Dances With Films: LA has announced the film lineup for next month’s return of Los Angeles’ largest indie film-focused film festival, which will run June 18-28. The festival’s 29th edition will platform movies not produced by studios or with big budgets.

The  line-up will include DWF: LA’s critically acclaimed Midnight Horror and Genre, and Pilots sections. The festival will also continue the celebration of music, dance and family-friendly programming in the Downbeat and Kidz sections.

This year’s packed schedule will be bookended by the world premieres of Jay Silverman’s drama ‘Yale’ with Caitlin McGee, Kevin Dunn and Rachael Harris, as the Opening Night selection, and Adam Hoelzel’s thriller ‘Tender’ with Jesse Garcia, Jess Weixler, David Koechner, and Robert Longstreet, on Closing Night. The festival’s screenings and events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre on 6925 Hollywood Blvd. in the Ovation Complex.

This year’s DWF: LA’s lineup includes 279 films, including 41 narrative features, 17 documentary features, four midnight features and 33 television and streaming pilots. The festival will also include 184 short films, including 99 narratives and 21 documentaries, 32 midnight films, 15 Kidz section entries and 17 Downbeat/Music projects.

Dances With Films has built an indisputable reputation as a discovery film festival that features the most world premieres of any festival in Los Angeles. DWF: LA will include 144 world premieres, which is more than half of the total films in the festival.

Additional narrative features, beyond the two gala selections, making their world premieres at the festival include Andrew David Paterson’s ‘American Flake,’ Jay Diaz’s ‘Angeleno,’ Brian L. Tan’s ‘Bandit’ and John Brownell’s ‘Coin,’ Sean Perry’s ‘Coaled Blood.’ They’ll be joined by Daniel Katz and Brad Dickson’s ‘Dave vs. Hollywood,’ Joel David Santner’s ‘Directors’ Commentary,’ Gerald Fillmore’s ‘Face Love,’ Mädchen Amick’s ‘Fractured,’ Rachel Carey’s ‘Good Thoughts,’ Doug Bremner’s ‘The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg,’ Jordan Rowe’s Hamilton House’ and Jonathan Oster’s ‘Jane’s Not Here.’

The schedule continues with Jason Laurits’ ‘Loves Company,’ JJ Lippman’s ‘Mind Games,’ Stephen McNamee’s ‘Muffled,’ Robyn Symon’s ‘Queen of Shock,’ D.J. Hale’s ‘Rescue.’ Other screenings that are scheduled to be held at DWF: LA are Dustin Brown’s ‘Solidarity,’ David Ketterer Spencer’s ‘Souvenir,’ RJ Zabasky’s ‘Sync,’ Marcus Niehaus’ ‘Tales From the Crypto,’ Gregory J. Green’s ‘Tempest,’ Debra De Liso’s ‘Wilma, Wu, and a Stripper Named Lorraine,’ and Njedeh Anthony’s ‘Yellow Broken Road.’

Making their North American Premieres will be Tristan Barr’s ‘Deathkeeper,’ Aleksandra Hansen’s ‘Life at Sandy’s, Scott Tinkham and Michael Woloson’s ‘Littermates,’ and Mason Howard’s ‘U A P.’

Dances With Films’ founders, Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent, said, “For close to three decades Dances With Films has exhibited ‘The Power of Indie Film’ and this year’s lineup is filled with unique and diverse voices from filmmakers working outside of the studio system and without the benefit of bigger budgets, will entertain and surprise film lovers with the cinematic magic DWF is well-known for. As always, we couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce them all and connect our filmmakers with audiences, film distributors, and other industry veterans in the best way imaginable: at the TCL Chinese Theatres right in the heart of Hollywood.”

Thursday, June 18 features the World Premiere Opening Night presentation of ‘Yale.’ The movie focuses on a woman who must find and ask for help from the father who abandoned her when she was a child in order to save her son, who needs an emergency kidney transplant. The film stars Caitlin McGee, Dominic Leeder, Kevin Dunn, and Rachael Harris.

Sunday, June 28, DWF: LA offers another world premiere as its Closing Night selection, ‘Tender.’ The drama follows a couple trapped in a failing marriage and drowning in debt who discover a hidden stash of gold buried within the walls of their home. What begins as a lifeline quickly spirals into danger, as the pair devise a high-stakes plan to offload the fortune and escape their financial ruin. The movie’s cast includes Jesse Garcia, Jess Weixler, David Koechner, Robert Longstreet, Mark St. Cyr, Keli Price, Stephen Ellis, Robert Peters and Sonja O’Hara.

Dances With Films’ critically acclaimed Midnight section of films features several entries making their North American premieres. One such movie is ‘Deathkeeper,’ which pits a reclusive angel against a charming demon in disguise in order to save a possessed woman. Another entry in is Mason Howard’s ‘U A P.’ The film takes place during a Fourth of July reunion, where five friends discover a mysterious sphere that draws the attention of government forces and private interests, and is possibly manipulating humanity itself.

The pilots category, which highlights projects with streaming and broadcast ambitions, has a varied selection of programming, including ‘Fixation.’ Inspired by true events, the series begins following the death of a young Korean woman, which is deemed routine until an autopsy uncovers something far more sinister.

Making its World Premiere is the docuseries ‘People of the West.’ Directors on the project are Christopher Nataanii Cegielski, Phillip Montgomery and Josh Baker. The docuseries reveals the untold history of California through Indigenous eyes, from creation to the present day. The project also cuts through myth to expose the forces that shaped the land that’s now known ad California.

Another high concept pilot making its debut is ‘Pain in the Neck.’ Set in a post-apocalypse Hollywood, an actress must deal with a zombie landlord and her vampire roommate, who she might just be falling in love with. Another pilot with an LGBTQIA+ romance is ‘You Are Here,’ which follows a fifty-something single gay man and his tight-knit circle of friends navigating life, friendship, sex and the horrors of dating after 50. 

DWF: LA’s prodigious short films lineup includes the world premiere of Alyssa Limperis and Emily Murnane’s ‘Going Home.’ The film follows a woman as she decides to go to her childhood home and visit her parents after suffering through a really bad day. The film stars Limperis and Patton Oswalt.

For more information about Dances With Films: LA, including its full film lineup, events, passes and tickets, visit its official website.