RAVE was always a film meant to take things a step further, creatively as well as in terms of production. I wanted to make something that was unique and daring in its approach to short-form filmmaking and found the opportunity for this in the idea to look at a night out from an unusual perspective – a reversed perspective. I wanted to make a film that authentically captured how easily a minor decision could lead to a bad outcome – especially within the raving subculture often demonised as the dark underbelly of nightlife. But my intention isn’t to judge, but rather to highlight how anyone alone in an unusual environment could make the decisions Jade makes - and so, RAVE is also a film about the search for connection and belonging. Central to what makes RAVE a unique experience is the controversial structure. The events play out backwards, each scene bringing us closer to the beginning of a night that ends with the drug overdose of a girl involved with the protagonist. The audience already knows the outcome of the decisions, but not what led to them, replacing rash judgement with a new viewpoint. RAVE is a story about small decisions and the big impact they can have. Making RAVE was challenging but rewarding and could never have been possible without the immense talent and dedication of everyone behind and in front of the camera. The scope of this project allowed me to connect the film with the music and event industry and now speaks for the broad reach this short film about one girl’s life-changing night out has.

Emily Macrander is a London-based director based in London working on short-form projects such as music videos, branded content and short films. Her screenwriting debut WITHOUT WARNING (2021) premiered at the BFI London and has since been screened across the UK as part of TAPE Collective's short film programme as well as winning Lift-Off’s First Time Filmmaker Session. With RAVE, Emily combined her love for experimenting with the film format in terms of both style and structure as writer and director.