2020 Programs

Welcome to the program lineup for the 11th annual San Francisco Dance Film Festival. Our 12 programs will be presented on Marquee TV, an international performing-arts streaming service along with Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco which will provide an opportunity, over an extended period during the festival, to experience two of the programs as live screening events.

Festival Dates: October 18 - 25.

2020 Programs

2020 Festival Programs

Welcome to the program lineup for the 11th annual San Francisco Dance Film Festival. 2020—the year of such disruption, challenges, introspection and provocative exhortations also gives us new perspectives and fresh appreciation of what stories are being told and whose voices are being heard.

With our twelve programs of feature length films and curated collections of shorts from around the globe , we are honored to present a lineup that reflects this unique moment in time as well as providing new insights to stories about people and places we thought we knew.

Films are available for one week beginning Sunday, October 18 at 12pm PST through Sunday, October 25 at 11:59pm PST. While each program has a suggested viewing time, you are free to watch at any time you prefer.

Bonus Programs | Award Winners | Jury Members

Feature Length Films

Beyond My Steps

Go behind the scenes with the Contemporary Dance Company of Angola and choreographer Mónica Anapaz to explore concepts of Angolan tradition, culture, memory, and identity.

Kamy Lara, Paula Agostinho

Contemporary Dance Company of Angola, Mónica Anapaz, Ana Clara Guerra Marquez

Angola (2019) 72 minutes

Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back

An intimate portrait of an outspoken showman who with humor and grace has navigated the highs and lows of a seven-decade career, and a complex relationship with his superstar brother Gregory Hines

John Carluccio

(United States, 2019) 94 minutes

Merely Marvelous: The Dancing Genius of …

Merely Marvelous: The Dancing Genious of Gwen Verdon

Merely Marvelous tells the real story of the life of Broadway legend Gwen Verdon by using photos, film footage, and interviews.

Chris Johnson, Ken Bloom

(United States, 2019) 83 minutes

Revisor

Jeff Tudor’s capture of REVISOR created by Crystal Pite & Jonathon Young

Jeff Tudor

Crystal Pite

(United Kingdom, 2020) 90 minutes

TOM

Set in a hinterland between the civilised world and the wilderness, TOM tells the story of one man’s journey to rediscover who he really is.

Wilkie Branson

(United Kingdom, 2020) 56 minutes

Uprooted – The Journey of Jazz Dance…

Uprooted – The Journey of Jazz Dance explores the history, lineage and future progressions of jazz dance.

Khadifa Wong

Various Artists

(United States, 2019) 94 minutes

Shorts Programs

After Dark Shorts Program

Sexy. Cool. Creepy. Cult. A treat for the late-night crowd, this quirky collection of dance films spans the world from Korean vogue dancers to Parisian hairy hip hop creatures. With gothic music videos and steamy romances, mix your favorite drink and buckle up for the ride.

Bay Area Shorts Program

Join us for our annual showcase of films by Bay Area artists, with new work from established dancers and filmmakers and by newcomers venturing behind the camera for the first time.

Dance Goes On Shorts Program

Dance Goes On features thirteen short films. From Cinderella stories to COVID-inspired romantic interludes, these films are packed with fabulous dance and music. With work from Argentina to Senegal, Costa Rica to French Polynesia, this global celebration reminds us that dance is a thriving universal language that cannot be silenced. An engaging and accessible introduction to dance on camera, or to dance in general.

Finding Me Shorts Program

What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be a woman? What does it mean to be American? Or Chinese? Or African? What if I don’t fit into these boxes? Sometimes when there are no clear answers, art-making is the way to connect with who we really are.

Raising Voices Shorts Program

Dance Film SF’s ongoing platform, Raising Voices returns for the 2020 festival with more provocative activism-based films that will stimulate conversation and open eyes through the uplifting power of dance, music, and text.

Seriously Screendance Shorts Program

Eight beautiful, contemplative screendance films for the true fan of this century-old genre. From stunning natural settings to the quiet simplicity of the studio, contemporary dance finds new expressions as artists explore their places in the world, and with each other.

Catharine Clark Co-Presents

TOM, a feature length animation, will be highlighted in a special live viewing at Catharine Clark Gallery. Limited seating is available. More Info

Finding Me shorts program, will be highlighted in a special live viewing at Catharine Clark Gallery. Limited seating is available. More Info

*All CDC and local agency guidelines will be followed.