‘Grand Theft Hamlet,’ ‘Strike’ Among Raindance Maverick Award Contenders – Global Bulletin
variety.comNaman Ramachandran London’s Raindance Film Festival has unveiled its 13-title longlist for the BIFA (British Independent Film Awards) Raindance Maverick Award, recognizing independent films made with budgets under £1 million ($1.3 million).
The lineup includes “Grand Theft Hamlet,” shot entirely within “Grand Theft Auto,” following two unemployed actors staging Shakespeare in the game’s virtual world, and “Strike: An Uncivil War,” which won Sheffield DocFest’s best documentary audience award for its examination of the 1984/85 miners’ strike.
Raindance founder Elliot Grove said: “The Raindance Maverick Award longlist captures the essence of independent cinema at its purest, rebellious and unapologetic best.” Full longlist:“The Ceremony” (Jack King, Hollie Bryan, Lucy Meer)“The Flight of Bryan” (James Erskine, Victoria Gregory, Philipp Manderla)“Grand Theft Hamlet” (Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane, Julia Ton, Rebecca Wolff)“King Baby” (Arran Shearing, Kit Redstone)“Reawakening” (Virginia Gilbert, Barry Castagnola)“Restless” (Jed Hart, Benedict Turnbull)“Satu – Year of the Rabbit” (Joshua Trigg)“Silent Men” (Duncan Cowles)“The Stimming Pool” (Robin Elliot Knowles, Sam Chown Ahern, Benjamin Brown, Steven Eastwood, Georgia Bradburn, Lucy Walker, Chloe White)“Strike: An Uncivil War” (Daniel Gordon, Nick Taussig, Fjolla Iberhysaj)“Tops” (Ames Pennington, Archie Sinclair)“Treading Water” (Gino Evans, Ben Toye)“Witches” (Elizabeth Sankey, Jeremy Warmsley, Chiara Ventura, Manon Ardisson) The nominations will be announced Nov.
5, with winners revealed at the BIFA ceremony on Dec. 8. Last year’s award went to “If the Streets Were on Fire” by Alice Russell and Gannesh Rajah.
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