LA Dance Film Festival August 2nd @ 7:30 pm
2025 marks an exciting new chapter for the Los Angeles Dance Film Festival. We are thrilled to return with renewed vision and creative energy as we celebrate the vibrant world of dance cinema. As a small non-profit organization, we are deeply grateful for your support and enthusiasm!
This evening, we are excited to present a curated selection of 15 short dance films. Following the screening, there will be a short award ceremony and filmmaker Q&A.
Thank you for being part of this celebration!
Vote For Your Favorite Film: https://forms.gle/pARLfJoLw6Vk8jXu5 Please vote for only one film per person.
Tag us @ladancefilmfest
PROGRAM
Body Language
Canada
Directed by Michael Petruzzelli
Choreographed by Madeline Petruzzelli
Body Language is a short film Set to the evocative track “Um Um” by Sega Bodega. The film explores the raw and emotional journey of processing grief through the language of dance. With powerful visuals and intimate choreography, Body Language captures the universal struggle of loss and the healing power of movement.
If I Were You
United States
Directed & Choreographed by Margot Gelber
Co-director/Dramaturge: Rebecah Goldstone
“If I Were You” a couple shares an oscillating dance of intention and disruption-their movements a continuous exchange of support and potential peril, pushing them toward self-discovery. Falling into known patterns, but desperate to shift, they beckon and reject each other, careening toward togetherness. This is a slow, exhausting, mesmerizing dance, steeped in the unknown, where souls wait to be patiently held, released, and resolved.
Hong Kong Ballet: “Tutu Academy”
Hong Kong
Directed by Dean Alexander
Choreographed by Septime Webre
At “Tutu Academy”, the viewer discovers a school where students learn the vocabulary of ballet and the tutu is the centerpiece of their culture. Like any school, there are a variety of personalities represented by our characters. When an alien unexpectedly visits this magical place, communication through movement ensues. The true miracle happens with the gift of the almighty tutu. He returns to his own planet with this powerful offering to spread the gift of dance.
For this film, we used over 50 dancers, all original wardrobe, hair and makeup, music, custom spaceship, and other props. Our locations ranged from Tai Kwun, in Central Hong Kong, to Hong Kong University, to the High Island Reservoir, which sits on the South China Sea.
Escape – To the middle of nowhere
Mexico
Directed by Rebeca Becerra Cusi
Choreographed by Cesar Brodermann & Miranda Garcia
Trapped in unresolved struggles, a young woman is mysteriously transported to the mystical beaches of Mazul, Oaxaca. Guided on a surreal journey of self-discovery, she embraces the beauty of escape as colors seep into her reality, freeing her spirit.
DWELLING
United States *
Directed / Choreographed by Ashley Lindsey & Grady Bowman
What is remembered lives on. Dwelling delves into the intricate layers of love, loss, and the profound beauty of relationships through their trials, tribulations, and moments of insurmountable joy. It invites viewers to reflect on a poignant question: When love fades, which memories do we choose to keep alive?
* LA Local
Naval Ode
France
Directed by Fu Le
Choreographed by Magalie Lanriot & Roel Q Seeber
The poem "Ode Maritima" by Fernando Pessoa captures the movement of separation between the dock and the ship, and thus the distance - between the inside and the outside, between myself and the other. The text is embodied by a mysterious and suspended dance, imbued with nostalgic desire, which swells like a sail.
Table for one, please.
Germany / United Kingdom
By Samantha Shay
Table for One, Please is a short film that emerges from rehearsals for the dance theater piece Life in this House is Over by director Samantha Shay. Exploring the social awkwardness of grief, and inspired by the writing of Anton Chekhov, the project gathers current and former artists of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, as well as the Grotowski Institute-based physical theater company Teatr ZAR, as a reflection on the lineages of Polish Jerzy Grotowski and German Pina Bausch, their relationship and how their work resonates today.
WELL!
China
Directed & Choreographed by Lu Zhang
Monkey & Dog: Coded Paws
Two pals cling tightly, hand in hand they stroll,
One’s a wily monkey, one’s a tail-wagging soul.
How to bond through thick and thin?
When one sulks, the other grins—
Secret codes only “we” control!
Through foggy dawns or meteor showers,
We charge through thorns, we sniff wildflowers.
Let the world spin fast or slow...
Our friendship's a bold cartoon—
Pawprints chasing pawprints—where? Nobody knows!
A night in Napoli
Spain
Directed & Choreographed by Lucia Lopez Sanchez
Sadly, all good things come to an end.
Life, family and silver linings.
Man In The City
United States
Directed by Barbara Anastácio
A man stands on a New York rooftop, trapped in the suffocating routine of corporate life. In a moment that could be his last, his body becomes a battleground between surrender and liberation. Inspired by Robert Longo's "Men in the Cities" series, director Barbara Anastacio follows one man's visceral confrontation with urban despair. As performer Kristián Mensa navigates the edge between falling and resisting, his movement transforms a moment of crisis into unexpected grace.
Behind Closed Doors
United States *
Directed by Lisa Eaton
Choreographed by Lisa Eaton, Sabrina Phillip, Sara Silkin, Michelle Dawley, Deirdre Barnes, Stephanie Kim.
"Behind Closed Doors" is a poignant short film that explores the intricate dynamics within a hetero-sexual family. The story takes a dramatic turn when the husband confronts and grapples with his authentic sexual identity. As the film unfolds, it delves into the emotional turmoil, secrets, and challenges faced by the family members as they navigate this revelation, ultimately shedding light on the profound impact of self-discovery within their family and the place they call home.
* LA Local
Chambers Street
United States
Directed by Scott D. Keenan
Choreographed by Max Cookward
A young man, shadowed by the ghost of his ex-girlfriend, spirals into the loss of the relationship.
Confluence
United States
Directed by Travys Owen, Jermaine Browne, Rickey Tripp.
Choreographed by Jermaine Browne & Rickey Tripp.
A film of diverse styles and vibrant colors, brought together by community united in the celebration of life. Inspired by the renewal of what was, by breathing new enthusiasm of black creativity, and it’s lineage through the explosion of movement, fashion and sound. It's a mesmerizing showcase of artistic excellence, where intricate choreography and cinematography tell a story of pure, unbridled joy and creativity.
Corralling of Circles
China
Directed & Choreographed by Siye Tao
Co-Choreographed by Theo Qu
This short film is a far cry of the impulses to escape from a suffocating but all-too-familiar setting, which erodes our souls. The circular shapes, repetitive tasks, swirling movements seem to carry the woman into a sinking hole. Can she finally break free and find her way out?
WE
United States *
Directed & Choreographed by Sarah Elgart
Two men - meeting at an intersection of alleyways - zoom in and out of past and present. Mining dance and site, the film WE explores feelings of isolation and belonging, compassion and disdain, and paints a portrait of life and longing on the streets of Venice Beach, California where displacement and scarcity walk hand in hand with abundance.
* LA Local
Los Angeles Dance Film Festival is a project of passion, and we have a great team of collaborators this year who have lent their time and expertise to make it happen!
Film Programmers: Steven J. Butler, Josh S. Rose, Lolly, Felicia Guzman, Nicole Spring.
LADFF Award Jury: Steven J. Butler, Josh S. Rose, Lolly, Felicia Guzman.
StandardVision Award Presented by Caroline Haydon.
Event
Collaborators: Nicole Spring, Felicia Guzman, Lolly, Steven J. Butler, Alyssa Thompson.
Extra event support: Noelle & Naomi
Photographer: Chanelle Barona
Special thank you to The Eastwood Performing Arts Center!
Leadership
Executive Director: Nicole Spring
2024/2025 Board: Alyssa Thompson (Secretary), Felicia Guzman (Treasurer), Steven J. Butler, Lolly, Josh S. Rose (2025/2026).
Mission: “Gathering creators and lovers of screendance in one place to celebrate dance film and inspire each other.”
Los Angeles Dance Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, all donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Donations will be used to continue the Los Angeles Dance Film Festival’s goal of “To provide more opportunities for filmmakers and dancers by organizing more screenings, commissioned works, dance film workshops, classes, and talks for the community.” Tax ID 87-3991400