners to help develop this music strand. Sponsorship opportunities

All sponsors get to associate their brand with the largest independent film festival in the UK endorsed by the British filmmaking community, as well as the opportunity of promoting identity and product to a high profile and targeted audience of industry professionals, emerging film making talent and the wider public. Raindance has an established reputation of producing dynamic partnerships with all its sponsors, generating new ideas and opportunities specific to the communication objectives of each.

Headline Sponsorship The opportunity, for the first time, to create a high profile association with all aspects of the festival. Raindance will be presented in association with your brand through all communications in advance and throughout the festival itself. This is a valuable opportunity to both parties, and one that can only be created with a company that has complete synergy with the established brand that is Raindance. This will be an evolving partnership, developing the scale and profile of the festival together with the reach and power of the sponsor’s brand. The specific benefits package will be confirmed following the establishment of key objectives once the appropriate sponsor has been identified.

Awards Sponsorship The festival awards a number of jury prizes for the best films during our Closing Night Gala presentation. The awards available to sponsor are Best International Feature, Best UK Feature, Best Documentary Film, Best Debut Feature, and Best International Short film. The best films of the festival are screened in a prime-time slot each day with high profile actors and filmmakers in attendance.

Opening Night Gala This exciting evening celebrates the opening of the 16th Raindance Film Festival and features a premiere screening and afterparty.

Closing Night Gala This includes the presentation of Festival Jury Prizes, the closing night premiere screening and party.

Strand Sponsorship The festival has several screening strands where films are grouped from a particular region or genre. This year’s strands include UK, Documentary, European, North American Independents, Japanese & ‘Raindance fills a big gap in World Cinema and short films. the UK film scene. I’ve been involved for a few years now, Special Events A series of panels, forums and group discussions in both screening films, doing Q&A’s film and music. Past events include screenings and Q&As with Ken Loach, and workshops. The kind Vanessa Redgrave and Marky Ramone (The Ramones) and Mick Jones of people who attend these (The Clash), panels on film financing and distribution, and masterclasses events are the future film with Anthony Dod Mantle, Roger Pratt, Brian Tufano, Mike Figgis, Penny makers. Raindance is a good Woolcock, and Michael Madsen. thing. Support it please’ Live Music Events A series of live music events featuring an eclectic mix of Mike Figgis musicians and recording artists in the West End and throughout London. Director / Hotel / Leaving Las Vegas The Raindance Climate Change Challenge Taking the form of a competition launched in partnership with a corporate sponsor, entrants will be invited to submit a short film highlighting their own creative view of the issue. The best jury selected entrants will have their films screened and be invited to attend a high profile debate as an additional green theme of the 2008 festival.

The Raindance Green Room The creation of this new hospitality resource will be located in the plush surroundings of The Rex Cinema and Bar. The Raindance Green Room will be the central hospitality focus throughout the festival for visiting filmmakers and other high profile festival guests and jury members. The Raindance Open This initiative sees the active involvement of a cross section of creative companies who provide support services to the film industry. The initiative will provide an insight into the work of these creative companies to a festival orientated public audience, under the umbrella of Raindance, with each company agreeing to provide a period of open access, in the style of Open House London.

Live!Ammunition! Raindance’s popular event where aspiring filmmakers pitch their projects to an illustrious panel of industry figures. This special event is held in London and toured regionally throughout the UK. Previous panelists have included Ewan McGregor, Norma Heyman, Nik Powell, Steve Gaydos, and Matthew Vaughan.

It’s Raining Umbrellas It always rains in October. That’s why we call it Raindance. How would you like to see thousands of people walking around Soho with your logo on the Raindance umbrella?

Along with the individual benefits for each sponsorship option, you will enjoy the following benefits:

Brand Exposure

– A full page complimentary full-colour ad in the Festival catalogue – Your name and logo branding on the Raindance website with icon-driven links to your company website, and promotional copy – Branding for the duration of the festival, including: Branding in front of house area Opportunity to distribute literature and / or product Opportunity for your product to be sampled – Opportunity for product placement / literature in the festival goodie bags

Brand Enhancement

– Association with a high profile independent film festival endorsed by major film figures representing the international independent film industry – A visible demonstration of your company’s commitment to independent filmmaking and innovation

Hospitality

– VIP passes allowing access to the opening and closing night galas – All access passes to preview screenings throughout the festival – Excellent networking opportunity with Raindance Film Festival partners, supporters and high profile industry professionals

Raindance does not simply offer exposure for our supporters. Rather, we tailor elements of the festival around your organisation, ensuring that you are fully integrated with the themes, processes and values of the festival. ‘We have a great working rela- tionship with Raindance. They are not only friendly, efficient Case Study: Tiscali Partnership and well connected, but have also really understood and In 2007, Tiscali and Raindance launched Raindance Online which was the embraced the internet as an world’s first simultaneous online / offline film festival. The project was opportunity for independent received very well by filmmakers and cinemagoers and received a large film’ amount of press coverage due to its pioneering nature. Tiscali Case Study: Delta Air Lines “Delta has now had our second successful year as the In 2005, Delta Air Lines began international flights from the UK to the US. official airline of Raindance To bring the support they’ve shown to filmmakers in the US to the UK, Delta Film Festival. The partner- joined Raindance to support the Best UK Short Film Award which awarded ship has proved to be a great the winning filmmaker with two return trips to any US destination. The award investment for us, as well as was designed to give the winning filmmaker an opportunity to showcase enabling us to continue our their work at film festivals in the US. support for emerging filmmak- ers and independent films in A few facts and figures Europe and the US.”

Delta Air Lines – Last year attendance rose to just over 10,000, and the festival received its most glowing press coverage to date

– We screened over 70 feature films and more than 100 short films from filmmakers across the globe, along with a diverse selection of workshops, discussion panels, interviews, parties and special events

– The Festival’s targeted and guaranteed audience is ABC1, 18-34, 60% male, and predominantly London-based – hip artistic and intelligent urbanites, culturally and politically switched on, in pursuit of new and alternative ways of looking at, and discussing the world, as well as journalists, acquisition executives, actors, producers and directors

– Raindance attracts high profile industry figures including Ken Loach, Dame Judi Dench, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Anton Corbijn, Marky and Tommy Ramone, Mick Jones, Rankin [Dazed & Confused], Tessa Ross [Film Four], Colin Vaines [Weinstein Company], Sam Morton, Sukhdev Sandhu, Ewan McGregor, Vanessa Redgrave and Dave Calhoun [Time Out London]

– The festival is held principally at the Cineworld Shaftesbury Avenue in the West End, Cineworld Haymarket, and the Rex Cinema

Additional sponsorship opportunities

– Raindance Film Training The best place to take short-term evening and weekend courses in how to write, direct and produce quality feature films and shorts. Alumni include such successes as Julian Fellowes, Guy Ritchie, Matthew Vaughn and Christopher Nolan. 3,000 people took our courses during 2005 and an increasing number of professionals attend

– Raindance.TV This online exclusive independent film channel delivers the best in independent filmmaking via high quality, streaming video direct to your PC or Mac, including the best feature films, shorts and documentaries from the Raindance Film Festival. The online TV channel was designed to give filmmakers and film enthusiasts the chance to see quality work from all over the globe. Raindance.TV is the first of its kind and is currently featured on Joost

‘The Raindance Film Festival and The British Independent Raindance aims to become recognised as the voice of independent Film Awards make a unique filmmaking in Europe by instituting sustained growth through targeted and very special contribution partnerships with ambitious organisations which share its vision. to independent film in the UK. They should be taken extreme- For further information please call Jesse Vile on 020 7287 3833 or email ly seriously’ [email protected] Mike Leigh Director / Secrets & Lies / Naked / Vera Drake