Raindance Shorts
If social media has rotted your attention span and you find yourself squirming in your seat after just a couple minutes sitting for a movie, I empathise. I have friends who can’t last twenty minutes through a movie without whipping out their phones or wanting to change it.
No judgement, either! I do it, too. While I love settling in for a long-form story, there is something a bit more engaging about shorter stories.
At Raindance this year, we vbelieve that shorts are the laboratory of cinema. We’ve curated a 18 Short Programmes that extend the length of a full movie, but are made up of short films. Following an overarching theme, these screenings are where you get the most bang for your buck — several stories in just one sitting.
Spanning all genres and mediums, Short Programmes are the best way to ingest as much variety as you can get from a single ticket. Go ahead! Be bold! Choose your poison! Here’s our list of award winning shorts at Raindance:
1.TooFar Media House Shorts Showcase
A selection of Raindance House Shorts and the latest animation from TooFar Media.
The Hornet’s Spell
When Danni submits to a mysterious spell, she’s thrust into a surreal, trance-like journey through memory, myth, and transformation. Guided by a Hornet Queen and a haunting voice, she confronts a monstrous force tied to her past—and discovers a tapestry of healing, identity, and release.
The Metronome
“A drummer battling against the ticking of time, will she ever win?
A micro short written by Olivia Bennett – her first short film, with many more projects to come!
Descent
In the midst of a relationship breakdown, Dominic and Megan find themselves at a juncture when devastating news is revealed.
1 Star Review
Chef Michael has a murderous obsession with changing negative reviews to save his restaurant, but a date with his latest critic Elysia makes him question his motives.
Koupepia
Petros, a Widowed Cypriot Man, attends his son’s engagement party although tolerant of his son’s homosexuality he is yet to be truly accepting of him. Over Koupepia, a traditional Cypriot delicacy, he meets Eleni – a British Cypriot Transgender Woman. The two appear to have nothing in common but bond over the food of their heritage reframing Petros’ relationship to his son, queer people and the Cypriot identity.
Code/Switch
Ashir Pradhan is against the clock to the interview of a lifetime. Forced to adapt after an unfortunate mishap Ashir calls on his alter egos to help navigate the whitewashed world of McManus and Co and land the job of his dream…but at what cost to himself?
You’ve Got a Little Something
A romantic dinner takes an unexpected turn when Fin discovers a surprise little something lodged between his teeth. What starts as a small dating mishap spirals out of control in this cringe-worthy comedic exploration of those mortifying moments that make us all human.
Happy New Year
At a New Year’s Eve party, heavily pregnant Grace and her friend Beth, are faced with every woman’s worst nightmare – for Beth, a man who can’t seem to make up his mind. For Grace, having to try and not wee herself because of a stubborn zip on her jumpsuit. But an unexpected ‘visitor’ is about to make this New Year’s Eve one they will remember forever…
The Newspaper
In a pristine 1950s suburb, a newlywed discovers cryptic puzzles in the daily newspaper that hint at a buried town secret and her husband’s past. As the clues unravel, so does her reality. The Newspaper is a suspenseful descent into appearances, trust, and the quiet power of uncovering the truth.
Thursday, June 19, 2025 4:15 PM BST
Book TooFar Media Shorts Here
2.LGBTQIA+ 1
LGBTQ+ films exploring identity and self-discovery offer intimate portraits of individuals finding the strength to live authentically. These stories capture the quiet struggles and bold breakthroughs that define the journey toward self-acceptance in a world that doesn’t always make space for difference.
Freak
On the eve of her 26th birthday, Lainey is confronted with a question that tests the boundaries of her relationship: What is your deepest, darkest fantasy?
I’m So Sorry Baby
I’m So Sorry Baby is a short film about love, heartbreak, and what it takes to truly see yourself. The film follows Mars, a black trans person, who is grappling with their identity within their relationship with Jack, a cis heterosexual man.
With Love, Lottie
When a disabled teenager fears she will never find love, she enlists her friends to become her mentors in the unpredictable world of dating and discovers that love can come in unexpected ways and different forms.
Pretend I’m Not Here
A Spanish-English phone interpreter lives in isolation yet is present for callers’ most intense moments: police interrogation, childbirth, migration proceedings. When they recognize a voice on a call with a detention facility, they must decide whether to remain a remote, neutral intermediary, or to take action.
Miss
It’s been four days since Sophie came out as trans to her partner Jess. Seeking a place away from it all for Sophie to take her first steps out in the air as a woman, MISS finds them at a gas station outside of the city. Based on true events.
Erion
Early 2000’s. Christian is a university student who is preparing his dissertation, while spending his holidays in the South of Italy. Here, he meets seasonal lifeguard assistant Erion, an Albanian origins boy, and the two begin dating secretly. Summer is passing fast and carefree; however, during an excursion in a nature reserve a few kilometers far from crowded beaches and chaos, Erion finally finds the courage to reveal Christian something unexpected.
Bisexual Crisis!!!
A gay man and a bisexual woman are best friends. They love each other—but, like, gay-best-friend love, not love-love. That’s until one reckless almost-kiss blows up everything: their friendship, her feelings, his sexuality, and the fragile house of labels they’re living in.
We Both Laughed In Pleasure
The film seeks to draw links between nonbinary and trans men across geography to refute the stereotype of isolation often associated with transgender people, demonstrating the possibilities of solidarity and worldmaking. The film’s culmination at Dyke March makes visible the dissolution of boundaries between the dyke and transmasculine communities. From London to Los Angeles to Brooklyn, Pickering instead paints a cinematic picture of a supportive and boundless community animated by love.
Sunday, June 22, 2025 1:45 PM BST
Book LGBTQIA+ 1 Shorts HERE
3.Radical Agendas
Angry, and looking to change the world, these films look at people who challenge the way we think about society today, and the preconceived notions and biases we have within it. A manifesto of what we could be, and the ways we can change society in big and small ways.
The Last Dance
When Fox’s “LA Bar” is hit with a compulsory purchase order, a cornerstone of Caribbean life in 90’s East London is threatened. As the city begins to forget, the community remembers. In defiance and longing, a last dance ignites—one that will be remembered for the ages.
Bulldozer
After discovering her boyfriend’s infidelity, Jo spirals and ends up involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility. Upon her release, Jo attempts to rebuild her life, find love, and figure out what’s wrong with her. And in the process, she’ll leave a wake of rubble as she bulldozes her way to happiness.
Working Summer
Deborah lives alone in Upstate New York, where she spends her days weaving baskets. When Deborah’s daughter Nora stops by unannounced, she is taken aback to discover the fullness and independence of her mother’s life. “Working Summer” is about a parent leaving the nest, and a child who must come to terms with it.
Whatever City
Ida bumps into her old music teacher from elementary school. This unexpected meeting sets off a journey through a city where many people speak, but few manage to express anything worthwhile.
How to Translate a Miracle
During her holiday in fictional 90s Palermo (Sicily), Yoko, a Japanese tourist, unexpectedly loses her beloved dog. Alone and struggling to navigate the language barrier, Yoko embarks on a surreal journey through a world of folkloric oddities and colourful characters, where the boundaries between cultures, reality, and fantasy blur.
Thursday, June 19, 2025 7:00 PM BST
Book Radical Agenda Shorts HERE
4.Relative States
Exploring the intricate bonds of family, this collection of short films dives deep into the complexities of kinship. These heartfelt narratives unravel the diverse facets of family ties, shedding light on the joys, trials, and enduring connections that define our lives.
The Junction
Following the death of Rose’s dad, she and her mother Annie move to the town where James Dean died on a dangerous road. Rose starts seeing things and slowly deteriorates, while her frustrated mother becomes obsessed with an unknown girl killed at the famous intersection. Their bond unexpectedly leads Annie back to where she belongs.
The Hicks Happy Hour
In this colorful musical dramedy, set in 1972, the ever-smiling mother of a family band struggles to keep the family’s TV variety show and wholesome image going when her estranged husband doesn’t turn up to the season finale taping.
Mildred 4 a Million
A gregarious great-grandmother who desperately wants to connect with her tablet-obsessed great-granddaughter sets out on a quest to get a million followers on TikTok. Starring legendary TV icon Marla Gibbs at 93 years young, this poignant comedy explores human connection across generations in the age of tech addiction.
The Piece
After a change in summer plans, a 20-year-old violinist finds herself in remote Calabria with family instead of on a beach in Greece with friends. But when her uncle offers her the chance of a lifetime, she reluctantly opens herself up to an experience she’ll never forget.
Friday, June 20, 2025 6:15 PM BST
Book Relative States shorts HERE
5.Nova Express
Bizarre and experimental, these short films pave the way for an unconventional cinematic journey. In a time when people are encouraged to play things safe, these films challenge conventional norms, offering a glimpse into the eccentric minds behind them. This collection of peculiar creations isn’t just about entertainment; it’s a bold statement, a cinematic revolution.
You Can’t Talk To the Dude
After moving into a new apartment, Rory’s life falls apart when a strange man appears in his home out of thin air. When the man returns over and over, Rory’s attempts to rid his home of the intruder grow more desperate and violent.
Strangers
The first guests Laura and Elias invite into their newly inherited suburban home are a couple they just met on vacation. Laura is hesitant. Elias indifferent. Light conversation becomes heavy and the evening slowly turns into a series of strange circumstances. When the guests get too comfortable in their host’s home, Laura finds herself paralyzed in a situation that she can’t seem to get out of. Is this still her life?
The Song of Oysters
Brittany. Pablo is about to declare his love to Darya but he panicks… Lightening strikes him mercilessly. From then on, a quartet of oysters start singing, urging him to play this “failed” rendez-vous again.
À Toi Les Oreilles
While the townsfolk are celebrating the village’s anniversary parade, Étienne tries the impossible: to show them how beautiful his family’s cacophony really is.
Friday, June 20, 2025 6:30 PM BST
Book Nova Express HERE
6.Gone Astray
Feeling disconnected from each other is an increasingly ever-present theme in a modern society that seemingly favours individualism. The constant pressure to fit into societal norms can lead to people lashing out on those around them despite their craving for human connection.
Those Who Move
A Lisbon night is traversed by the intensity of René, a precarious young Brazilian who has anchored in town, immersed in personal and existential conflicts.
Suo Jiang
A skilled locksmith, gifted with the ability to open any lock, yet he is unwilling to return home. The hostess he pursues has no intention of continuing to keep him company. Facing a profound sense of emptiness, he has turned himself towards another rugged path.
Majonezë
Ersekë, Albania. Elyria lives with her family following the strict rules imposed by her father, hiding her anger with obedience. A powerful desire for rebellion grows in her day by day that will lead her to the fulfillment of a bitter, but necessary, act of revolution.
Seahorse
A father has just one weekend to close the painful distance between him and his son.
Foxhole
A meditative groundskeeper performs quiet rituals of upkeep at a countryside inn, but his restless past stirs beneath the calm.
Saturday, June 21, 2025 6:30 PM BST
Book Gone Astray Here
7.Young Blood
For young people, the future can feel both full of promise and weighed down by uncertainty. As they navigate expectations, these films, exploring youth and what lies ahead capture the tension between hope and doubt—offering honest reflections on growing up in a world that’s constantly shifting.
Key of Genius
The incredible true story of a blind, autistic boy and a piano teacher determined to unlock his musical genius. Set in 1980s London and based on the book “In the Key of Genius: The Extraordinary Life of Derek Paravicini,” this moving drama explores the communicative power of music.
Dekho (Look)
Dekho (Look) is told through the eyes of a ten-year-old British Asian boy trying to find a connection with his grandmother with Dementia. No longer able to speak English, she has reverted to her native language Punjabi and moves in with him and his increasingly distracted mother.
Our Room
Gal·la works at the radio station. Nearly asleep, she leaves the program halfway through and reads a story to her little son that accompanies him in his dreams. One night, driven by the renewing energy of a mysterious boy, she decides to start a new radio station. A program of shared melodies that broadcasts from the intimacy of the room where mother and son connect with the world.
Little Rebels Cinema Club
Set in 2008, Doddy, a 14 year old boy, tries to recreate an iconic scene of a zombie film with three of his best friends, using a handycam belonging to Anji, his sad and angry emo brother.
Noi
Revenge murmurs in his ear: Αt what temperature does blood boil in the snow? When the older brother is killed by his favourite horse, the younger one has to decide -through nightmares and visions- whether to avenge the blood or forgive.
Saturday, June 21, 2025 9:30 PM BST
Book Young Blood Shorts HERE
8.Documentary 1
Documentary films offer a window into real lives and untold stories, revealing truths that challenge how we see the world. Through careful observation and storytelling, they give voice to lived experiences that might otherwise remain unheard.
A brilliant [programme of 5 exceptional short docs.
Monday, June 23, 2025 11:30 AM BST
Book Documentary 1 HERE
9.B-Reel
B-movies revel in the unconventional, often pushing boundaries with bold ideas, low budgets, and high imagination. Whether knowingly campy or unexpectedly clever, these films embrace their rough edges, offering a raw, unfiltered charm. They stand as a celebration of creativity, risk, and pure cinematic enthusiasm. Here is a heavily curated se
Sunday, June 22, 2025 9:30 PM BST
Book B-Reel HERE
10.Traditional Cuts
Films that challenge traditions delve into the tension between heritage and change, questioning the rules passed down through generations. These stories give voice to those who resist conformity, revealing the courage it takes to break away from what’s expected in pursuit of something new. Five trad cuts here!
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 1:15 PM BST
Book Traditional Cuts HERE
11.Lost Clause
Films centered on moral dilemmas challenge characters—and viewers—to confront the grey areas between right and wrong. These stories unravel the weight of choice, where every decision carries consequences. In testing convictions and questioning values, they reveal the complexity of what it truly means to do the right thing. Seven moraldil;emmas and how they were resolved.
Monday, June 23, 2025 9:00 PM BST
Book Lost Cause HERE
12.Transient Ventures
The movement of people from place to place is one of the most basic of human functions. Sometimes this is in a quest to discover new things. Sometimes it’s forced through war and outside influences. Nothing is ever set in stone however, and the wave of time will soon wash over it all. Seven shorts in this programme.
Weduesday, June 24, 2025 6:30 PM BST
Book Transient Ventures HERE
13.Horror Show
Horror films tap into our deepest fears, often revealing more about society than just what lurks in the dark. Whether confronting the unknown or facing inner demons, the genre offers a space to explore anxiety, isolation, and survival. These stories haunt us not just with scares, but with the truths they unearth beneath the surface. Seven shorts guaranteed to release your body fluid.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 3:45 PM BST
Book Horror Show HERE
14.Animation
A captivating blend of form, content, and style, these narratives offer a unique opportunity to question our familiar perceptions of everyday existence while exploring the uncharted possibilities of animation. Prepare to embark on a journey through diverse realms that elicit emotions often left unexplored in our conventional experiences.
Enjoy a dozen animation shorts in this powerful programme.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 6:00 PM BST
Book Animation HERE
15.Abstract Notions
Experimenting with form, content, and style, while pushing boundaries with what is being said. While things, at least at the outset, may seem to be clear, as these stories delve deeper, layer after layer of context begin to reveal the truth.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 9:00 PM BST
Book Abstract Notions HERE
16.LGBTQIA+ 2
Centred on love, resilience, and chosen family, LGBTQ+ films rooted in community and resistance highlight the power of solidarity in the face of marginalization. These narratives honour the fight for visibility, dignity, and joy—reminding us that pride is both personal and political.
Curated by Queer Filmmakers Network
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 9:15 PM BST
Buy tickets for LGBTQIA+ 2 HERE
17.Documentary 2
Driven by curiosity and a search for answers, investigative documentaries dig beneath the surface to expose injustice, reveal hidden systems, or spark change. These films don’t just inform—they provoke reflection and often demand action. This is a programme of 6 tasty docs.
Thursday, June 26, 2025 9:15 PM BST
Buy Documentary 2 Tickets HERE
18.Female Gaze
Sponsored by Women in film and Television
Four powerful shorts films from two continents.
With guest filmmakers and Q&A
Thursday, June 26, 2025 9:30 PM BST
Buy tickets for Female Gaze HERE
Ready to Take Action?
Join us for our upcoming “Saturday Film School with Elliot Grove”, where we’ll dive deeper into these challenges and provide practical solutions for modern indie filmmakers. Or start your journey with our “99 Minute Film School” – because in today’s fast-paced world, even learning has to adapt to new timeframes.
Remember, every generation of filmmakers has faced its own set of challenges. What matters isn’t the obstacles in your path, but how you choose to overcome them.
Check out our Film Degree Programmes at Raindance