Dance Camera Istanbul is a unique screendance festival and screening series throughout the year based in Istanbul, Turkey, that features choreography for the camera, screeenings of experimental short dance films, documentary dance films and Virtual Reality (VR) dance film experiences.. The festival has been partnering with so many leading international screendance film festivals, cultural centers and universities around the world to curate year around screenings. The in-person Dance Camera Istanbul Festival was on a "breathing" break/pause and have been back on track these past 3 years. It is stronger and more inspired than before with all the community, artists' and venues' support.

Past two years Dance Camera Istanbul Festival was collaborating with Istanbul Improvisation Dance Festival. Together uniting the powers with special editions and screenings from all around the world at prestigious venues around the city of Istanbul. This year (2024) Dance Camera Istanbul is back on its independent wings and preparing another strong and remarkable international screening progmamming, workshops, panels and new productions. We are currently working on the actual event date in late fall (TBD) and will communicate asap and might modify here in the FF system once it is the definite dates.

In addition we are also going to have 3 2024 Spring satellite in-person screening events in Istanbul at Akbank Sanat in April, Bilgi University and Koc University in May. We will also curate films from the on going applications.

Since its establishment in 2007, Dance Camera Istanbul has screened a wide variety of (hundreds of) groundbreaking and acclaimed dance films by artists from around the world, organized and hosted many panels, workshops, produced works, and organized live international dance performances and dance photography exhibits at acclaimed arts venues around the beautiful city of Istanbul.

We have partnered with national and international universities, arts organizations, arts venues, international film festivals to expand our touring program, developing opportunities for artists and audience members to network, educate, inspire, and cultivate new audiences along with new opportunities.

In the 2024 edition; we encourage the works from all topics, human rights, embracing life, peace, unity, minority based social issues, embracing the nature, eco-art, bio-art, immersive technology and the more the merrier. Submission is open to all dance films.

The screening will be in person some in public spaces and some will be in acclaimed cultural centers/venues/museums and universities. All the updates and information details will be announced in a timely matter during spring 2024.

Mission:

Dance Camera Istanbul is an international Dance Film & Dance Photography Festival while ”Seeing Dance Through the Lens” and founded by a group of independent artists and art explorers who are building a greater awareness of multicultural, interdisciplinary art forms in connection with the field of dance.

The “Dance Camera Istanbul” team aims to support, share, promote established artists’ works and encourage emerging artists who are focused on and interested in the artistic and experimental dimension of making dance for the camera. Our main goal is to support and provide collaboration opportunities between filmmakers, dancers, choreographers, photographers, musicians, and dance and digital technology explorers.

Our growing philosophy is to be an open platform, be a voice and create a free space without borders and an artistic environment for sharing, giving, receiving, experiencing, and creating through the different perspectives, backgrounds and focuses on making strong art. We are anticipating sharing the joy of these creations and presentations of this art form. With this motivation and enthusiasm, we seek to include new innovative forms to our festival as it constantly evolves to include new beginnings and adventures...

We celebrate and support diversity, all abilities, equality, unity, acceptance and we highly encourage films and filmmakers who share these values of inclusion. We encourage all human beings around the globe; people of color, LGBTQ, indigenous people, minorities, people with disabilities and all.

***Dance Camera Istanbul website is currently under update process.

Awards & Prizes

We do not compete the films and we celebrate them all equally.
Selected artists are welcome to join us in Istanbul and have free access to all the screenings and a welcoming community with lots of thibgs to do in the beautiful city of Istanbul.

We are still working on this more to be announced soon.

Dance Camera Istanbul is an international community. We also curate lots of other screening events and produce new works in collaboration within the
local and international community artists, partners both local and from around the world with strong networking and lifelong friendship.

Rules & Terms

Please read the entire agreement, rules, and terms and ensure that you have the full rights to submit the film.

-All submitting films have to be set with a downloadable option.
-You may submit any form of original dance films; short films, screendance, fiction, camera re-work, documentary, features, virtual reality dance production as well as any experimental film based on the relationship between body, sound, space, and movement as a medium for story-telling or visual spectacle that are produced within the last three years: 2022, 2023 and 2024.

-Short films must be under 16 minutes and feature documentaries are welcome in all lengths. For the shorts, the shorter your film is, the easier it is to program. Please consider cutting your credits to be as short as possible. Credits count as part of the running in time.

-Dance documentary films must be research-based works and we do not screen performance documentations.

-Student applicants should apply with a .edu email address and email proof of current enrollment along with a valid student ID.

-Submission fee must be made at time of submission. Submission fees are non-refundable.

- Submission film format must be a high-quality .mov or mp4 file and DCP HD format may be requested separately.

-Applicants must have all rights and permissions to present the work and must be 18 years or older.

-Due to any potential upcoming quarantine at the time of the event, the final event date is subject to change. The festival is currently planned to be online or follow a live/online hybrid model depending on the pandemic developments.

-We support diversity and peace and we will not be able to provide any refund and will not be able to screen any films with violence or discriminatory themes.

-When submitting your film, please INCLUDE CREDITS AND A SHORT SYNOPSIS IN YOUR ENTRY (written out in FilmFreeway). We want to ensure proper credit and info is given to the artists involved in your project.

-Submitters authorize the organizers of the Dance Camera Istanbul Festival and its sister events to keep a copy of their film(s) in their archives, for festival and event screenings on educational, artistic and cultural exchange purposes and use photography/stills for promotional purposes. Dance Camera Istanbul and its sister events are given the right to use excerpts from my work in all promotional materials. The filmmakers will be notified and asked for permission in advance for any potential screenings other than this initial event emphasized as "sister events".

RELEASE & AGREEMENT

By agreeing to the Rules, Terms, And Conditions, located below the entity submitting the Film (hereafter called the “Filmmaker”) acknowledges that he, she, or they has obtained consent from any and all owners, choreographers, musicians, composers, creators, writers, producers and/or other authorized representatives of the Film (hereafter called the “Film’s Owners”) whose consent is required to submit the Film to the Dance Camera Istanbul and their sister events (which will be contacted and informed separately if needed) (hereafter called the “DCI & DCP” and “Festival”), and has read and accepts the submission terms and conditions below:

1. I represent and warrant to the DCI that: (a) I am duly authorized, on my own behalf and on behalf of all other persons or entities who have any ownership rights or interests (including, without limitation, intellectual property rights) in or relating to the Film, to exhibit this Film at the DCI , (b) exhibition of the Film at the DCI will not violate any law or any right or consent of any person or entity; and (c) the Film is not subject to any litigation, arbitration, or other adversarial claim or proceeding, nor is the Film the subject of any threat of litigation, arbitration, or other adverse claim or proceeding.

2. I further represent and warrant, on behalf of myself and the Film’s Owners, that the exhibition of the Film at the Festival will not violate or infringe any copyright, patent, privacy right, publicity right, trademark, service mark, or any other personal or property right of any person or entity, and that the Film does not constitute or include defamation of any person or entity. I have paid and will pay in full all license fees, clearance fees, and other obligations, of any kind, arising from or associated with the exhibition of the Film at or in connection with the DCI.

3. In the event that the Film is accepted by the DCI for inclusion in the Festival, I acknowledge, on behalf of myself and the Film’s Owners, that we understand that none of the Film’s Owners will receive any compensation for such exploitation, although some prizes at the DCI may include cash or other awards. I acknowledge that no obligation of any kind is assumed by, or may be implied against, the DCI in the event of, by virtue of, or as a result of the DCI's selection of the Film for the Festival.

4. I agree, on behalf of myself and each of the Film’s Owners, to indemnify and hold harmless the Festival, together with each of their parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, attorneys, creative advisors, agents, and representatives (collectively, “DCI Related Parties”), from and against any and all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, fees, and expenses (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs) that may be asserted by any person or entity, or may be incurred by the DCI the Festival, or any DCI Related Parties, at any time in connection with the Film or the DCI’s use, handling or consideration thereof, and/or arising from any breach or alleged breach of any representation made by me to the DCI or any DCI Related Parties, including, without limitation, any express or implied representation in these Rules, Terms and Conditions.

5. In the event that the Film is accepted by DCI for inclusion in and exhibition at the Festival, I hereby grant, on behalf of myself and each of the Film’s Owners, each of the following rights to the Festival, and any DCI Related Parties without reservations, conditions or qualifications: (a) the right to use footage, stills and/or titles, and information from or relating to the Film for promotional purposes; and (b) the right to issue and authorize publicity concerning the filmmakers and the Film and to use all associated names, likenesses and biographical information. I also agree to provide up-to-date contact information pertaining to the director(s) and producer(s) of the Film, and to grant DCI, at their sole and absolute discretion, the right to provide this information to organizations that sponsor Festival events.
11 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Mohammad Hasani

    I was so excited that the movie "A Butterfly Is Knocking on the Window" was selected for the Istanbul Dance Festival.
    Some of the film's cast members attended the festival, and the warm hospitality, Q&A sessions with workshops, and the opportunity to connect with dancers and directors from other countries made the Istanbul Dance Festival one of the best dance festivals I have ever attended.

    April 2024
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  • Sue Schroeder

    Thank you for selecting Together as a finalist. This was a great experience!

    October 2023
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  • Sarah Campen

    I'm so grateful that Dance Camera Istanbul selected SALMON DANCE to be shown in Istanbul this fall! I really appreciated the opportunity to attend the festival and get to meet so many wonderful dancers and filmmakers. I hope to be back sometime soon :)

    October 2023
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  • Katharina Seibt

    A fantastic dance film festival in bustling Istanbul. The film selection was very interesting, and the care and attention provided were warm and endearing. It was a great opportunity to meet fellow enthusiasts of dance film. Highly recommended. I really enjoyed my time there.

    October 2023
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  • Mircea Sorin Albutiu

    Life is so good in this festival! Art is present in all activities. thank you Onur!

    October 2023
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