Films.Dance, International Film Series Featuring Artists from More Than 25 Countries, Premieres PÁSSARO DISTANTE, Free to the Community

Films.Dance, International Film Series Featuring Artists from More Than 25 Countries, Premieres PÁSSARO DISTANTE, Free to the Community

Two of Los Angeles’ foremost cultural organizations—the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts—have teamed up with Chicago’s Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater to present Films.Dance, a groundbreaking new global free film series produced by and under the creative direction of LA-based Jacob Jonas The Company.  Films.Dance is being made available to the public at no charge. One of the most ambitious international dance film projects ever undertaken, Films.Dance engages more than 150 artists from 52 cities in 25 countries, culminating in 15 short films that have been shot during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PÁSSARO DISTANTE premieres February 8, 2021, 9 AM (PT) and then can be streamed on demand.

When the pandemic hit, dancers Luís Fernando, Jovani Furlan, Luanna Gondim and Maitê Nunes reunited in their hometown of Joinville, Brazil and dance together as a shadow of one another, in a familiar yet alien place that allows for contemplative self-examination. Directed by Gabriela Mo and with cinematography by Larissa Zaidan, Pássaro Distante features original choreography by Cassi Abranches, choreographer for São Paolo Companhia de Dança and Grupo Corpo, and original music from Andrei Martinez Kozyreff, Ju Strassacapa and Malu Magri, members of Latin Grammy-nominated group, Francisco, El Hombre

Director: Gabriela Mo

Choreographer: Cassi Abranches

Featuring: Luís Fernando, Jovani Furlan, Luanna Gondim, Maitê Nunes

Music Production: Ju Strassacapa Malu Magri

Composer: Andrei Martinez Kozyreff

Cinematographer: Larissa Zaidan

Stylist: Bru Fernandes

Produced by: Jacob Jonas The Company

Through non-traditional collaborations across cultures and continents, and led by the vision of Jacob Jonas, the worldwide series connects the perspectives of diverse artists from a range of disciplines, dance genres, abilities, and experiences. Filmed in locations ranging from Amsterdam, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, and London, to Los Angeles, New York, Nigeria, and Spain—Films.Dance exists at the intersection of dance, music, fashion, and film.

“Our goals are to create a global arts community, to elevate the power of dance through non-traditional collaborations and to engage digital audiences in innovative ways,” said Jacob Jonas, Executive Producer of Films.Dance. “The diversity of the artists and their explorations has fostered new ways of thinking and has allowed the formation of deep relationships across physical borders. I look forward to launching this series worldwide.”

Each Monday through May 3, 2021, one film will premiere for free at 9 a.m. (PT) on the Web at  https://www.films.dance, on Instagram on the @films.dance account, and the Films.Dance Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/globalfilmseries.

The initiative is presented in partnership with Somewhere Magazine, and co-presented by the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts/CSUN.