Raindance Brings Festival Films Online

You’ve probably heard of Robert Redford’s annual Sundance Film Festival. But what about Raindance? It’s the largest independent film festival in the UK, begun in 1992, and it’s trying to take the concept of the film festival into the future and reach a new audience.   At the festival, which begins today in London and runs until October 7, six of the films will be made available free online at the same time as they premiere in the theatres.   The movies available will include The Inheritance, a Scottish take on the road-trip film, and South Coast, about hip-hop in the English coastal city of Brighton.   All this is possible because of a deal between the festival organizers and ISP Tiscali. The films will be available online from 9pm on the day they’re screened. Additionally, on five of the festival’s nights, shorts made by young film makers will be aired, and the festival site will show content from the screenings of the night before.   The online festival, which is believed to be a first, will have the exclusive premiere of  Kurt Hollander’s Carambola, which will not be in cinemas until next year.   According to Alex Hole, Online Media Director at Tiscali,   “Tiscali has worked with Raindance for the last three years and they totally embrace the power of the internet which is refreshing.  Rather than seeing online as a threat to creativity Raindance shares our view that the internet is a fantastic vehicle for independent film.  This project follows our strategy of providing users with unique high quality content, and reinforces our strength to date in the film arena.”