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Welcome to Raindance. I’m Elliot Grove — festival founder, film-school builder, and lifelong troublemaker in the world of independent cinema.

If you’re a filmmaker, screenwriter, creative misfit, or someone who believes in the power of NonDë films, this page will help you navigate everything I publish.

My goal: To help you make smarter films, braver choices, and a creative career that doesn’t depend on anyone else’s approval.

Who I Am (And Why I’m Writing This Now)

I grew up on a Mennonite farm in Canada. No films. No TV. No art.
Somehow, I ended up:

• founding Raindance Film Festival

• creating the British Independent Film Awards

• building Raindance Film School

• championing filmmakers who had ideas but no permission

I’ve spent 30+ years watching thousands of filmmakers rise, stumble, reinvent themselves, or disappear from the map entirely.

Along the way I learned:

Talent matters.
Craft matters.
But mindset, courage, and strategy matter more.

This Substack is where I pass those lessons on.

Because the film industry is changing faster than any time in its history — and the old rules no longer work.

So I’m writing the new ones.

What You Can Expect Here

• Daily insights

• Weekly Raindance Seven frameworks

• Deep dives into the future of filmmaking

• Practical guidance for directors, writers & producers

• Honest festival insights

• Tools you can actually use

• Occasional rants when the industry misbehaves

My goal is simple:

To help you create, distribute, and build films without waiting for permission from anyone.

Start With These Posts

• What Is NonDë?

• Why Independent Filmmakers Are So Important in Today’s Troubled Times

• Can AI Make Us Laugh, Cry, and Fear?

• Confessions of a Festival Founder

Top Raindance Seven Posts

The Raindance Seven was born — a new collection of essays where I share seven truths at a time about the art, business, and madness of independent filmmaking.

• The Raindance Seven: Confessions Filmmakers Never Admit (But Should)

• The Raindance Seven: 7 Secrets of Indie Film Distribution No One Tells You

• The Raindance Seven: Rough Cuts

• The Raindance Seven: Producer Mistakes

Before You Go — Subscribe

If you want:

• smarter creative tools

• clearer thinking

• a braver filmmaking life

• insights no film school teaches

• the Raindance perspective, distilled

…then subscribe below.