Jazz & American Social Dance Film Call

In partnership with Rhythmically Speaking, SSF will again call for jazz and American social dance-inspired films during our 2025 call for entries, in an effort to encourage makers working within these styles to create screendance.

dates & deadlines

Films may be submitted at our FilmFreeway page. If you have a film that has been selected by Sans Souci Festival in the past, and you think it is a good fit for a Jazz Dance Film Screening, please contact us.

submit your film

We are looking for films that consciously contribute to the ongoing conversation around the question, “What constitutes jazz and American social dance?” In our 2025 Jazz Dance Film Screening(s), we hope to share films that examine, play with, or dance at the intersection of the sociocultural histories of and innovations in styles under the Jazz umbrella, including but not limited to jazz, tap, and hip hop dance forms. On the submission form, submitters will self-select whether they’d like to be screened in these events, and be asked to briefly articulate their film’s connection to the genre.

SSF is co-curating this screening with Rhythmically Speaking, a Twin Cities (Minnesota, USA) based dance company sparking vibrancy and connectedness through jazz and American social dance ideas. They have served this mission through creation of new dance works, presentation of visiting artists and community outreach since their founding in 2008. rhythmicallyspeakingdance.org

Based in Boulder, Colorado (USA) since 2004, Sans Souci aims to provide a space for the community to share an experience of dance cinema and to elevate the ever-changing nature, culture, and field of dance cinema. Learn more about Sans Souci.

If the submission fee creates a financial barrier to your entry, Sans Souci may be able to help. We offer a limited amount of fee assistance to those with financial hardship, with a preference for artists from historically or currently marginalized communities. If you’d like to apply for this program, please submit an application form by the early deadline (February 28). You’ll be notified shortly after the early deadline whether or not you’ve been selected for a waiver. If not, you’ll still receive the early deadline price for submission. As stated in our mission and values, increasing equitable access to dance cinema festivals is a high priority for us. If you have questions about this, please feel free to contact us. Submitting the form does not guarantee receiving a waiver. Receiving fee assistance does not grant acceptance to the festival. All films submitted must go through curation, and may or may not be accepted for screening. Due to the limited amount of fee assistance available, artists selected will only be able to submit one film. If you are looking for help with the cost of covering multiple submissions, please email us requesting a bulk submission discount.

Still have questions? Connect with us. We thank you for your interest and look forward to seeing your work!