The 24th Dances with Films Hosts Festival in the Heart of Los Angeles.
One of Los Angeles’ longest-running annual film festivals, Dances with Films (DWF, https://dwfla.com), has returned to the venerable TCL Chinese Theatre for its 24th year. After screening digitally last year, the fest is back to in-person screenings for a sixteen-day event from August 26th to September 12th.
While most film festivals rely heavily on celebrity, DWF has instead celebrated the newest innovation, talent, creativity and sweat equity from around the world—basically serving as a festival of new talent. Numerous DWF alumni have gone on to write, direct and produce celebrity-studded vehicles, star in blockbuster movies and television series, produce multi-million dollar films and create hit TV shows...AND they even have had several OSCAR® nominees.
In short—or in long—DWF has come quite a way and is now one the world’s pre-eminent showcases of new talent. This year, the lineup boasts a variety panels and screenings that includes narrative features, documentaries, entertaining TV pilots, and shorts.
While there are more than 200 titles, here’s a preview of just five, all screening at the TCL Chinese Theatre at 6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA, 90028:
ALPHA RIFT
August 31st at 7:00pm:
Writer/director Dan Lantz’s feature film ALPHA RIFT creates a modern-day mythology of medieval knights fighting a supernatural evil. Nolan Parthmore is just a regular guy, running his game store and flirting with his co-worker Gabby when fate comes calling. After a demon, Lord Dragsmere, is released from his supernatural prison, Nolan must quickly learn to harness his power to defend against this (and other). This story, twenty-years in the making, is the tale of a fanboy drawn into the eternal fight between good and evil, made to leave his comfort zone of mediocrity, whilst reluctantly assuming his destiny to become a hero.
STAGE MANAGED
September 4th at 5:00pm:
Entertainment producer, director, and actor Guy Noland’s mockumentary pilot, STAGE MANAGED takes the audience behind the scenes of The Tarzana Family Theatre crew, who have been struggling valiantly to mount successful shows. The pilot unravels the stories of director Sterling and his assistant Brittany’s open call process; an actress, Kate, who has just moved to Hollywood to pursue her dreams; has-been leading man David; “Flashdance Flo;” and a cameo by Ron Howard’s brother Clint Howard, among others. Arch, relatable and aimed at the soft underbelly of the entertainment industry, this pilot skewers myriad tropes of the slippery slope to stardom in the LA theatre scene.
DREAMOVER
September 5th at 9:30pm:
Russian Roman Olkhovka’s directorial debut feature DREAMOVER truly needs to be seen to be understood. Olkhovka, who also stars as Demian in the film, is brought to life in the dreams of an older version of himself, played by Ilya Chepyrev. To treat his insomnia, he turns to a researcher who is experimenting with an ingenious method of sleep correction, arguing scientifically that love creates the strongest memories and accessing them helps create serenity. As he changes his memories, he finds they may also change his current life and future, as one dream and one memory collide with unintended consequences.
HOLIDAYS AT ALL COST
September 7th at 7:00pm:
Stevan Lee Mraovitch’s debut film HOLIDAYS AT ALL COST, a French dramedy about a hard-working, caring father Frederic willing to go to absurd ends to take his wife Fanny and their young son Max on an unforgettable holiday. Fred strikes a secret deal with an old frenemy and luxury resort director Jean-Luc: each day of their stay he must do a day’s work. The increasingly odd series of jobs quickly begins to strain Fred and Fanny’s relationship, driving the couple to a critical moment where they must confront their ideas of happiness and love.
THE WORLD’S GONE NUTZ
September 10th at 2:00pm:
When the pandemic hit and productions shut down, filmmaker, musician, artist, animator, and photographer Daniel Robert Cohn looked to his immediate home environment for inspiration. With no work, no actors, no crews, no locations and a quarantined world that seemed to have gone nuts, he found the ultimate authority on nuts…squirrels! Cohn wrote a squirrelly 2020 rock anthem and directed an epic music video with this energetic, comical cast of characters found in his own backyard. The flagship video “The World’s Gone Nutz,” is one of many that include “The Squirrelette,” Halloween, Passover, Hanukkah and Christmas—with more on the way. Green screens and digital compositing software create a world that uncannily reflects our current nutty times, and most importantly, gives a much-needed laugh.
Watch them all at https://www.squirrelmebad.com.So get out of the house and back inside a dark theatre and watch movies! DWF 24 individual screening tickets are $20 and full-festival passes are available for $425. A festival pass grants access to all films and events. Get your tickets here and see you at the movies!Get DWF updates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
24th DANCES WITH FILMS festival 26th August - 12th September 2021.
So if you're in LA, get out of the house and back inside a dark theatre and watch movies! DWF 24 individual screening tickets are $20 and full-festival passes are available for $425. A festival pass grants access to all films and events. Get your tickets here and see you at the movies!
