28th Annual Dances With Films (DWF) Festival Includes 18 Features and 31 Shorts in horror and sci-fi Programming

The 28th edition of discovery festival Dances With Films (DWF) has a wide range of genre programming playing at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre from Thursday, June 19 through Sunday, June 29, with 18 features and 31 shorts across horror, sci-fi, and thriller. In fact, this year’s festival is screening a whopping 38 other selections in horror, thriller and sci-fi programming.

The Features slate includes the World Premieres of The Calling, Teacher’s Pet, Universal, Apocalyse Love, Peeping Todd, No Choice, Crusty Fouler, Silent Prey, The Obelisk, The Killing Moon, Between Two Waves, Kombucha, Star People, A Bloody Mess, Acolyte; the North American Premiere of After Us, The Flood; the West Coast Premiere of Our Happy Place; and the Los Angeles Premiere of Séance.

Friday, June 20 brings Josh Munds’ PEEPING TODD at 11:45PM. Saturday, June 21 kicks off with Mark Wilson and Chris Retts’ THE CALLING at 6:30PM, followed by Noam Kroll’s TEACHER’S PET at 7:15PM and Stephen Portland’s UNIVERSAL at 9:30PM, and closing out with Vivian Kerr’s SÉANCE at 11:45PM.

Vera VanGuard’s APOCALYSE LOVE is on Sunday, June 22 at 6:15PM in the “Dances with Kidz/Family” category. While Monday, June 23 sees Nate Hilgartner’s NO CHOICE screening at 9:30PM and Tuesday, June 24 has John Giacobbe’s CRUSTY FOULER playing at 9:30PM.

Wednesday, June 25 begins with Arto Halonen and Ossi Hakala’s AFTER US, THE FLOOD at 6:45PM,  then has Paul Bickel’s OUR HAPPY PLACE at 9:00PM, and ends with Avan Hardwell’s SILENT PREY at 9:30PM.

Béla Baptiste’s THE OBELISK is on Thursday, June 26 at 9:30PM.

Friday, June 27 starts with Daniel Bogran’s THE KILLING MOON at 9:30PM, ahead of Courtney Sposato and Mark Sposato’s BETWEEN TWO WAVES at 11:30PM and Jake Myers and Geoff Bakken’s KOMBUCHA at 11:45PM.

The Features conclude on Saturday, June 28 with Adam Finberg’s STAR PEOPLE at 7:15PM, Daniel Hayden’s A BLOODY MESS at 9:30PM, and Camera A. Tubbs’ ACOLYTE at 10:15PM.

The Shorts lineup features the World Premieres of Just Before Dawn, Dead Weight, Be Nice, Bronze, The Full-Time Love Rat, Mirror/Mirror, My Dead Dad’s Funeral, Shortwave, Witch, Slice, Dunwich, Masclooking, She Follows, Spool, Talk Shit, Capture, In2u, The Night Within, Silent Echoes, Sister, Violet Vendetta, and Yes Dear; the West Coast Premieres of Tag, The Traveler, Dog People, Blood Boys, Sorry My Cat Is Sick, Close Encounter, And It Draws Closer; the California Premiere of Endzgiving; and the Southern California Premiere of Virgin.

First up on Saturday, June 21 is Dustin Bowser and Ezna Sands’ JUST BEFORE DAWN at 2:00PM in “Comp Shorts Block 2.”

This is followed by Virginia Root’s DEAD WEIGHT at 4:15PM in “Comp Shorts Block 3.”

The day closes with “Midnight Shorts Block 1” at 11:00PM, which includes Eric Baktanian’s BE NICE; Corey Benson Powers’ BRONZE; Tristan Barr, Charles Cottier, Jack Hutchinson’s THE FULL-TIME LOVE RAT; Drew Phillips’ MIRROR/MIRROR; Jamie Manelis’ MY DEAD DAD’S FUNERAL; Travis Bible’s TAG; Ted Hayden’s VIOLET VENDETTA; and Ramone Menon’s VIRGIN.

Sunday, June 22 opens with Mike Diaz’s SHORTWAVE and Matthew Scheffler’s THE TRAVELER at 2:00PM in “Comp Shorts Block 5.”

It finishes with Kevin Khamneipur and Andrew Frescas’ WITCH at 4:15PM in “Comp Shorts Block 6.”

 On Monday, June 23 is Bradley Stryker, Dan Sandders-Joyce, and Robbie Silverman’s DOG PEOPLE at 5:00PM in “Fusion Shorts Block 1.”

Siri Miller and Lauren Hoover’s SLICE plays Tuesday, June 24 at 7:00PM in “Fusion Shorts Block 3.”

Wednesday, June 25 sees “Fusion Shorts Block 5” at 7:00PM with Jordan M. Hahn’s BLOOD BOYS; Chris Marrone and Chris S. Gabriel’s DUNWICH; Jonathan Hamond’s MASCLOOKING, starring Daniel Franzese; Gio Randazzo and Miranda Rausch’s SHE FOLLOWS; Mashka Wolfe, Jaden LeBel, and Melinda-Catherine Gross’ SORRY, MY CAT IS SICK; Mike Manning and Mike Gerbino’s SPOOL; and Will Thede and Ben Weiss’ TALK SHIT.

Jamie Effros’ CAPTURE screens on Thursday, June 26 at 7:00PM in “Fusion Shorts Block 7.”

The Shorts wrap up on Saturday, June 28 at 11:45PM with “Midnight Shorts Block 2,” featuring Jeph Porter’s CLOSE ENCOUNTER; Tina Carbone and Patrick T. Dorsey’s ENDZGIVING; Joshua David Matthews’ IT DRAWS CLOSER; Adrienne Acevedo Lovette and John A. Rice’s IN2U; Mark Lammerding’s THE NIGHT WITHIN; Katie O’Grady’s SILENT ECHOES; Alyce Tzue’s SISTER; and Ken Blackwell, Marsha Song, and Calix Lewis Reneau’s YES DEAR.

A complete list of films and events, the festival schedule, passes and tickets, and more are available online here.