The UK’s Raindance Film Festival has promoted senior programmers Martyna Szmytkowska and Malaika Bova to artistic directors, as part of a restructure of the festival’s leading team.
They join existing artistic director Suzanne Ballantyne who also works as head of programming and co-founded the festival with Elliot Grove.
Festival producer David Martinez has been promoted to executive director, ahead of the festival’s 30th anniversary edition, which runs from October 26 to November 5 this year.
Ballantyne, Szmytkowska and Bova will head up the festival’s creative vision, leading the broader programming team. Grove remains CEO of the festival.
Martinez joined Raindance in 2012, working first as Latin American film advisor before joining the production team in 2015. Szmytkowska has curated the festival programme since 2013; while Bova has been programme manager at Raindance since 2017, alongside programming work for Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and Venice Film Festival.
“Our aim is to root the festival in the industry, and team up with the many UK and international institutions that support and invest in new voices,” said Bova. “We want to make sure Raindance is part of the vibrant conversation that is protecting and endorsing the wealth of emerging talents, providing a place for them to shine.”
“Building on the festival’s long-standing motto ‘Discover. Be Discovered’ we’ll put a strong emphasis on filmmaking debuts, and finding new and fresh voices on the indie film scene,” added Szmytkowska.
Martinez described Raindance’s “legacy of championing independent cinema in the UK” as “a landmark motivation in my life.”
This year’s festival will open with the international premiere of Joachim Back’s Corner Office; and will close with Austin and Meredith Bragg’s Pinball – The Man Who Saved The Game.
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