Raindance to Launch First Vertical Festival and UK Market (Exclusive)

Britain may have been slower than other markets to ride the rise of vertical media, which is forecast to generate $150 billion in revenue this year in markets outside China, but it is now getting its own festival. British independent film festival Raindance is launching Raindance Vertical, a one-day festival and investment market […]

The UK may have been slower than other markets to jump on the short vertical media boom, forecast to generate $150 billion in revenue outside of China this year, but now it's getting its own festival.

British indie Raindance is launching Raindance Vertical, a one-day festival and capital market in London for vertical films and series. Popular in related stories Love Kar Ying and Pao He Ching with Shem Kakee, Kibobo, Virginia Lau, Ahstisham Ahmed and Jayan Marks in "The Big Prestige" Kishore Series (Exclusive) Tense presidential election, focus on domestic audiences: domestic audiences and the Academy Awards. festival

The event will take place on December 4 – right between Content London and the British Independent Film Awards – at Soho's Karma Sanctum Hotel, and is set to feature two competitive categories, Vertical Short Film and Vertical Collection. Submissions open today via FilmFreeway and are open to UK and international filmmakers until November.

Elliott Grove, founder of Raindance, said: “The British film industry needs to stop mocking what the screen looks like and start watching what's on it. "We started Raindance to give filmmakers a chance when the industry couldn't. Raindance Vertical drives this: discover talent, get work done, and put filmmakers in the room with people who can fund their next project."

Alongside the competition, the festival will include panels and workshops organized as a "vertical mini-market" with Charlotte Knowles' creative staff, matching pre-vetted producers with investors, platforms, commissions and brands.

According to Raindance, British filmmakers are already producing vertical work of a professional standard, but have "few routes to investors, studios, broadcasters and brands who can support it", which the festival and market is designed to address.

The festival's advisory panel includes director Dan Lowenstein, founder of House of Create, vertical drama critic and consultant Jen Cooper of Vertical Drama Love, and Christine Hartland, co-founder and CEO of My Smash Media.

"Vertical has the same directing discipline, the same ensembles, and the same storytelling rigor, just with a different structure and pace," says Lowenstein, who has directed 36 vertical dramas for broadcasters, streamers and dedicated microdrama platforms. The festival is fast-paced, informative and, yes, low-budget, but within these constraints you can find true invention. "The festival is an opportunity to showcase the best of UK and international vertical drama alongside outstanding features and shorts, and I'm excited to see what the UK brings to the format."

The Raindance Vertical program runs over the course of a day and all work is shown at 9:16.