A 24 HOUR DANCE FILM JOURNEY

Calling all creatives! CreateART and Ace Hotel Brooklyn present CIRCADIA: a 24 hour dance film journey. Generate an idea, cast, shoot and edit a dance or movement-based film of less than 7 minutes or more in 1 day. Teams of 3 or more will be given access to some of Ace Hotel Brooklyn’s most iconic spaces (link to 360 tours) and must include at least one in their film along with a randomly selected action. The challenge culminates in a screening event and awards ceremony open to the public. Let your imagination, camera and collaborators run wild at Ace Hotel Brooklyn in this race to create!

Header image 16mm film frame shot by Anto(n) Astudillo for the film Studies: Obliteration, 2023 by Tingying Ma

 FAQ’S

Everything you need to know!

What is CIRCADIA?

CIRCADIA is a 1-day creative dance film adventure. You and your team will have 24 hours to conceive, choreograph, shoot, and edit a dance or movement-based film of 7 minutes or less. At the end of 24 hours we’ll host a free public screening so all your friends and family can admire your work. We will hand out a couple of awards and then celebrate!

I want to sign up! What’s next?

One member of your team must sign your team up using this registration form and pay the $75 registration fee. Once you’ve done that, we’ll send you a welcome packet with helpful info like NYC guidelines for filming in public locations, tips for getting music releases or royalty-free music, and a more detailed agenda of the event. Gather your collaborators, collect any gear you’ll need and arrive on August 16th ready for adventure!

Where will this take place?

The event will be hosted by Ace Hotel Brooklyn, in Downtown Brooklyn. Through our partnership with Ace Hotel you will gain access to unique and beautiful filming locations including the lobby, atrium, studio and hotel rooms where your filmmaker imagination can run wild. There will be a base camp inside the hotel where filmmakers can strategize with their teams, drop off equipment, eat some snacks and recharge whenever they need.

What’s the schedule of the event?

Saturday August 16th: 

1pm-2pm Arrival window at Ace Hotel Brooklyn 

2-3pm Registration & Orientation 

3pm Festival Kickoff

Sunday August 17th: 

3pm Festival Closing - Film Submission Deadline 

8pm Screening & Awards Event @The Atrium, Ace Hotel Brooklyn

What are the rules for films created?

Films must be between 2.5 and 7 minutes in length. Films must include a specific movement that will be randomly selected at the beginning of the event and include at least one shot featuring the interior or exterior of Ace Hotel Brooklyn. All choreography must be made specifically for the event- no filming previously created material. You must have permission to use any music included in your edited film. 

Do I have to shoot my entire dance film inside Ace Hotel Brooklyn?

No, but your film must include a minimum of one shot inside the hotel. Outside of that, the sky’s the limit! Feel free to film in any indoor location that you have access to, or any outdoor public location in NYC (provided you obey NYC media guidelines).

Who can participate?

We invite filmmakers of any level of experience to dive in. Your team must include 3 or more people, but it can be composed of whatever roles you decide: directors, choreographers, producers, performers, cinematographers, editors, composers, costume designers, visual effects artists, animators, and any combination thereof are welcome. We especially welcome filmmakers who have never made a dance film before and dancers who have never worked with filmmakers-this is a great chance to get your feet wet!

I want to register but I don’t have my team finalized yet. Can I still sign up?

Yes! You only need one member of your team to register. From there you can add or drop members of your team all the way up until the film submission deadline. When you submit your film at the end of the 24 hours we’ll ask for a final list of credits with all your collaborators on it, but you can add or change collaborators anytime throughout the event until your final film is due. Teams must include a minimum of 3 members.

What if I don’t have any fancy camera or lighting equipment?

Whatever equipment you can get your hands on is perfect. You just need something to shoot with and edit with-even if it’s your mobile phone. Circadia is about flexing your creative muscle and making magic with your team. There is no requirement to shoot with any particular type of equipment, and you can even use free editing software to edit your film. 

What are the requirements to sign up?

To sign up you must submit a registration form providing contact information for at least one member of your team before August 10th. Registration fee is $75 per team payable via Venmo to @CreateART, so the more people you have, the less each person pays. 

What is my registration fee for?

Your registration fee covers CreateART staff fees to help facilitate the event and take care of the space, snacks and drinks to help power you through the 24 hours, and some cool Circadia swag!

Why can’t I film choreography that I’ve already created?

CIRCADIA is about spontaneity, creative experimentation, problem-solving and collaboration, so we ask that all of your movement be created within the 24 hour frame. Improvisation is also welcome. We hope that the limits of time, location, and your randomly selected movement will push you and your team’s creativity.