San Francisco Dance Film Festival

10/15/2026

Every drifted thought becomes an ensemble. Every lost moment becomes a world.

SFDFF’s “In Other Words” program brings together five story-driven films where feeling takes physical form, including “ADHD,” a short dance film built around the interior life of a kid who cannot, will not, and perhaps should not quiet his own head.

Choreographed in five days by Emmy-nominated choreographer Chris Scott (Wicked, In the Heights) with more than two hundred dancers from the CLI Conservatory Class of 2025, the film treats distraction not as failure but as a form of flight.

🎬 Screening as part of “In Other Words” at Brava Theater: Friday, November 6 at 6:00PM

This program is sponsored by Brava Theater.

10/14/2026

In every mirror, another version of her is waiting to be met.

Jia Wu’s “The Other Within”（一身万物) explores the multiplicity of the self through a body caught in recursive loops of time and identity. Through repetition, reflection, and shifting space, the body inhabits parallel versions of itself—suspended between inner fracture and boundless becoming. Catch the film at our “China Moves” program, which presents dance films by filmmakers working inside China alongside those creating from afar.

🎬 Screening as part of “China Moves” Wednesday, October 28 at 8:00PM at the Delancey Street Theater

This program is co-presented by the US Chinese Dance Association.

10/13/2026

10/12/2026

Where the land meets the sea, two bodies lose themselves.

“Body Language” is a deep dive into screendance, awakening the senses and reframing movement. “Nouage” by FU LE, Magalie Lanriot & Roel Q. Seeber weaves a dance suspended between memory and release.

🎬 Screening at Brava Theater: Saturday, November 7, at 12pm

This program is sponsored by Villa Albertine, French Bee, and Brava Theater.

10/11/2026

How does movement become story on screen?

This year’s SFDFF features a FREE Filmmaking Masterclass Series of two presentations by SFDFF 2026 filmmakers exploring different aspects of designing dance for the camera.

Filmmaker and choreographer Jacob Jonas will share his journey and body of work, drawing on Films.Dance and other projects to talk through how he approaches movement and filmmaking, and the process behind creating and producing his work. The session closes with an open Q&A with the audience.

The Filmmaking Masterclasses take place on Saturday, November 7 at 10:00AM at the Brava Theater. Attendance is FREE with registration: https://sfdancefilmfest.org/fall-festival-2026/filmmaking-masterclasses-2026/

🎥 directed by Jacob Jonas
1. Boy Inside
2. Beautiful People (SIA MV)
3. Able

10/09/2026

A love so gently lost to time and neglect...

The grand finale to our 2026 Festival, Bay Area Shorts is an annual tradition honoring the depth and range of Northern California’s dance film community and features acclaimed artists and companies such as ODC/Dance. In “Long Story Short,” two dancers explore a love that fades so gradually it can only be seen at the moment of its end. The film is directed by Natalia Roberts and features choreography by Brenda Way with dancers Jenna Marie and Colton Wall, all of ODC/Dance.

🎬 Screening as part of Bay Area Shorts at Brava Theater: Sunday, November 8 at 7:30pm

This program is Co-Presented by ODC/SF and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Sponsored by Dancers’ Group and Brava Theater.

10/08/2026

Inside the studios of New York City Ballet, four emerging choreographers wrestle with the future of the art form.

By pulling viewers directly into the creative engine of contemporary ballet at NYCB’s experimental hub, the New York Choreographic Institute, “Make Work” asks a central question: how can this centuries-old art form remain relevant in a contemporary world, and who will define its next chapter?

Clip features choreographers Caili Quan & Houston Thomas

🎬 World Premiere screening at Brava Theater: Sunday, November 8 at 4:30pm
+ Live Q&A with directors Linda Marie Saffire and Adam Lloyd Schlesinger, moderated by Amy Seiwert (Artistic Director, Smuin Ballet)

Ths program is Co-Presented by Smuin Ballet, and is sponsored by Brava Theater.

10/07/2026

Did you know that Dirty Dancing choreographer Kenny Ortega has a cameo in the film?

After our screening of Dirty Dancing, the Emmy Award-winning choreographer shared behind-the-scenes stories of how the film came together, including how he ended up in the film for just a few seconds.

Watch the full Q&A: https://youtu.be/3Gic3Bp0FyI
Moderated by SF Chronicle Columnist Tony Bravo

10/07/2026

Leap! is back by popular demand!

Bring the whole family for our encore screening of this heartwarming adventure about courage, friendship, and following your dreams. Perfect for aspiring young artists, this event will include an introduction by San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer Dores André.

🎬Screening on Sunday, November 8 at 1:30pm at the Brava Theater.
Donation-based, registration required.

This program is sponsored by Villa Albertine, San Francisco Ballet, Brava Theater and French Bee.

10/06/2026

Exploring men’s relationships with solitude, intimacy, aging, and community.

“The Sea” is a feature film directed by Douglas Rosenberg, filmed entirely on location along the Baltic Sea. Drawing inspiration from the evocative landscapes of Ingmar Bergman’s Fårö Island, the film explores aging and the intimate relationships between men in their later years, reflecting on camaraderie and the ways life’s experiences leave their marks on our bodies.

🎬 Screening at the Brava Theater on Sunday, November 8 at 11AM.

The film will be followed by a live Q&A with director Douglas Rosenberg.

This film is co-presented by ODC SF and sponsored by the Brava Theater