An indie invasion

Now 13 years old, Raindance (the British answer to Robert Redford's Sundance) is growing so large and wide-ranging that it's fast becoming the indie equivalent of the huge London Film Festival.

During the 12-day programme there are features and shorts, documentaries, including the Stateside hit Mad Hot Ballroom (think a pre-teen Strictly Come Dancing, Oct 7, 7pm) and British films, including Guy X, a black comedy set in the military with the impressive Jason Biggs (Fri 7pm).

There are European efforts such as crime caper 36 Quai Des Orfevres (Sat 7.30pm), which unites Gerard Depardieu and Daniel Autieul - like Pacino and De Niro in Heat - plus Asian highlights and US indies, including David Mamet's Edmond, with William H Macy, Julia Stiles, Mena Suvari and Denise Richards (Oct 6, 7.15pm).

There are also children's films and music movies, kicking off with The Devil And Daniel Johnston, which explores the weird life of the eponymous cult hero, an inspiration to both Sonic Youth and Kurt Cobain (tonight 8pm), and also showing Don Letts's Punk: Attitude (Sun 4pm) and Hitler's Hit Parade, a disturbing look at how the F¸hrer sanctioned happy-clappy music to make Nazism seem fun (Fri 3pm).

The European strand is titled The United States Of Europe. Politically cheeky or simply highlighting the collective non-US talent? The answer, knowing Raindance, is probably both.

Today until Oct 9, Cineworld Shaftesbury Avenue, Trocadero, 7-14 Coventry Street W1, various times, £8.70, £5.60 concs. Opening and closing night films at Cineworld Haymarket, 63-65 Haymarket SW1, £15, £10 mems (limited availability). Tel: 0871 200 2000. www.raindance.co.uk Tube: Piccadilly Circus