Award-winning and critically-acclaimed filmmaker Terry Gilliam will receive the 2018 annual Raindance Auteur Award as acknowledgment for his achievements in filmmaking and ongoing contribution to the film industry.

Terry Gilliam said, “Raindance has been disrupting the status quo since day dot, championing a future generation of strange and wonderful filmmakers for 26 years now – a job well done. I love attending the festival and seeing what treasures Elliot and the programme team have unearthed from around the globe for our delectation. The film industry needs the creativity and controversy Raindance provides. So it goes without saying, I’m incredibly proud to be the recipient of The Auteur Award – long may we continue!”

While Elliot Grove confirmed: “We are absolutely delighted that Terry will be the recipient of this year’s Raindance Auteur Award, Terry has had, and continues to have, an outstanding forty four year career, magicking amazing visual stories from practically nowhere. Always unexpected, always surprising, always a delight. He’s been a supporter of Raindance from the very beginning and we’re thrilled to be able to honor and celebrate his contribution to UK film. Terry Gilliam – my hero!”

After directing his fellow Pythons in Monty Python and the Holy Grail; after Meaning of Life the director went on to write and direct films including Jabberwocky, Time Bandits and Best Screenplay Academy Award Brazil starring Robert De Niro.

After directing the Oscar nominated The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry went on to direct three Americana films: the Oscar-winning The Fisher King starring Robin Williams; 12 Monkeys starring Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis; Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson. Terry has also turned his hand to opera – directing Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust at the English National Opera as well as Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini. Terry brought his distinctive style to his recent films The Zero Theorem starring Christoph Waltz and Tilda Swinton and the star-studded The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus. Terry’s labour of love, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote received the longest standing ovation in the history of closing films at Cannes 2018.