SSF @ Museum of Boulder: Festival Premiere 2025

22nd ANNUAL FESTIVAL SEASON PREMIERE

AUG 29 – 31, 2025 @ Museum of Boulder

  • 6:30pm installations and live performance
  • 7:30pm rooftop patio screening
  • burrito bowls by T/aco
  • beer, wine, and concessions

Join Sans Souci for a night to remember as we return to The Museum of Boulder to celebrate the opening of our 22nd season!

You’ll enter like a star through a VIP red carpet photo area…it is a film festival, after all! Grab a local brew or glass of wine, and check out the film installations looping throughout the Museum before the screening for an intimate experience with select films. Take a peek at the Museum’s open exhibits and delight in the magic of live dance performance on your way to pick up your pre-purchased burrito bowls on the rooftop patio.

The main event will begin at 7:30pm on the rooftop (weather permitting) as we embark on a screening of our new season’s top scoring dance films. As always, our selections are submitted from around the world and curated by a panel of professional dance filmmakers to bring you the most cutting edge work in the realm where dance and cinema collide.

Museum of Boulder logo
Museum of Boulder
2205 Broadway St
Boulder, CO 80302

Accessibility: handicap parking, wheelchair seating available upon request, elevator to roof, all installations accessible.

with support from
Boulder Arts Commission logoColorado Creative Industries logoBoulder County Arts Alliance logoColorado Office of Film, Television, and Media logo

the Sans Souci Premiere includes:

film screening trailer

a silhouette of a woman tap dancing on a bench; part of the Sans Souci logo

live performance

Into Out of Body

A live performance experiment with dance and video projection. Visit the museum garage to explore the liminal space between inner and outer. Produced with support from the University of Northern Colorado Faculty Research and Publications Board.

main floor, Garage (a durational performance from 7:00 – 7:20)

a stylized image in warm color tones of a long haired dancer squatting slightly, arms extended with palms facing out

Performer: Jeanine McCain
Video and Projection Operator: Brian Hapcic
Live Music: Jesse Manno

film installations

These installations are available each night of the Premiere from 6:30 – 7:30, during intermission, and after the screening. Each installation features two films from our upcoming screenings of all-new works at the Dairy Arts Center this fall.

“Locals’ Only” Preview installation

second floor (Mason’s Nook)

three dancers dressed in dresses of warm tones lean backward onto a large, relatively smooth boulder that is reddish in color

TerraMontes

2024 / United States / 6 min

Directed by Ana Baer, Heike Salzer
Produced by WECreate Productions
Choreography by Michelle Nance, Kim Olson, Heike Salzer
Featuring WECreate Productions

TerraMontes is a meditative site-specific screendance which explores an embodied sense of healing with the environment. As with the two previous works from the WECreate Productions’ Terra series, (HinterTerra and UrbáTerra), the dancers and camera explore the poetics of place through improvisation. In a matter of hours, The Lower North Fork Fire blazed through more than four thousand acres of pristine forest. Thousands were displaced, the fire destroyed almost thirty homes and resulted in three fatalities. The fire began on March 26, 2012 when firefighters lost control of a planned burn in Foxton, Colorado. Some of the fire was classified as high intensity, making the recovery of the land a very long process or impossible in some cases.

on a solid black background, a light skinned dancer in a purple shirt is down on one knee and holding another dancer effortlessly on her left shoulder

the desire of a body toward the center of the earth

2025 / United States / 6 min

Directed by Tara Knight, Rebecca Salzer
Choreography by Liz Burritt, Liam Clancy
Dancing by Liz Burritt, Liam Clancy
Music Composed by Ronan Kelleher
Color Grading by Emett Casey
Lighting Design by Christopher Petillo

Two dancers move toward connection while navigating the fundamental disorientation of being human.

“Dancing on the Planet” Preview installation

second floor (Boulder Room back wall)

a woman sits on a flat concrete structure in the middle of a moss-covered forest, her long dark brown hair completely obscuring her face

Directions to the Other Side of the World

2025 / Ireland / 12 min

Directed by Derrick Belcham
Choreography by Kiley Dolaway
Dancing by Kiley Dolaway
Music Composed by Linda Buckley, Hannah Peel
Narration by Iarla ó lionáird

A woman explores the far reaches of rural Ireland in an attempt to make peace with the darker aspect of her spirit. Shot on location in County Kerry, Ireland in 2025, Directions to the Other Side of the World is a blessing, in the style of noted Irish poet John O’Donahue, for those of us visited by a depressed and desolate spirit, a sincere wish for friendship with the greyer aspects of self, and the darker times of day and season. Narrated and accompanied by the modern master of the Sean-nós tradition of singing, Iarla ó Lionáird, and scored by contemporary Irish composers Linda Buckley and Hannah Peel, the film attempts to bridge generations of place and ritual into poetic and practical film of belonging and peace.

two women lie draped over a dirty bathtub in the middle of a desert environment; the sun and two Joshua trees are clearly visible behind them

Drain

2024 / United States / 5 min

Directed by Shannon Morzov
Produced by Shannon Morzov, Jessie Ryan
Choreography by Jesse Ryan
Dancing by Robyn O’Dell, Jesse Ryan

A meditation in movement on the strained limitations of the California landscape.

“Dancing as Ourselves” Preview installation

second floor (Boulder Room amphitheater)

a grainy image of a dancer is superimposed onto a narrow dark road through the woods that is only illuminated by the headlights of a car outside the shot

Anything With a Switch

2024 / United States / 5 min

Directed by Charli Brissey
Produced by Charli Brissey
Dancing by Charli Brissey
Written by Charli Brissey

watch the trailer

A short movement study on sapphic longing and obsession.

a dancer sits on the shoulders of another dancer; both are wearing white and facing away from the camera, looking at some rocky islands just offshore

Dust

2025 / United States / 10 min

Directed by Noelle Kayser
Produced by Open Space, Portland Regional Arts & Culture Council
Choreography by Noelle Kayser
Featuring Open Space
Dancing by Audrey Wells, Bree Kostelnik
Cinematography by Matthew Tomac
Edited by Matthew Tomac
Music Composed by Andrew Bird, Julianna Barwick
Costume Design by Amanda Gladu

Dust is a dance film that explores themes of legacy and mortality in the cycle of intergenerational caregiving. It pays tribute to the compassion, reciprocity, and unconditional love present as we guide one another into and out of this life. It depicts the experience of caring for my father as he died of cancer.

22nd annual festival premiere screening

This screening runs approximately 95 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. It is recommended for viewers age 12 and up due to one film featuring the topic of domestic violence.

museum rooftop @ 7:30pm
(weather permitting; screening will be held in the Lodge room on the 2nd floor if necessary)

seven dancers and three musicians, all wearing bright colors, joyfully dance and play in the street of an urban area in bright daylight

Cut Me Summa Dat Noise

2024 / United States / 6 min

Directed by Cara Hagan
Produced by Jeanette Bonner
Choreography by Cara Hagan, Margaret Morrison & dancers
Dancing by Deborah Mitchell, Margaret Morrison, Lisa LaTouche, Alexis Robbins, Adante Power, Kyleigh Vickars, Rae Walsh, Dawn Drake, Usman Salahuddin, Minerva Johnson, Jackie Coleman, Cara Hagan

Cut Me Summa Dat Noise celebrates the rhythms of everyday life through the eyes of a neighborhood matriarch who sets the tone for a new day with the beat of her own heart. As the neighborhood comes to life, people of all ages unite in a joyous cacophony of sound that illuminates the connections between them as members of a vibrant and diverse community in rhythm.

two dark haired, caramel skinned dancers in rust colored tank tops clutch their right ribs with their left hands

Shared Breath

2023 / Canada / 8 min

Directed by Damian Siqueiros
Produced by Mariya Moneva
Choreography by Roger Sinha
Featuring Sinha Dance
Dancing by Emmanuelle Martin, Citlali Germé-Trevino, Amélia Lamanque, Olivia Jaen Flores
Cinematography by Max Machado
Music Composed and Performed by Of Sound Mind and Body
Art Direction by Damian Siqueiros
Assistant Direction and Art Direction by Helena Vallès Escolà
Original Concept by Roger Sinha

watch the trailer

Shared Breath is a short film inspired by a dance piece of the same name. Four dancers wear square skirt-like structures attached to their waists, symbolizing the socially defined shape of their personal spaces. The characters whirl tirelessly within the beautiful, but restrictive forms, such as modern-day dervishes, and add dynamic curves and flows to the rigid straight lines. Defying distance and absence of touch, striving for contact, they break free eventually, all within one shared breath. The film is a soul-stirring reminder of our essential need for touch and connection.

a man and woman sit at a well lit table in an empty and otherwise dark room, their hands performing intricate choreography on the table

Spoken Movement Family Honour

2025 / United Kingdom / 10 min

Directed by Daniel Gurton
Produced by Harriet Thomas
Choreography by Kwame Asafo-Adjei
Featuring Spoken Movement
Dancing by Kwame Asafo-Adjei, Catrina Nisbett
Music Composed by Ben Nobuto
Cinematography by Henry Gill
Edited by Emilie Orsini, Sakky Barnor

In a British-Ghanaian household bound by tradition and religion, a young girl lives under the oppressive control of her abusive father. At the family dinner table, heated arguments reveal the deep rift between them as they confront the scars of their shared history. AUDIENCE WARNING: This film references domestic violence and may be unsuitable for some viewers.

five light skinned dancers huddle together on a beach such that no parts of any of their faces are visible and they appear almost as one organism

APXH (beginning)

2023 / Switzerland / 9 min

Directed by Maja Zimmerlin
Produced by Maja Zimmerlin, Sarah Möller
Choreography by Maja Zimmerlin
Dancing by Aurore Allo, Kritonas Anastasopoulos, Manuel Lindner, Wibke Storkan, Maja Zimmerlin
Cinematography by Johan Planefeldt
Costumes by Clara Fee Stürzl
Music, Sound Design, and Mixing by Elisa Arciniegas Pinilla

watch the trailer

In the beginning there was a complete nothing: a nothing in which nothing existed. The smallest particle, a cell, a grain of sand. Merging, crystallizing, forming shapes. When light and dark intermingled, who could fathom the being and becoming? And when only to be seen was a swath of fog swirling, a wide horizon became apparent. A first breath, endlessly recurring, gave its weight to the waves, and against the wind. The continuity of duplication and division, forming life in tenderness and timeless trust.

three dancers in colorful pastel colored costumes interact with a metal arbor covered in climbing plants

Alma Luz

2025 / United States / 4 min

Directed by Heidi Duckler
Produced by Heidi Duckler Dance
Choreography by Heidi Duckler
Dancing by Marissa Brown, Colleen Loverde, Joseph Stevens

watch the trailer

Inspired by the emotive words of Clarice Lispector’s poem, My Soul Has the Weight of Light, Alma Luz illuminates the immaterial weight of the human condition — the weight of an unspoken word, the fleeting touch of a look and the fragile, ethereal essence of the soul itself.

a young woman in black pants and a magenta fur coat strolls along a row of large trees in front of an impressive multi-story stone building

Moving Through

2025 / Poland / 1 min

Directed by Kacper Bozek, Aleksandra Kus
Choreography by Aleksandra Kuś

A dancer moves through an urban space, blending the art of dance with the dynamics of the cityscape and nature. Her movements flow seamlessly with the surroundings, creating a harmonious narrative of freedom, expression, and the connection between humans, the city, and the natural world. Each gesture and step highlights the contrast between reality and imagination. Time constantly chases her, confined within 60 seconds. Every shot offers a moment to reflect on how movement can be interpreted as a metaphor for the rush of life.

–>

15-minute intermission

a dark skinned husband and wife touch their foreheads together while standing in a residential kitchen with white cupboards and tile walls

The Ballad of a Home

2025 / United States / 8 min

Directed by Keely Song, Robert Machoian
Choreography by Keely Song
Dancing by Kristina Hanna, Jeffrey Louizia
Written by Robert Machoian

Conversations and connections spoken and missed over a family dinner unfold. Within their fragile resolutions and tension, other chances for connections quietly slips away.

in a rural African town, a dark skinned man in a white suit poses between several large wash tubs and is soaked in water

Cimetre

2024 / France, Burkina Faso / 7 min

Directed by Jacob Londry Bonkian, Djibril Ouattara
Choreography by Djibril Ouattara
Featuring Ankata Next Generation
Dancing by Salif Bamogo, Abdoul Kader Derra, Ousmane Diallo, Abdoulaye Ouedraogo, Melanie Sanon, Boune Rahim Sanou, Karidiatou Sanou, Sylvie Dalia Sanou
Cinematography by Jacob Londry Bonkian
Artistic Direction by Clotilde Rullaud

watch the trailer

Cimetre takes viewers deep into the vibrant heart of Bobo-Dioulasso’s popular neighborhoods, where life pulses on every street corner. This poetic and sensory immersion explores the essence of the cimetre, a six-meter social perimeter around homes where tradition, modernity, and solidarity intertwine. From the first light of dawn to the fiery celebrations of night, the Saint-Étienne district becomes a living tapestry of artisans, merchants, children, and dancers. Guided by cinematic storytelling, this music video celebrates the collective energy of a tightly-knit community while raising a universal question: how can we preserve connection and compassion in an increasingly individualistic world? Through vivid dance scenes, striking contrasts between tradition and modernity, and evocative symbols like the communal mirror, Cimetre captures the hidden beauty of the ordinary. A woman in a red satin dress in a garage, a dancer in white moving through a bath of black ink — each detail highlights the duality and richness of these neighborhoods. Straddling modern influences and deep-rooted heritage, this film transcends music to present an intimate, universal portrait of a world where conviviality becomes an act of resistance.

a woman with buzzed hair lays on a bed holding an infant; both have their eyes closed and are wearing white

Motherhood

2024 / United States / 3 min

Directed by Nicole Spring
Produced by Nicole Spring
Choreography by Stephanie Kim
Dancing by Stephanie Kim
Cinematography by Steven Fadellin
Music Composed by Sami Freeman
Written by Nicole Spring

In the light of dawn she awakens in her nest, one baby under her wing, the other two in search of food.

two versions of a light skinned man - one wearing a tee shirt and baseball hat and one wearing a full suit and tie - dance in an empty room with a hardwood floor

Echo

2024 / United States / 13 min

Directed by Anthony Morigerato
Produced by Anthony Morigerato, David Spadora
Choreography by John Michael Fiumara
Dancing by John Michael Fiumara
Featuring Peter Francis James
Written by Makayla Ryan, Anthony Morigerato

watch the trailer

JP is faced with a no-win decision as a consequence of decisions made long ago.

a young, fair-skinned woman squats on pavement at night, holding a neon pink strip of LEDs in what appears to be a parking lot with illuminated signs behind her

Y

2024 / Poland / 1 min

Directed by Zuza Marczak
Performance by Nikola Palej
Music by Konrad Juszczyszyn
Edited by Zuza Marczak
Written by Zuza Marczak
Production Assistant Mateusz Wuj

Close your eyes. You have a minute. It’s a lot and not enough. Breathe. Ask your roommate, who is an actress, to help you. 50 seconds. Arrange a barter with a friend who will be able to make music in exchange for logos. 45 seconds. There are two ways to do things quickly: short and sweet or quick and dirty and that’s always too dirty, too late, and too quick. But don’t worry, you have time. 30 seconds. Run…a love letter to DIY films. AUDIENCE WARNING: This film contains a strobe effect that may be unpleasant for photosensitive viewers.

in a theater lobby painted in a checkerboard pattern, two twins pose identically with palms touching as several couples dance as partners behind them

Fuga Y Misterio

2024 / United States, Argentina / 4 min

Produced and Directed by Martin and Facundo Lombard
Choreography by Martin and Facundo Lombard
Dancing by Martin Lombard, Facundo Lombard, Valentina Belizan, Laura Molina, Tere Sanchez Terraf, Aylen Ramirez, Melquiades, Iva Fragniere, Mirei Shiroki, Soledad Mangia, Ariel Giordanengo, Nicolas Filipeli, Mario Rizzo, Leandro Suarez, Dave, Mario Javier Gavito, Bernardo Ismael, Antonio Hair
Cinematography by Martin and Facundo Lombard
Edited by Martin and Facundo Lombard
Music Composed by Astor Piazzolla
Art Direction by Marina Robledo

One night in Buenos Aires, a group of friends gather at a milonga (Tango Social Club) to enjoy a challenging dance piece in the form of a “fugue,” where emotions seep through their bodies and they immerse themselves in every note of each melody offered by this exciting and mysterious contrapuntal composition by the great Argentine musician Astor Piazzolla.

two men posture in a room with large crystal like structures growing unnaturally out of the floor; one man seems to be conjuring some metallic fluid with his jewelry-clad right hand

Juno & Sensei

2024 / Netherlands / 7 min

Directed by Tom Gera
Produced by Hannah Padding
Choreography by Lo Walther Boer
Featuring The Movers Amsterdam
Dancing by Jorge Nozal, Masao Parris
Written by Tom Gera

watch the trailer

When an aging dancer’s mentorship turns to jealousy, his young protégé’s talent for mirroring ignites a dazzling duel of reality-bending choreography, blurring the line between creation and destruction.

That’s all, folks! We hope you enjoyed the screening. If you have a moment, please take our audience survey.