The Charlotte International Dance Film Festival will take place this weekend and spotlight different cultures, personal experiences and dance traditions. The two-day event aims to convene dancers, producers and community members to experience a range of stories through the arts.
As part of the Charlotte International Dance Film Festival, community members can expect to view 18 films that will be screened and come from places such as the U.K, China and India. Initially, 61 dance films were submitted for the inaugural festival.
Anissa Knight is a retired Air Force veteran and cofounder of the dance film festival. Knight says a range of topics will be explored through the short films.
“We had one on love, we’ve had one on depression, we’ve had one on family elements. We’ve had documentaries,” Knight said.
The event kicks off on Saturday with two panel discussions that are tailored for choreographers and videographers. A range of films will be screened, including a film titled "I See Rose," which is about a young victim of sex trafficking who is trying to escape her trafficker through dance.
Knight says the film stood out for a number of reasons.
“It's one of those things that is hard to watch and can be triggering,” Knight said. "However, I can tell that it was something that needed to be done for the filmmaker and the choreographer. Like it was almost a release for them, almost like therapy.”
The two-day festival takes place at the Independent Picture House in Charlotte on 4237 Raleigh Street.
