You remember last year, when Raindance saw a record number of visitors flock to the festival? Well, it’s happened again. Attendance at Raindance 2012 jumped by one-third this year – proof that there's audience demand out there for indie films. And we were there for the whole thing, interrogating Americans, critiquing Croatians and falling in love with Finland.

So what happens now? Last year, there were six films that got the coveted UK theatrical distribution after the hugely popular 11-day event. Out of the 105 films showing at Raindance 2012, we saw and reviewed 24. Out of those, only two were proper duds – that gives you an idea of the scary level of quality this year.

My favourites include prison movie StringCaesar, bizarre tourist flick Practical Guide to Belgrade, the disturbing Vegetarian Cannibal and the slacker comedy Cinema Six. But while I like them a lot, it’s hard to convince anyone to go and see a film in which Derek Jacobi and a hoard of South African inmates act out the early life of Julius Caesar – no matter how inspiring it is.

 

So listen up, all you lovely indie distributors out there. These are the six Raindance 2012 films I would love to get UK theatrical distribution.

Director: Candida Brady
Cast: Jeremy Irons
Showtimes

200 billion. That’s how many plastic bottles we threw away last year – a figure so huge it makes the number of disposable cups we dump look tiny. How many of those, you ask? 58 billion. It’s no wonder, then, that after electric cars, polar ice caps and global warming, someone’s finally made a documentary examining our rubbish. After all, it doesn’t take Jeremy Irons to tell you how much waste can harm the world around us. But thanks to director Candida Brady, that’s exactly what we get.

“From space, you can barely see any sign of human existence, the effect we’ve having on our planet…” begins Irons, hovering over the globe like a Bond villain with a giant space laser. Coupled by a truly rousing score from Vangelis – Van-flipping-gelis! – it’s a strong start to a powerful documentary.

There's nowt like getting up at 10 in the morning to go to a roundtable interview with the directors of the greatest Disney movie ever made. That's 10am US Pacific Time, by the way. So yes, I made a special effort and got out of bed at 6pm to make a long journey all the way to the interview. That's a virtual interview, by the way.

After getting up before 6pm, walking across the room to the computer and shouting a few things in South African in the Rafiki style, I was ready to go. All that because The Lion King is out in cinemas again today? I wouldn't have made all that effort for something stupid like Cars, you know.

So anyway, here's what Roger Allers and Bob Minkoff had to say (or type, whatever) about Hamlet, Elton John and post-converting the Disney classic into three dimension as we threw virtual questions at them through the circle of WiFi (ahem).

Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff 
Cast: Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane
Certificate: U
Release Date: Friday 7th October

An unforgettable story, breathtaking animation, beloved characters and award-winning music set the stage for the adventures of Simba, the feisty lion cub who just can't wait to be king. But his envious Uncle Scar has plans for his own ascent to the throne, and he forces Simba's exile from the kingdom.

Alone and adrift, Simba soon joins the escapades of a hilarious meerkat named Timon and his warm-hearted warthog pal, Pumbaa. Adopting their carefree lifestyle of "Hakuna Matata," Simba ignores his real responsibilities until he realises his destiny and returns to the Pride Lands to claim his place in the "Circle of Life."

Featuring the all-star vocal talents of Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones and Jeremy Irons, The Lion King is a rip-roaring comedy with an uplifting message of courage, loyalty and hope, a timeless tale for all ages.