Frame Rush is an annual festival of screendance works programmed by the MA Screendance students at London Contemporary Dance School. Each year’s cohort presents a distinct public event, informed by their desires and interests. The event will be a live sharing of the works in Central London on 19 September with a potential hybrid component.

What is Screendance?

Screendance is a combination of art, dance and filmmaking. We recognise that the one thing we all share is movement. This can be seen in our body's movements and in how we use the camera. While words can sometimes be misleading, the body often tells the truth.

2025 Open Call

This year, we’re excited to invite artists to submit their films that share impactful stories. We’re open to a wide range of themes, including identity, community, culture, political commentary, and social or psychological topics.

Don’t worry about the style, technique, or budget- every submission will be given equal consideration.

We truly believe in the power of screendance, so we encourage all filmmakers to think about how their work might fit into our festival, whether it showcases dance, movement, or powerful visual imagery.

KEY INFORMATION

Selection Criteria

Films will be considered for selection based on:

Creativity and imagination
Clarity of intention
Kinesthetic empathy: expression and communication
Clarity of intention
Skills, technique, and craft
Diversity and representation
Accessibility

Frame Rush invites artists who do not identify as screendance practitioners to re-examine their works and discover if dance is already present in their films.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome by 25 June 2025

Deadlines and Details

Length of film: 1-15 minutes
Early Bird deadline: 11 March 2025 - $4 USD submission fee
Final Deadline: 21 March 2025 - $5 USD submission fee
Notification date: 25 June 2025
Screening date: 19 September 2025

Access and support

If you need to submit your application in an alternative format or have any access questions, please get in touch with us via email: frame.rush@lcds.ac.uk

We also offer fee waivers to reduce/remove the entry fee for applicants who need assistance. To apply please send us an email to frame.rush@lcds.ac.uk with this information ONLY:

Subject line: ‘Fee waiver’
Body text: name, title of film

If you have previously submitted a film that was not selected, we welcome you to re-enter at a discounted fee. Contact us if you have not received an email with a discount code.

We are happy to correspond in French, Chinese, and English

Frame Rush 2025 Team

Alex Turner (she/her)
Alex B (she/her)
Becky Johnson (she/they)
Eimyn Cheung 张逸珉(she/her)
Fanshu Xu 徐凡淑(she/her)
Jacy Keddie (she/her)
Jessie Lee Thorne (she/they)
Riley Roberts Castellanet (she/her)
Xintian Zhao 赵歆恬 (she/her)

Contact us

Website
Email
@frame.rush (Instagram)
Facebook

Read Dance Art Journal's review of Frame Rush 2024