The 5th Portland Dance Film Festival takes place October 15-24 at The Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St. The Fest is a multi-day event and a hybrid of online and in person screenings. 31 PDFF Picks and five inspiring documentaries have been curated from nine different countries. Each screening is a crafted evening of original and diverse dance film.
PDFF Picks are presented October 15 -16 at 7:30 pm and October 17 at 5:30 pm. Doors open a half hour before screening for films. The documentary Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance screens October 17 at 3 pm. It’s a feature-length documentary celebrating the history, lineage and future progressions of jazz dance.
Exploring and commenting on political and social influences, the film is an honest conversation about jazz dance addressing topics such as appropriation, racism, socialism and sexism.
With special appearances by Debbie Allen, George Faison, Chita Rivera, Camille A. Brown and Thomas F. DeFrantz, the film showcases the works of the Nicholas Brothers, Pepsi Bethel, Jack Cole, Katherine Dunham, Bob Fosse and Gene Kelly, and shines a light on what all people have in common – rhythm and a basic human need to get down.
PDFF tickets are $12 per night in advance and $15 at the door. A Festival Pass is $40. Online PDFF Screening Picks are $5 -$30 per Pick and a whole Documentary Pass is $10.
See Portlanddancefilmfest.com.
Image: A scene from Uprooted
