Welcome to Dances With Films!!

The film festival dedicated to the truly independent films and the people behind them. DWF prides itself on finding tomorrow's talent today.

As we gear up for year 14, Michael and I revisited our roots for this fest and why we do it.

It comes down to dreams.

It comes down to our commitment to provide a platform for the hundreds, if not thousands, of films and filmmakers that struggle each year to see their dreams realized.

We receive well over a thousand films each year. From Hoboken, U.S.A. to Xiang, China. Exciting, undiscovered, original voices are out there and year after year, they find us. We don't court or woo them, but we have proudly built a reputation to embrace and champion them.

And our "no stars" mandate ensures that DWF will be presenting to the industry and our audiences, the next, new Tarantino, Winslet, Rodriguez, Franco, Soderbergh, Kidman, Spielberg, Fincher, Jarmusch,.... the list is endless but they all started their careers by doing small, low-no-budget films.

DWF mines the diamonds in the rough and gives them the exposure their talent, ambition, drives, sacrifice, hardship and....belief in their dream... deserve.

This is what Dances With Films has always been about.

We hope you'll join us in celebrating the film stars of tomorrow.

Leslee Scallon & Michael Trent
Founders, Dances With Films

PS - Oh, what's with our name? Why Dances With Films? Truth be told, it started out as a rebellious joke. Originally the fest had the long title of "Dances With Films: Festival of the Unknowns" - something of a send up to all the 'Dance' Festivals that seemed to spring up over night. There was Slamdance, Digidance, Nodance, TromaDance and more. Then, after a battle with Orion Pictures, it became a symbol... of our irreverence and commitment to challenge the system. It's actually a pretty funny story. Check out this great article from FilmThreat. By the way....a lot of the fests that popped up in Park City are no longer there - but DWF is thriving.