Stranger Things named best UK feature at Raindance

Festival director heralds success as attendance up 62 per cent.

by Amber Wilkinson

Stranger Things' actor Adeel Akhtar, co-directors Ron Eyal and Eleanor Burke with Raindance festival director Elliot Grove
Stranger Things' actor Adeel Akhtar, co-directors Ron Eyal and Eleanor Burke with Raindance festival director Elliot Grove

British Indie drama Stranger Things - about a grieving woman who forms a connection with a homeless man was named best UK feature film at this year's Raindance Film Festival.

Husband and wife filmmaking duo continue their winning run with the film, which was also named best narrative film at Slamdance earlier this year.

Croatian/Servian/Slovenian co-production Just Between Us - Rajko Grlic's comedy drama about middle-aged infidelity - was named best international feature, while Bulgarian love story Tilt, saw Viktor Chouchkov Jr pick up the best debut feature award.

Ruaridh Arrow's How To Start A Revolution - which explores the work and influence of peace-proponent Gene Sharp - was named best documentary, while Drew Cunningham's thriller Monk3ys won the award for best microbudget feature.

Italian short Reset - directed by Nicolangelo Gelormini - was named film of the festival. Other shorts winners were Denmark's Words, directed by Sven Vinge, which was named best international short and Michael Davies' Love At First Sight - starring John Hurt and Phyllida Law - which was named best UK short.

The winning team behind Reset will be offered the chance to film next year’s Raindance Film Festival trailer, with the support of the Independent Film Trust.

Festival director Elliot Grove said: “There were some outstanding films across the whole line-up so selecting winners was especially difficult this year.

“Attendance was up by a staggering 62 per cent on last year proving that the appetite for independent film is thriving.”

Share this with others on...
News

Spin-off alchemy Claude Schmitz on bringing back cop pairing for Conrad & Crab – Idiotic Gems

Past crime Christoffer Boe on creating a world for his period mystery Special Unit - The First Murder

The hidden river Helen MacDonald and Philippa Lowthorpe on adapting H Is For Hawk

This wild channel David Shadrack Smith and Jake Fogelnest on the content creation revolution and Public Access

The long and the short of it Meagan Coyle on the proper pacing of stories, and Prime

Sundance announces winners Josephine, Nuisance Bear, Shame And Money and To Hold A Mountain take top prizes

More news and features

Interact

As we move into 2026, don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.

With awards season in full flow, you can keep track of the latest news on that here:

César nominations Nouvelle Vague leads the race for France's biggest awards

BAFTA nominations One Battle After Another and Sinners almost neck and neck

Golden Eddies Nominations for editing brilliance announced

OFCS Awards One Battle After Another triumphs; Sinners dominates