After Whim makes it through an unconventional audition for the dance piece Syncope, the choreographer remains unsatisfied with her full commitment. But what she and the other dancers experience in rehearsals is only a glimpse of the dark vision he will impose on them.

A group of young men waltz in pairs, balancing with a glass between their foreheads. In this captivating setting, director Albert Rask crafts a new code of conduct - an allegory reflecting the experience of growing up. A playful yet poignant exploration that reframes the burdens of responsibility, expectations and the rules of adulthood.

Clepsydra is an exploration of the repetitive patterns and movements inherent in our daily habits and routines, as well as the relational dynamics in our interactions with others. Using tableaus, director Victoria Wælgaard delves into the fusion of interactive design, dance, and movement within the cinematic frame.

Far from homogenizing parameters, flamenco uses the subversive power of art to enhance the diversity of bodies on stage. Disability is no longer a limit, but a creative starting point.

Teenager Alysha struggles to accept her mother’s decision to end her life, wavering between incomprehension and love as she navigates the weight of the situation. Over time, she begins to understand the depth of her mother’s unbearable pain. A poetic coming-of-age story steeped in magical realism.

Bai Li’s touching autobiographical short film traces her journey as a Chinese adoptee in the Netherlands. In this intimate exploration, she courageously opens her personal archives to share the vulnerable beginnings of her life, revealing a narrative that reflects the search for a sense of belonging. Through her distinctive movement language, Bai Li delves into the various stages and emotions of her adoption, from childhood innocence to the frustration of identity clashes. An ode to those who navigate the complex terrain of adoption and dual identities.

Alone at home, a woman is immersed in a bizarre adventure of the mind. In the intimacy of her space, her imagination knows no bounds, transcending time and space as she revisits memories and glimpses into the unknown. However, this solitary exploration is disrupted by the sudden presence of an unexpected intruder.

To perceive, from the Greek meaning 'touch at a distance'. Absent Presence is a surreal journey of a disconnected body seeking itself in the empty spaces of a house. A play of perceptions unfolds, blurring the line between the ambiguity of reflections and distorted shadows, prompting viewers to question their own experience.

Guided by a mysterious entity, a young Black woman sets out on a quest for intimacy in a world where the lines between the personal and the political, the individual and the collective, the past and the present, are increasingly blurred. This afro-surrealistic reverie poetically reimagines contemporary conceptions of selfhood and community, while questioning the historically and culturally imposed views on the intimate lives of Black people in the diaspora.

After separating heaven and earth, Tengri, the all-embracing God of heaven in the traditional Turkic, Yeniseian, and Mongolian beliefs, divided himself into man and woman to procreate. He named the woman the goddess Umai and settled her atop Mount Sumeru in the sky, near a milk lake called Sutkol. Here begins the story of Umai – the ancestor and spirit of women – on the vast steppes of the nomadic lands.

From a Parisian Métro platform below to the night streets above, one woman decides to go against the current and defy the Parisian routine.

Lukács and Broersen examine the Western colonial perception of the jungle as an untouched wilderness or 'terra nullius.' The film reimagines botanical gardens in Brussels, Paris, London, and Amsterdam—places where the wilderness was once appropriated and transported to Europe. The iconic song I Wan'na Be Like You from Disney’s Jungle Book (1967) is reinterpreted by collaborators, most notably the Afro-Surinamese music group Black Harmony, offering a proud reimagining of their community’s history and future in the diaspora.

Japanese Butoh artist Ken Mai has chosen a modest life for the sake of art. He is also the father to two small girls, and about to divorce. Skeleton Dance explores themes of life and death through improvisation and association, just like Butoh dance does.

A Bird Named Mansour explores a world where dreams are broken and innocence is lost, following children who flee broken homes in search of safety. This poetic film, inspired by Maya Angelou’s words, “The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free,” highlights the journey toward freedom. Filmed at London’s prestigious Somerset House, it’s a collaboration between choreographer Jordy Dik, the Dutch inclusive dance theater company Compagnie Tiuri, and the renowned Hofesh Shechter Company.

Yelda del Carmen leaves her Cuban homeland for Montreal, where she must rebuild her dance career from scratch. Before fully dedicating herself to her dance aspirations, she undertakes a unique climbing adventure in Cuba. She aims to leave a lasting imprint on history by becoming the first Cuban woman to conquer three mythical ascents.

Three people tormented by relentless anxiety and prolonged sleeplessness, slowly lose their human forms. As their condition worsens, they evolve into monsters, doomed to an eternity without rest.

Bailaora is the last short film from the Rubin Stein's B&W suspense trilogy Light & Darkness after the award-winning Nero and Tin & Tina. Each of these movies try to explore a different issue related to the dark side of the human beings. In Tin&Tina it was the family; in Nero it was politics; and in Bailaora it is war.

The Montreal Steppers visit South Africa for a cultural and artistic exchange to learn from elders and youth, brilliant artists and knowledge keepers. Connecting to the roots of Gumboots, Pantsula and Stepping changed their lives and the work that they do. It fuelled a deeper commitment to sharing the history and honouring the art forms that paved the way for resistance, power and legacy. With this knowledge, they enter into spaces with a heightened appreciation and understanding that this dance form is indeed their “ancestral inheritance.”

Sophie, a curious and healthy eleven-year-old girl, is confined to a hospital bed under her mother’s constant watch. When she meets Buck, a cheerful nine-year-old adventurer, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and movement. As they explore together, Sophie begins to question the reality of her situation, wondering if she is truly as unwell as her mother insists.

A couple struggles to find the strength for dialogue, love and respect. They return to the beginning of their relationship and rediscover the intertwining of their roots.

Néphélie reluctantly agrees to meet Leila one last time to finish their ongoing video dance project. While they dance, the weight of their charged history begins to surface.

After the death of her youngest daughter, Carmen is unable to face her loss, haunted by the constant presence of her ghost. Guided by her eldest daughter, she embarks on a journey through grief, finding expression in the power of flamenco.

In this cinematic adaptation of Severs’ stage performance Coerced and Freely Given ('24), three performers train together to endure the world’s violences and reclaim space for vulnerability and anger through care and solidarity. Known for her unique blend of choreography and martial arts, Severs delves into the body’s resilience, vulnerability, and ability to resist societal and political pressures.

Max, a young ice cream vendor with aspirations of becoming a techno musician, is paralyzed by fear just before stepping on stage at a rave club. Forced on an introspective yet visually expressive journey, Max is confronted by his insecurity and the cold presence of Alex, the guardian of loneliness. But when he unexpectedly meets the charming Helen, she is determined to free him from the clutches of self-doubt.

In today’s world, it’s almost impossible to truly stand still. We keep ourselves constantly busy, striving for more and getting less in return. Droom acknowledges this overwhelming feeling and invites us to experience three different phases of stillness.

A filmmaker and former dancer returns to her family home to make an elaborate dance film with her parents, but when they fail to live up to unrealistic expectations, she hires professional dancers to play them. A collaborative dance unfolds within her family home, as captured through behind-the-scenes and 16mm footage, all of which becomes gradually overshadowed by her mother’s metastasizing cancer. The hybrid film that emerges is a loving tribute to one family’s way of facing mortality and a darkly funny meditation on that impossible urge to hold onto the past; on what family archives come to mean on the eve of loss.

Caravan is a series of portraits of a young immigrant community undergoing language integration at school in a working-class neighbourhood of Montreal. Through a hybrid form of documentary and poetic mise-en-scène, the film presents a series of tableaux that highlight the humanity of otherwise discriminated and marginalized groups.

Between loads of laundry at the corner laundromat, Cooper shares the story of her gender reassignment journey. Piecing together her memories, from her childhood in a small fishing village through her tumultuous medical process, Cooper attempts to make peace with the last male imprint remaining on her body: that annoying deep voice that sticks to her skin.

In Oulton, Leeds, an old coal-mining community of over 60 houses still stands. Originally built as temporary council housing but later sold to private investors, these homes now face the threat of demolition, putting a large number of residents at risk of displacement—some of whom have lived there their entire lives. Through a combination of audio interviews and a striking visual metaphor, we uncover the stories of a tightly-knit community, their cherished memories, and the stress and uncertainty surrounding their ongoing campaign to save their homes.

Smartphones have undeniably transformed the way we live, impacting nearly every aspect of our daily lives. A crew of young dancers explore the effects of technology through a dynamic interplay between dance and camera.

In search for his identity through scootering and self-development, a young boy explores his relationship to his body and emotions. Composed of footage collected online, the film chronicles the character’s attempts to navigate his existential dismay.

‘The past is just us in funny clothes’ Mike Tyson said once. He’s right. If you already know that during the making of a film, whilst on a motorcycle trip from the Netherlands to Ghana, you will never be able to capture and transfuse all the new impressions you encounter. What do you do? You dance. Over there. And you film the dancing. Lo and behold: the new dance film by breakdance collective 155. Narrated by Joost Prinsen.

Hank does not fit in. Riding his motorcycle enables him to clear his mind. Riding over 130kmh everything turns black and white. During his nightly drives his thoughts and reality become deeply entwined.

Robbie lost two fingers to fireworks. When asked how that feels, he said: "Not everything feels like something else. How could I explain what chocolate tastes like? I can only say what it doesn't taste like: not like twigs, not like water and not like sand." GAT is about movement, bodies and feeling. It’s about what you can’t see, but feel.

Patrick is angry and wants to destroy everything. When he is forced to take a course in anger management, he meets other enraged people. An experimental therapist tries to squeeze out their brutal energy through dance. Can Patrick find a way to redirect his violent energy into something of value?

Antonia Singla was born in the suburbs of Barcelona and became deaf shortly after birth, so she learned to dance flamenco without listening to the music. At the age of 17, she revolutionized the world of flamenco, but before she turned 30 she disappeared forever from the stage.

Fifty years later, a young woman finds some old archives and is fascinated by her. La Singla seems to hide something tragic behind her gaze and transmits a passion that goes beyond dance. Why had she never heard of her?

Determined to find answers, she immerses herself in an investigation that leads her to discover that La Singla was a great success in Germany, where she was considered the best flamenco dancer in the world. Finally, she will try to find her to learn first-hand her heartbreaking story.

We Don't Dance for Nothing is a photo-montage love letter to the Filipina domestic workers of Hong Kong. This visual recreation of true memories shared by this community of 400,000 women, follows one woman's plan to run away towards her dreams, independence, freedom and the woman she loves. Captured on Super-16 amidst the 2019 Hong Kong protests, still images blend with motion dance footage to touch on the passionate street dancing of these women, LGBTQ+ themes in Hong Kong, issues of workers' rights, and the city's rapidly changing political landscape.

Wouter is a ginger, unlike most people around him. While out on his daily jog, he daydreams of dancing a four and half kilometre run – with the help of other ginger-haired folk.

Coup de Grâce is a film about the collapse of a friendship, about what is broken and what cannot break. After a long separation two men meet again in a massive building at a remote location. In the course of the evening and an icy night, they fight a weaponless, exhausting duel.

It tells of how feelings of revenge can never be transformed into resignation in spite of the passing of time. How the lust for life burns, smolders, rekindles and then slowly dies. This duel ends with neither winner nor loser.

In a world where translation is increasingly automated, what understanding can emerge from intuition, improvisation, and nonverbal bodily intelligence? Amid the hum of their environment, two candidates train to interpret the rhythms, patterns, and nuances of a nearby field sparrow. What starts as an exercise in empathy and attunement leads to unexpected realizations about the ‘shape’ of language.

As an ode to her grandfather, choreographer Daria Titova returns to the rural land he cherished, in Sokur, Russia - a place deeply imprinted in her memory. Through movement, she translates her connection to the land, her family heritage and a feeling of belonging. A film that speaks of reconnection, appreciation and the transformative power of memory, place, and identity.

After three decades of hiding his feminine impulses, renowned Spanish dancer Manuel Liñán comes out to challenge convention by pursuing his love of performing flamenco - dressed as a woman.

Departures tells the story of Giralda, an undertaker who accompanies deceased human beings into their afterlife. Interpreted with the means of Spanish flamenco dance and music, and set at an old East German ship canal lift, the film creates an associative fusion between Northern and Southern Europe, movement and silence, farewell and eternity.

The Story Won’t Die by award winning filmmaker David Henry Gerson and Oscar winning producer Odessa Rae, offers a timely look at a young generation of migrant Syrian artists, from rappers and break-dancers to visual artists. An uplifting and humanizing look at what it means to be a refugee in today’s world.

SULPHUR (short version) is a dance movie by Andrea Leine & Harijono Roebana (choreography) and Jellie Dekker (filmdirector).The film was realised in 2000. Music: Martijn Padding, set decorator: Rudi Luijters.

The film consists of an epilogue, three scenes, and a prologue which were filmed on different locations, ending in the Teylers Museum, Haarlem.

The choreography was largely inspired by the films’ locations, as was the cinematography. The score was created using samples of set recordings combined with instrumental improvisations. In every scene the four elements (choreography, camera, music, location) have a different concept, but subsequently mix together to create a specific atmosphere centred around the color of sulphur.