Kinetoscope: International Screendance Film Festival is Montana’s premiere dance film festival. Created in 2013, the festival consistently presents the best of screendance from around the world. Kinetoscope started as a screening partner with Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema (Boulder, CO). During the past festivals, we have screened over 100 international dance film for Montana’s vastly underserved dance audiences. The festival is presented and curated by Montana’s only full-season professional dance company, Bare Bait Dance. This year we are bringing the festival to the home of Bare Bait Dance, The Westside Theater.

Our primary intent is to screen films that exemplify the most exciting and innovative video and dance collaborations from around the world. We celebrate the diversity in the screendance field and are open to films with a variety of styles, themes, and approaches.

“BEST OF KINETOSCOPE” - Audience Award
“STAFF PICK” - Kinetoscope Staff Favorite

Kinetoscope: International Screendance Film Festival [Kinetoscope] is open to all dance films on all styles and subjects. Our focus is on short (less than 30 mins) dance films. Dance documentaries are not our focus but may be included on a smaller scale. All films selected for screening will be notified of their status by November 22, 2024. If accepted for screening, your film will screen four times in Missoula, Montana, January 24th-26th at The Westside Theater as part of Kinetoscope.

Kinetoscope requires an online screener to be uploaded to the FilmFreeway video player. If you absolutely cannot upload your film please email info@kinetoscopefilmfestival.org for instructions on mailing a physical screener or sending it via another online site.

If your film is accepted for exhibition, Kinetoscope will ask for a still frame from your film for the festival screening playbill and/or promotional materials; if you would like to select stills yourself, please one to three images to: info@kinetoscopefilmfestival.org. They should have the same pixel dimensions and aspect ratio as your film's frame and clearly convey movement or dancing in the image.

If your film is accepted for exhibition, Kinetoscope is also granted the right to utilize an excerpt of your film for promotional purposes.

Selected films may also be part of a small, art-house cinema Kinetoscope Tour into rural Montana (no more than five locations) during the calendar year of 2025. We will notify you if your film is touring.

The applicant shall indemnify and hold harmless Kinetoscope from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered. 


Film entries must also match the following criteria:
- Entries must have a release date, copyright date or air date after 2018.
- For public screenings during the festival, a H264 or .mov file will be requested.
- HD SUBMISSIONS MUST BE IN INTERLACE FORMATS 1080p
- WE CANNOT ACCOMMODATE ANY PROGRESSIVE or HDCAM-SR FORMATS AT THIS TIME.
- Filmmakers must submit 1 viewing copy per entry.

Please preview your entries before submitting. Films with time code or other defects may be disqualified. No refunds.

Kinetoscope does not pay screening fees.

Submission fees are non-refundable.

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Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Love this festival - thank you Bare Bait!

    March 2022
  • Wonderful spirit and communication. Very happy to be included! Warm and welcoming vibe for artists - a real sense of community here!

    March 2022
  • Kate Mitchell

    I was very honored that my film, GOLDEN, was included in the 2020 festival, and to talk with Joy French, the festival director, about the film. As we all know, 2020 was a terrible year for film festivals because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so live festivals were impossible, which is why I haven't commented on hospitality and networking. But Kinetoscope worked hard to make the online event an exciting one. Although I missed the opportunity to meet other artists and people in the community, on the other hand, the films were undoubtedly seen by more viewers. Thank you, Kinetoscope!

    February 2021
  • Liudmila Komrakova

    I was unable to attend but communication was excelent. I was honored that my film was selected and well percieved by audience and jury.
    Happy to be part of the festival

    July 2019
  • I was unable to attend, but was very impressed with the festival from afar. All selected films received FOUR screenings over two days, and the filmmakers received a lot of local press and warm attention on social media platforms. It was magnificent to see that there was such an enthusiastic audience for international dance films in Montana.

    January 2019