Elliot Grove

Elliot Grove founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993, the British Independent Film Awards in 1998, Raindance Toronto in 2004, and Raindance Vancouver/NYC/LA/Berlin/Brussels in 2010.

In 1992, while the British film industry was still finding its place, Elliot Grove founded Raindance. First, as a film training provider, and then the Raindance Film Festival in 1993, Raindance became the voice of independent film in the UK. In 1998, with the help from a committed few in the film industry, Raindance founded the British Independent Film Awards.

The industry needed a space to celebrate the new British wave in the early 90s. Inspired by the model operated by Film Independent in the USA through the Spirit Awards, Elliot could see the parallels and with the Raindance support, the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) were created in 1998. The BIFAs have become a keystone in the British calendar year. Nominees and winners are celebrated internationally.

Elliot has produced over 700 shorts and 6 features including, Deadly Virtues (2014) written by Mark Rogers and directed by Ate de Jong and the 2019 SWSX Grand Jury Prize winner ALICE.

Elliot has written three books which have become industry standards: Raindance Writers’ Lab: Write + Sell the Hot Screenplay, now in its second edition, Raindance Producers’ Lab: Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking and Beginning Filmmaking: 100 Easy Steps from Script to Screen (Professional Media Practice).

In 2009 he was awarded a PhD for services to film education.