As part of its 33rd edition (18–27 June), the Raindance Film Festival will posthumously award the late Dame Joan Plowright an Icon Award, commemorating both her extraordinary legacy and her final major screen role in Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont (dir. Dan Ireland, UK/USA). The tribute coincides with the 20th anniversary of the film’s release and the year of Plowright’s passing.

A special screening of Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont will take place on Friday, 20 June, after which the award will be accepted by her daughter, Tamsin Olivier. “We are deeply grateful to Raindance for honouring our mother with this award,” Olivier shared. “She treasured her work on Mrs Palfrey, a film close to all of our hearts. She’d want to share this recognition with the countless crew members whose dedication often goes unseen.”

Co-starring Rupert Friend, the film centres on an elderly woman left largely alone by her family in a London retirement hotel, who finds unexpected companionship with a young writer. Directed by Dan Ireland, an ardent supporter of independent film and co-founder of the Seattle International Film Festival, the film has since become a quiet classic. Raindance celebrates both Ireland’s cinematic spirit and the tenderness of a story that remains as relevant as ever. Raindance founder Elliot Grove reflected on the production’s remarkable origins. “Initially budgeted at £10 million in London, or half that in Canada, it was Matthew Devlen and UK producer Andrew Mark Sewell who made the film happen for under £1 million by ingeniously developing a bespoke backlot around Hyde Park,” he said. “That kind of bold thinking defines what we stand for.”

The evening will also see the relaunch of the Dan Ireland Award, originally established in 2017 at the Louisiana International Film Festival to honour outstanding first-time directors. Now reborn as a global initiative, the award will rotate across film festivals worldwide, spotlighting emerging voices in independent cinema. Raindance will host the 2026 edition, celebrating the latest cohort of honourees and naming one standout from its own programme.

Composer Harry Gregson-Williams, who scored Dan Ireland’s directorial debut The Whole Wide World, paid tribute: “Danny believed in nurturing talent, and I was lucky enough to be one of those he took a chance on. Through this award, his generosity and vision will continue to inspire new filmmakers for years to come.”

Featured image courtesy of David Reiss

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