The San Francisco Dance Film Festival returns this fall for its seventeenth year, presenting over 80 films from around the world. The 2026 edition offers audiences a kaleidoscopic look at dance in its varied forms, from world-class ballet to endangered folkloric traditions and everything in between. Eighteen in-person screenings take place October 23-November 8 at venues throughout San Francisco, featuring artist Q&As, masterclasses, and community gatherings that bring audiences and creators together. For those tuning in from afar, the Online Festival runs November 9-30.
With intimate documentaries, dazzling screendance, thrilling live performance captures, and much more, SFDFF 2026 invites you to celebrate the ever-evolving intersection of dance and film.
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE:
* includes a post-screening Q&A
FRIDAY, OCT 23 @ Lucasfilm Premier Theater
7:00PM: NUREYEV*
WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 @ Delancey Street Theater
6:30PM: THE PEOPLE’S PALACE
8:00PM: CHINA MOVES*
THURSDAY, OCT 29 @ Delancey Street Theater
7:00PM: MY BENJAMIN*
FRIDAY, OCT 30 @ Delancey Street Theater
7:00PM: OTTER LAKE*
WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 @ Catharine Clark Gallery
7:00PM: DANCE HEALS*
THURSDAY, NOV 5 @ SHACK15
7:00PM: CUE THE MUSIC
FRIDAY, NOV 6 @ Brava Theater
2:00PM: DOC SHORTS
6:00PM: IN OTHER WORDS
8:00PM: ROBERT SHIELDS: MY LIFE AS A ROBOT*
SATURDAY, NOV 7 @ Brava Theater
10:00AM: FILMMAKING MASTERCLASS SERIES (free!)
12:00PM: BODY LANGUAGE: SCREENDANCE SHORTS
3:00PM: BAREFOOT BOY*
6:00PM: THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS*
8:30PM: SPOTLIGHT SHORTS*
SUNDAY, NOV 8 @ Brava Theater
11:00AM: THE SEA*
1:30PM: LEAP! (family-friendly)
4:30PM: MAKE WORK*
7:30PM: BAY AREA SHORTS*
NOVEMBER 9-30, STREAMING WORLDWIDE
OPENING NIGHT: NUREYEV
Friday, October 23 @ 7:00PM
Lucasfilm Premier Theater
The extraordinary story of an artist who transformed the world of ballet, choreographed by Yuri Possokhov.
THE PEOPLE'S PALACE
Wednesday, October 28 @ 6:30PM
Delancey Street Theater
Aerial dancers reclaim the halls of power in this breathtaking reimagining of SF’s City Hall.
CHINA MOVES
Wednesday, October 28 @ 8:00 PM
Delancey Street Theater
Identity and heritage converge as Chinese artists from around the world bring their stories to the screen.
MY BENJAMIN
Thursday, October 29 @ 7:00PM
Delancey Street Theater
A visual essay on the loving acceptance of what comes to an end featuring Paris Opera Ballet Étoile Benjamin Pech.
OTTER LAKE
Friday, October 30 @ 7:00 PM
Delancey Street Theater
An unguarded look at the creative process of one of dance’s most singular voices: Emma Portner.
DANCE HEALS
Wednesday, November 4 @ 7:00PM
Catharine Clark Gallery
Global voices turn pain into power, adversity into art. Curated by laura elaine ellis.
CUE THE MUSIC
Thursday, November 5 @ 7:00 PM
SHACK15 (Ferry Building)
A music-driven night of rhythm, soul, and screen-shaking visuals at the SHACK15 social club.
DOC SHORTS
Friday, November 6 @ 2:00PM
Brava Theater
International stories of resilience, courage, and discovery through movement.
IN OTHER WORDS
Friday, November 6 @ 6:00PM
Brava Theater
Plot becomes physical in these five imaginative stories, where movement drives the narrative forward.
ROBERT SHIELDS: MY LIFE AS A ROBOT
Friday, November 6 @ 8:00PM
Brava Theater
Meet the man who taught the world to move like a machine, and helped invent an art form along the way.
FILMMAKING MASTERCLASSES
Saturday, November 7 @ 10:00AM
Brava Theater
Hear from the sound team behind SO CLOSE and filmmaker/choreographer Jacob Jonas.
BODY LANGUAGE: SCREENDANCE SHORTS
Saturday, November 7 @ 12:00PM
Brava Theater
Vivid screendance films from around the world awaken the senses and reframe movement.
BAREFOOT BOY
Saturday, November 7 @ 3:00PM
Brava Theater
A trailblazing choreographer, Bill Evans, returns home to reconcile who he was with who he’s finally become.
THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS
Saturday, November 8 @ 6:00PM
Brava Theater
A vivid retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” brought to life by Scottish Ballet.
SPOTLIGHT SHORTS
Saturday, November 8 @ 8:30PM
Brava Theater
A dazzling showcase of dance films at the cutting edge of creativity and cinematic craft.
THE SEA
Sunday, November 9 @ 11:00AM
Brava Theater
A poetic dance of time and movement, exploring men’s evolving relationships with intimacy, aging, and community.
LEAP!
Sunday, November 8 @ 1:30PM
Brava Theater
A runaway hit with families at last year’s festival, Leap! is back by popular demand!
MAKE WORK
Sunday, November 8 @ 4:30PM
Brava Theater
Inside the studios of New York City Ballet, four emerging choreographers wrestle with the future of an art form in motion.
BAY AREA SHORTS
Sunday, November 8 @ 7:30PM
Brava Theater
A closing night celebration of local artistry and community, featuring the world premiere of “Griot.”
ONLINE FESTIVAL
November 9-30
Streaming Worldwide
The Online Festival offers a selection of 2026 Festival shorts programs, as well as online-only feature films.
PRESENTING SPONSORS:
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