LIVE EAST DIE YOUNG East London film nominated best UK picture at Raindance

Finnish Director Laura Hyppönen’s gritty East London debut film Live East Die Young has received a nomination for best UK feature film at this year’s Raindance Film Festival in London.

The film will hold its world premiere at the festival on the 4^th October, shortly followed by French premiere at the Dinard British Film Festival where the film has been nominated for the festival’s Grand Jury prize, the Golden Hitchcock.

Shot on a shoestring budget and featuring a distinctive soundtrack from the indie underground wave (featuring cult bands Bo Ningen, Feral AKA MC Kinky and many others), Live East Die Young is a raw look at the lives of model Emma and her best friend, hairdresser Max, as they descend ever-deeper into a destructive world of parties, lies, sex and drugs. Shot entirely at authentic East London locations, from artist warehouses to club basements, the film offers a voyeuristic, dogma-esque look into their substance-fuelled lifestyle. The film also stars newcomers Zoë Grisedale and James ‘Jeanette’ Main, best known for his involvement with notorious real-life East London party collective, Boombox.

Hyppönen, who has been living in the UK for 11 years, produced, wrote and directed the film. She says: “It’s great that an edgy independent no-budget film like Live East Die Young has been recognised among recent UK successes like ‘Ill Manors’ and ‘Shadow Dancer’. The project has been a labour of love, made without any support from film funds. We are really excited to see how the audience will respond!”

The film is sold internationally by Paris-based Reel Suspects. Matteo Lovadina, CEO, who handpicked the project from Cannes during the Marche du Film, says: “I am pleased to work as the international sales agent for Live East Die Young. The film’s roughness and documentary look made me feel immediately inside the story. It’s a crossover film that can fit equally well into niches and attract the general public. The Raindance world premiere and Dinard competition selection are a confirmation of the film’s potential.”