Oregon Dance Film Commission 2020
For the third year of the Oregon Dance Film Commission, Portland Dance Film Fest has selected filmmaker Ivana Horvat and Choreographer Alexander Dones to come together to create a dance film short to premiere at the 2020 festival!
The ODFC is supported by Pro Photo Supply.
Oregon Dance Film Commission came from the desire to offer a platform for Oregon artists working in, or interested in working in, the field of Dance Film. The collaborative aspect between filmmaker and choreographer is central to this project. Our ideal is that two artists who normally would not have come together to make a Dance Film, join forces, learn what is it to work together, and create a new 2-8 minute unique work.
Meet the Artists
Ivana Horvat
Ivana Horvat entered this world on a cold and snowy day in the former Yugoslavia after her mother walked through the steep, curvy streets of Sarajevo through two feet of snow to get to the hospital. When she is not shooting and producing video, she spends her time going to ethnic grocery stores, running around at the dog park, seeing second-run movies in theaters, VJing at local shows and wishing she had the patience to play board games. She has a background in documentary film and premiered her first feature-length documentary called Finding Bosnia in 2015. She believes creating an emotional connection to new ideas is the most important thing artists can do to challenge perspectives and create a better, more empathic society.
Alexander Dones
Alexander Dones is an interdisciplinary artist with an emphasis on dance & movement. Originally from Portland, Oregon, he moved to New York City at the age of 18 to begin his career as a dancer. Immediately upon his arrival he began freelancing with various artists & companies including MOMIX, Chase Brock, Dario Vacarro, and others. Between 2008 to 2014, Alexander split his time between New York, Chicago, Portland, and Detroit, working as a
freelance performer, choreographer, and educator with numerous artists & companies including NW Dance Project, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, artLab J, Cori Marquis, Carla Mann, and many others. Since 2011, Alexander has been collaborating with internationally acclaimed choreographer Doug Elkins with whom he has helped develop original roles & assisted in numerous productions. Through dance, Alexander has had the privilege of traveling around the world to perform, teach, and share work at multiple prestigious festivals & venues including the Joyce Theatre, Fall for Dance at City Center, Jacob’s Pillow, The Yard at Martha’s Vineyard, American Dance Institute, Lincoln Center, Detroit Dance City Festival, and tours through Germany, France, Vancouver B.C., and Spain. In 2017, Alexander’s independent project titled soothsayer was recognized with an Artist Exchange Award and individually represented the United States at the New Dance for Asia Festival in Seoul, South Korea. Since then, he has continued to work as a freelance artist and focuses on creating works & events that benefit the community & various causes/persons/organizations in need. Currently Alexander is teaching at Steps PDX, contributes his skill sets to those in need, and continues to develop soothsayer through various platforms—most recently, soothsayer has been transformed into a podcast format and can be found in most podcast players including apple podcasts, spotify, stitcher, and others. Upcoming collaborations & events this year include the development of a new work with Muddy Feet Contemporary Dance, ongoing productions with Steps PDX, and live performances of soothsayer in Portland & Detroit with others on the way. For more information about Alexander, or if you want to say hello, he can be found at www.AlexanderDones.com.
The Commission is made possible by
Pro Photo Supply
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