Dance Heals | 2026 SF Dance Film Festival

Dance Heals

Global voices turn pain into power, adversity into art.

Presented at Catharine Clark Gallery, Dance Heals gathers eight films that meet some of life’s hardest realities and answer them with movement. Ukrainian women wield choreography as testimony. A flamenco master performs in clothing historically reserved for women. A double amputee becomes a withered tree blooming anew. Each piece is less about the wound than what grows from it, blending poetry, cinematography, and activism in service of repair.

Curated by laura elaine ellis and followed by a panel discussion, the screening is presented alongside a concurrent exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Sandow Birk, whose work confronting history, justice, and war offers a compelling companion lens for these stories. A live performance by Dazaun Soleyn and Jordan E. Daubney will precede the films. Come witness what movement can hold, and what it can mend.

Doors open with access to the reception and gallery: 6:30PM

Tickets purchased at the door will cost $1 additional per ticket.

6:30p | House Opens

7:00p | Program begins

Runtime: 60 minutes, with a live performance

Venue Accessibility: Catherine Clark Gallery has a curb cut directly in front of the entrance on 248 Utah Street and there is an accessible entrance to get into the gallery.

About the 2026 San Francisco Dance Film Festival: 

The San Francisco Dance Film Festival marks its seventeenth year this fall with over 80 films celebrating dance in all its forms, from world-class ballet to endangered folkloric traditions. Eighteen in-person screenings run October 23 through November 8 at venues across San Francisco, complete with artist Q&As, panels, and community gatherings, followed by an Online Festival from November 9 through 30 featuring short film programs and online-only features. Join SFDFF 2026 for intimate documentaries, dazzling screendance, and thrilling live performance captures that celebrate the ever-evolving intersection of dance and film.

For more info please visit our website.