RAI Film

RAI Film RAI FILM showcases groundbreaking anthropological films, promotes cultural diversity and dialogue, and fosters an inclusive documentary community.

Visit our website and distribution catalogue: raifilm.org.uk

Stream our films: vimeo.com/raifilm/vod_pages RAI FILM is the cinema section of the Royal Anthropological Institute – RAI, the world’s longest-established scholarly association dedicated to promoting the public understanding of anthropology (the study of humankind) in its broadest and most inclusive sense. The RAI publishes journals, ha

s an extensive photographic collection, gives awards for outstanding scholarship, organises lectures and meetings, and manages several trust funds for research. Established in 1955, RAI FILM highlights groundbreaking anthropological films from around the globe. Its mission is to advance the role of film in anthropology and share the richness of anthropological insight with a broad audience. Through film, it explores cultural diversity, encourages intercultural dialogue, supports filmmakers, and fosters a thriving, inclusive community while providing a dynamic platform and valuable resources for discovering the world of anthropological documentary filmmaking. It also seeks to push the established conventions of documentary film to explore new, creative and multimodal approaches to form, narrative, collaboration and reflexivity in filmmaking. RAI FILM has a catalogue of films for educational distribution, is present at platforms such as Alexander Street Press and Kanopy, presents a selection of documentary films available via Vimeo on Demand, and promotes film events across the UK. It has also organised the biennial RAI FILM Festival since 1985.

28/05/2026

A very sneak peak at the amazing animated films we will be screening tomorrow night! Join us at 7pm (doors open 6.30), Edinburgh Student Housing Co-op. Free entry, register through link in bio 🧡

22/05/2026

One week left to watch our Film of the Month, GGÉSÉK, for free!

Watch director Weiyan Low discuss his film at the RAI Film Festival 2025.

Weiyan is a Malaysia-born musician and visual anthropologist based in The Hague, whose research explores the everyday use of generative AI in Malaysia and the ways users and AI co-envision time and space together.

Watch the full interview here > https://vimeo.com/1194776361

Watch GGÉSÉK for free here > https://raifilm.org.uk/2026/05/ggesek/

We’re really pleased to share some exciting news: the RAI FILM Festival is now officially recognised as a Grierson-Quali...
20/05/2026

We’re really pleased to share some exciting news: the RAI FILM Festival is now officially recognised as a Grierson-Qualifying Festival!

Established in 1972, the Griersons are the biggest event in the UK documentary calendar. The awards recognise and celebrate documentaries from Britain and abroad that have made a significant contribution to the genre and that demonstrate quality, integrity, creativity, originality and overall excellence. Also known as the British Documentary Awards, the Grierson Awards commemorate the pioneering Scottish documentary filmmaker John Grierson (1898-1972), widely regarded as the father of documentary.

The submission deadline for the Griersons is 22 May 2026, and films must have had their first UK screening between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026 to qualify. So if a film had its UK premiere at the 2025 RAI FILM Festival, it's eligible. More information here > https://griersontrust.org/grierson-awards/

We’re incredibly proud of the programme we’ve built together with our incredible filmmakers, and it’s fantastic to see the festival recognised in this way.

There are only two weeks left to watch our free Film of the Month for May, GGÉSÉK! To accompany the film, John-Paul Davi...
16/05/2026

There are only two weeks left to watch our free Film of the Month for May, GGÉSÉK! To accompany the film, John-Paul Davidson has written a supporting essay related to the subject of this film and its implications on work and labour. Head to our website to read the article and to watch the film for FREE (using the code Matchbox).

As part of ASA People Fest, RAI will be presenting a screening and discussion on animation in ethnographic filmmaking on...
13/05/2026

As part of ASA People Fest, RAI will be presenting a screening and discussion on animation in ethnographic filmmaking on 29 May from 7-8.30pm at the Edinburgh Student House Co-operative.

The line-up brings together a curated selection of recent short animated ethnographic films from the RAI FILM distribution catalogue and past editions of the RAI FILM Festival, spanning a wide range of themes, styles, and techniques. The screening will be followed by an informal conversation with anthropologist & filmmaker Camilla Morelli and animator & educator Dan Castro, moderated by RAI collaborator Amina Sanjurjo. Together, they will explore how animation opens up new possibilities for representation, collaboration, and imagination in documentary and anthropological practice, and why it can be such a powerful tool for social research, storytelling, and public engagement.

Tickets are available now: https://raifilm.org.uk/events/animating-anthropology/

The RAI will be presenting a special talk and film screening at the Bibliothèque nationale de France for the Jean Rouch ...
13/05/2026

The RAI will be presenting a special talk and film screening at the Bibliothèque nationale de France for the Jean Rouch International Film Festival on 11 May. Our section, titled '125 Years of Cinema, Anthropology and Conversation', features presentations by Paul Basu, Zeynep Kaserci and Sophie Cowling, followed by screenings of two of Basu's films: 'Faces | Voices' (2019) and 'Ichi: Marks in Time' (2023). More info here: https://raifilm.org.uk/events/spotlight-on-rai-film-past-present/

01/05/2026

FILM OF THE MONTH — MAY

To mark both International Workers’ Day on 1st May as well as the centenary anniversary of the first British General Strike, our Film of the Month is GGÉSÉK, a portrait of human-machine relationships in the twilight of Malaysia’s last match factory.

GGÉSÉK
(dir. Weiyan Low, 2024, Malaysia, 18min)

Head to our website to watch the film (using the code Matchbox) and read the supporting essay by John-Paul Davidson >>> https://raifilm.org.uk/2026/05/ggesek/

On 23 April, RAI FILM teamed up with KONTEKST Collective for THE TRANSPARENT "I" . Despite a tube strike and one of thos...
30/04/2026

On 23 April, RAI FILM teamed up with KONTEKST Collective for THE TRANSPARENT "I" . Despite a tube strike and one of those rare sunny London evenings, the room was packed!

A huge thank you to everyone who came along and engaged so thoughtfully with the programme. The films — WÁSI, ALL EYEZ ON ME!, A FAMILY PORTRAIT, and MAKING WORLDS OTHERWISE — opened up relevant questions around ethnographic filmmaking.

We’re incredibly grateful to the filmmakers, to KONTEKST Collective for accepting our invitation and curating such a rich and considered programme, for and .khan__ for leading the panel, and to for steering a conversation that was so lively we practically had to be ushered out of the room.

Massive thanks as well to the Cinema Museum, a truly special, volunteer-led venue that never fails to leave an impression.

More soon and thanks again to everyone who made it such a memorable evening.

RAI FILM Festival goes to UCLA 🌴😍Together with UCLA’s Department of Anthropology and Department of World Arts and Cultur...
13/04/2026

RAI FILM Festival goes to UCLA 🌴😍

Together with UCLA’s Department of Anthropology and Department of World Arts and Culture/Dance, we’re bringing a special two-day programme to Los Angeles — an international offshoot of the 2025 RAI FILM Festival!

📅 7-8 May
📍 Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater, UCLA
🎟 Free & open to all — no booking, just drop in (first come, first served)

This pocket edition includes 2 feature films + 4 curated shorts programmes from our 19th festival, showcasing some of the most exciting recent work in ethnographic filmmaking. Check the full programme via the link in bio 🤸‍♀️

FILM OF THE MONTH — APRIL 🎬Every month in 2026, we spotlight one film from our distribution catalogue and share a code s...
01/04/2026

FILM OF THE MONTH — APRIL 🎬

Every month in 2026, we spotlight one film from our distribution catalogue and share a code so you can watch it for free!

This month’s pick comes from filmmaker and anthropologist Aparna Sharma, Associate Professor at the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance at UCLA and RAI FILM Committee member. This is a film that takes us into a world that captures a moment of transition, where what was once biotechnological science fiction is quietly becoming contemporary reality🧪

BREEDING CELLS
(dir. Anna Straube, Germany, 2009, 39min)

Set inside the reproductive medicine ward at Charité Hospital in Berlin, BREEDING CELLS observes a fertility clinic where reproduction is separated from s*x and managed through laboratory procedures, shaped by specialists, protocols, machines, and conservative laws. With an experimental ethnographic gaze, the film follows an open, matter-of-fact “fertility team”, closely attending to their routines and ethical concerns. In doing so, it captures a subtle but profound shift: the normalisation of practices that, until recently, belonged firmly to the realm of science fiction.

🎟️ Watch it for free until 30.04 using the code: LabAccess
🔗 Link in bio

Address

London

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when RAI Film posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to RAI Film:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category