Raindance chief David Martinez steps down after a decade
David Martinez has stepped down as executive director of Raindance Film Festival after more than a decade with the organisation, Variety reported on 9 October 2026.
His full name is David Martinez Flores. He joined Raindance in 2012 as festival producer and programmer for Latin American territories, and was promoted from festival producer to executive director ahead of the festival’s 30th anniversary edition, Screen Daily reported in 2022. That promotion came five years before his 2026 departure.
Attendance doubled during his tenure. That is a rare jump for an independent festival.
Raindance also expanded abroad under Martinez, with new programmes and partnerships across Mexico, Chile, Catalonia, Cyprus, Germany and beyond. The work took the festival’s name for independent film into new territories and year-round activity.
He launched the House of Raindance, Raindance XR for immersive and virtual-reality work, the Raindance Script Competition, its LGBTQ+ strand and the Cannes Villa Party. Each was a new slot for filmmakers to meet audiences, funders and programmers.
Raindance is an Oscar-qualifying festival, meaning selected winning films can become eligible for Academy Awards consideration, a status the festival confirmed in October 2024. Raindance For first-time directors, that link can turn a small premiere into a step toward Hollywood’s awards season.
Martinez is not leaving festivals behind. He and former Raindance producer Jacky Orozco launched the boutique festival agency Casa Leo PR in 2026, a small company that guides films through festival submissions and premieres. He also continues work as an awards consultant at London Flair PR, advising films on awards campaigns.
Casa Leo PR has already worked with Netflix on the London screening of Maite Alberdi’s ‘A Child of My Own’. The agency supported actor-director Humberto Busto on his Venice Biennale College title ‘Tijuana todavía’, a scheme that develops low-budget features.
Its next project is Mexico’s Santiago Maza and his documentary short ‘Black Shine’ (‘El brillo negro’). The film follows the families of the 65 miners killed in the 2006 Pasta de Conchos disaster.
‘Black Shine’ will have its world premiere at the upcoming Morelia Film Festival. The 24th edition runs from 16 to 25 October.
For festival-goers, this means a familiar face moves from running screenings to guiding films through them. Raindance keeps its place on the calendar. Martinez takes his contacts to the other side of the submission form.
