Dance Camera West will present the 2026 edition of its dance film festival on January 22-25, with events on January 22-24 anchoring at Theatre Raymond Kabbaz in West Los Angeles.
Continuing the Festival tradition of honoring a major dance figure, the Festival opens January 22, 7:30 pm with a Gala Retrospective and Tribute to David Roussève. The evening will screen four of his films – Bittersweet, Hold your Heads to the Sky, Two Seconds of Laughter and Chili Pepper followed by a moderated discussion and a gala reception.
Roussève’s three-decade career weaves movement, text, and multimedia to probe identity, race, queerness, and resilience and has resonated across generations. His company, David Roussève/REALITY has performed to much nationally and internationally to wide acclaim.
Preceding the main program will be Stories and Tales, a selection of five short dance films from the US and the UK telling stories and creating portraits through dance and film.
Next day January 23, 7:30PM will present Shorts, a selection of 13 short experimental dance films with a Francophone focus from France, Québec, and Belgium, along with an international selection from Finland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, and Spain.
January 24, 2:00PM will Doc Day Afternoon with two films. The first, Dance to the End celebrates dancer, choreographer, artist and writer Eileen Kramer who lived and travelled the world for 60 years and continued working after returning home at age 99.
The second film Origins is a cinematic odyssey into the heart and mind of world-renowned choreographer Alonzo King, offering an intimate look at his creative process and his profound belief in the limitless potential of the human spirit.
Saturday, January 24, 2026, 7 pm will present LA Pops Up at the Colburn in Downtown LA. The new project spearheaded by Hysterica Productions and Dance Camera West celebrates a vibrant mix of styles spanning contemporary, hip-hop, poppin’, jazz, and more. The screening will be followed by a filmmaker discussion.
Sunday, January 25, 2026 1:00 pm will present Experimental Experts at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz. The afternoon will feature Embodied Filmmaking with Karen Pearlman, a screening of six films by Shirley Clarke. The book launch and discussion celebrates the publication of Shirley Clarke: Thinking Through Movement.
The workshop will audience to participate in a series of exercises designed to develop concepts, images, sounds, movement motifs, structures, and rhythms for new screen dance works.