The Constitution directed by Rajko Grlic topped the 2017 Raindance Film Festival in London, winning the award for Best Film, along with prizes for Best Screenplay, and Best Performance for Nebojša Glogovac. The film follows four very different people who live in the same building but avoid each other because of differences in how they live their lives, what they believe in, and where they come from. They would probably never exchange a word, but misfortune pushes them towards each other.

A champion of independent filmmaking, Raindance spotlights the best of indie films from across the world. This year, Raindance Film Festival received a record-breaking number of submissions from over 120 countries and screened more than 200 projects, including features, shorts, music videos, web series and VR experiences. 2017 saw the introduction of the Raindance VRX Awards, celebrating pioneering VR experiences by independent creators from across the world.

Raindance Film Festival 2017 Awards

In Competition

Best Film
WINNER: The Constitution (dir. Rajko Grlic)

Best Director
WINNER: Maya Dardel (dir. Zachary Cotler & Magdalena Zyzak)

Best Screenplay
WINNER: The Constitution (written by Rajko Grlic and Ante Tomić)

Best Performance
WINNER: The Constitution – Nebojša Glogovac (dir. Rajko Grlic)

Features

Best UK Feature
WINNER: In Another Life (dir. Jason Wingard)

Best Documentary Feature
WINNER: RiverBlue: Can Fashion Save the Planet? (David McIlvride & Roger Williams)
SPECIAL JURY MENTION: The Family I Had (dir, Katie Green & Carlye Rubin)

Discovery Award
WINNER: I Still Hide to Smoke (dir. Rayhana)

Shorts

Best Short of the Festival
WINNER: Game (dir. Jeannie Donohoe)
SPECIAL JURY MENTION: Viola, Franca (dir. Marta Savina)

Best UK Short
WINNER: Cla’am (dir. Nathaniel Martello-White)

Best Documentary Short
WINNER: Riders of the Wall of Death (dir. Erik Morales)

Best Animation Short
WINNER: Flutter (dir. Vladimir Todorov)

Best of Music Video
WINNER: Terror (dir. Joseph Armario)

VRX Awards

Best Cinematic Narrative VR Experience
WINNER: Alteration (by Jérôme Blanquet and OKIO-Studio)

Best Documentary VR Experience
WINNER: First Impressions (by Francesca Panetta, Nicole Jackson and the Guardian VR)

Best Interactive Narrative VR Experience
WINNER: Manifest 99 (by Flight School Studio)

Best Mobile Interactive VR Experience
WINNER: Virtual Virtual Reality (by Tender Claws)

Best Animation VR Experience
WINNER: Dear Angelica (by Wesley Allsbrook and Saschka Unseld)

Best Music VR Experience
WINNER: Beethoven’s Fifth (by Jessica Brillhart)

Best Branded VR Experience
WINNER: The Chainsmokers Paris VR (by Brynley Bibson and Russ Harding)

Best Sensual VR Experience
WINNER: Through You (by Lily Baldwin and Saschka Unseld)

Best Social Impact VR Experience
WINNER: Munduruku: The Fight to Defend the Heart of the Amazon (by Greenpeace)

Best Sound Design VR Experience
WINNER: Reeps One: Does Not Exist (by Aurelia Soundworks and Reeps One)

Special Prize Winner: Best Storytelling in #VR
WINNER: Arden’s Wake (by Eugene Chung and Penrose Studios)