'Terrifier' star Catherine Corcoran named Raindance Film Festival's first horror ambassador
London, June 20
Actress Catherine Corcoran, known for her work in the horror genre, has been named the first horror ambassador of the Raindance Film Festival, in a new role created in partnership with her production company FareStream Pictures, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The announcement comes as the festival expands its dedicated horror programming slate for its 34th edition, which is currently underway in central London and runs through June 26.
Corcoran, whose credits include Terrifier, Terrifier 2, Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 and Volume 2, Long Lost, Faceless After Dark, If It Bleeds and Big Baby, said she is honoured to support independent horror filmmakers through the new role.
"Independent horror has always thrived by creating community first," Corcoran said in a statement. "Raindance has spent decades championing fearless filmmakers and queer artists and I'm honored to help expand a platform that celebrates voices redefining the genre."
Corcoran's appointment also aligns with Raindance's broader push to strengthen its horror-focused programming, which includes the introduction of the Roger Corman Award for Best Horror Feature and a slate of international genre films, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The festival, founded in London in 1993, is the United Kingdom's largest independent film festival and has long been known for supporting emerging and independent voices in cinema.
This year's Icon Awards will be presented to Miriam Margolyes, Brian Cox and Lloyd Kaufman. The festival lineup also features notable names including Connor Storrie, Kit Harington, Jane Fonda and Robert Englund.
The development comes amid a surge in popularity for independent horror cinema. According to industry reports cited in festival programming discussions, films such as Obsession, directed by Curry Barker, and Backrooms, directed by Kane Parsons, have achieved major box office success despite modest budgets, highlighting growing audience demand for original genre storytelling, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In November, Corcoran launched her own production company, FareStream Pictures, focused on telling bold and emotionally driven stories centred on women and underrepresented voices.
With her new role, Corcoran and FareStream Pictures are expected to collaborate with Raindance to further strengthen ties within the global independent horror community and support emerging filmmakers, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The festival continues in London through June 26.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who grew up watching Hollywood horror but now lives in Mumbai, I love that Raindance is actively supporting independent voices and queer artists in horror. The Terrifier films are brutally unapologetic—Catherine Corcoran is a fitting choice. This partnership with her production company could really shake things up for indie horror distribution globally.
Wait, Raindance has been around since 1993 and I'm just hearing about it now? Good for them for expanding horror programming. But honestly, with all the censorship issues we face in India around horror content, I wonder if a role like this could ever exist in our film industry without getting mired in controversies. We need more fearless storytellers here too.
Happy for Catherine! The Terrifier franchise is wild—practical effects, low budget, pure passion. Raindance supporting independent horror is smart business given how well low-budget horror films perform at the box office nowadays. The Roger Corman Award is a nice touch too, honoring the king of indie horror.
Honestly, independent horror is having a golden moment globally. Films like 'The Witch' and 'Hereditary' showed how horror can be arthouse. For Raindance to create a specific ambassador role shows they understand the genre's potential beyond just scares. Hope this inspires similar initiatives in Indian film festivals like MAMI or IFFI. 🎥
I appreciate the focus on underrepresented voices and women-led stories through FareStream Pictures. But I wish we saw more of that focus on actual Indian or South Asian horror filmmakers being included in such global initiatives. We have rich folklore
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