Rounding out the Midnight features is Vivian Kerr’s Séance. Set in late 1800s California, a Victorian woman contemplating adultery is forced to take refuge from a storm at the home of her first husband and his unstable wife, who claims to be haunted by their deceased child.
Notable in the film festival world for screening and promoting television, web series pilots, and episodics, Dances With Films also features a significant number of world premieres in this category. Among them is Chris Leary’s rock mockumentary Formerly Known As, which follows a film crew attempting to capture the making of an aging rockstar’s comeback album, only to discover that the real story lies with the eccentric team working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep everything afloat—and the rockstar happens to be a talking purple muppet.
Innovative comedy-horror-sci-fi mashup Apocalypse Love will also have its world premiere at Dances with Films Los Angeles. The DIY film is “play motion animation,” which is a hybrid of hand-crafted puppetry with live-action cinematography using mostly practical effects with some subtle VFX.
Sarah Haskins’ Gumshoes tells the story of Sam and Paige, two best friends who are obsessed with procedural crime dramas, as they change their lives by getting off the couch and into the streets. Matt Tory’s sketch comedy pilot Halfway Handsome features bizarre sketches, hilarious impressions, funny short films, parodies, memorable recurring characters, and even original songs.
Scout Purdy and Doug Purdy star as daughter and father in Pilgrim, an indie road trip dramedy about grief, growth, and getting lost to find your way.
“Dances With Films will delight horror fans and genre enthusiasts with its Midnight section featuring the following films that make their world premieres…”
Rain Valdez’s One For the Team follows the story of trans hotshot Nico Ramirez, who moves an hour away from home to play lacrosse at an upscale new high school in an effort to secure his Ivy League scholarship. The coach believes Nico could lead the team to a championship, but will he sacrifice his friends, full ride, and sense of identity in the process?
Also in the mix is Sergio Camacho’s United Crafts of America. One of the projects making its way to DWFLA from DWFNY, the pilot offers an in-depth look into America’s most vibrant craft beer cities, highlighting the country’s most innovative breweries and the passionate people behind them. Another project, Gasbag, had its World Premiere at Dances With Films NYC last year, started as a webseries during COVID is now a TV pilot for a charming and irreverent comedy featuring a cast and crew from the New York theater scene, which includes Jackie Tohn from Netflix’s Nobody Wants This).
In its 28th year, Dances With Films champions the unflinching spirit at the heart of the independent film scene. While most film festivals lean heavily on celebrity, DWF relies on innovation, talent, creativity, and hard work that have revolutionized the entertainment industry. This approach continues to yield successful outcomes, with alumni going on to write, direct, and produce star-studded projects, star in blockbuster films and television series, produce multi-million-dollar movies, and create popular TV shows.
For more information about the Dances With Films LA entire film lineup, events, passes, and tickets, visit https://danceswithfilms.com/.
