Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival: Final Weeks!

As we enter the first weeks of 2016 and approach the final weeks of Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival, I wanted to offer a reminder and gentle nudge to interested and driven dancers and filmmakers to consider submitting your short dance films.  We have gotten some wonderful submissions and it’s still not too late… The deadline is January 22nd. So, if you have a film that was created and performed in a public space within the last two years … Dig it up! And if you have a concept for a film that you’d love to do in a public space, I encourage you to take the plunge and do it. After all, it’s a New Year!
So, for those of you considering, I offer some tips, clarifications, and ideas for submissions… Remember, your films can have a variety of attributes. There is no one right way or genre. We love to see films that are well crafted, with interesting angles and movement, and thoughtful intersections of dance, camera, and editing. We also love to see beautiful dance in great spaces shot at a few great angles with locked down cameras. And we love to see your raw, heartfelt, original and dynamic dance that is simply exploding from you spontaneously. Don’t be afraid to layer multiple moving bodies, to pare down, or to take a bold point of view. Chaotic or unison,  shot listed and precise or shot from the hip. There is room for all kinds of approaches, and all styles and techniques are welcome.

Billy Barry dancing in Benjamin Millipied's "Weight of Gold" music video for Forrest Swords
Billy Barry dancing in Benjamin Millipied’s “Weight of Gold” music video for Forrest Swords

And for those of you reading about this for the first time, Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival features a panel of professionals from the worlds of dance and film (that you will do well to have your work seen by): Valerie Faris (director of Little Miss Sunshine with Jonathan Dayton), d. Sabela grimes (US Rockefeller Artist, choreographer, composer, and educator), Julie McDonald (dance agent extraordinaire and Co-owner McDonald Selznick Associates), Tony Testa (award winning choreographer for Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue, and more), and yours truly. And Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival also offers cash awards in five categories:
1) Best Interface of Dance and Camera, 2) Best Original Choreography, and 3) Best Use of Location, 4) Best Overall Performance. The fifth award, the Audience Choice Award, will be determined by the number of YouTube LIKES your video receives.
So if you have submitted or intend to submit, PROMOTE YOUR FILM!
Sarah Elgart's
Sarah Elgart’s “FlyAway Home” at the Van Nuys Flyaway Bus Terminal . Photo by Jorge Vismara.

Please carefully read the following rules & submission guidelines:

  • Each film must take place in a public space (e.g. street corner, parking lot, empty or abandoned public building, etc, not inside a studio, on a stage, or in a private building or house).
  • You must submit through this form on Submittable:

submit

  • Submitted films must have been created in the past two years and may not have won awards at prior film festivals.
  • Each submission must not exceed 5 minutes in length. There is no minimum running time.
  • Submission/processing fee is $10 per film entry.
  • Each film must be posted on YouTube. The title line must include the hashtags: #DareToDance #ScreenDanceDiaries and #CulturalWeekly. You must also include the YouTube link to your film in your submission form.
  • By submitting your entry, you affirm that the work is entirely your own and that you have the agreement and/or permission of all involved, as well as permission to use it. This includes rights/permission for music usage. Please be aware that YouTube may take down copyrighted music that is used without permission.
  • Cash prizes (TBA) at a minimum value of $50 will be awarded to the winners in each of five categories.

Deadline for final submission is 11:59 pm Pacific Time on January 22, 2016.

Dominique Palombo's short, "Manoeuvres"
Dominique Palombo’s short, “Manoeuvres”

So in the spirit of dancing in public and for inspiration, today I offer one of my all time favorite shorts, a film by Dominique Palombo, Manoeuvres. Shot mostly with a locked down camera and great locations and angles, it all came to life creatively in the editing room.
Democratize dance… Do it in public! Dance it, shoot it, share it at Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival. We look forward to seeing your submissions!
[embedvideo id=”WjkYnz7OvaM” website=”youtube”]

What are you looking for?