We are pleased to announce that ORIGINS, a visually stunning new film about LINES Ballet by director Drea Cooper, will make its world premiere at the 68th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival). The film will be presented on Saturday, April 19, at 4:30pm at the Premier Theater at One Letterman in San Francisco’s Presidio, screening alongside A Quiet Storm and Voices from the Abyss. For tickets, visit SFFILM’s website.
Alonzo King and our company dancers take center stage in this gorgeously shot film that interweaves powerful personal stories and performance. The film follows King and the dancers as they employ their graceful and breathtaking artistry in service to a dance that poetically celebrates humanity. Weaving together King’s words and the company’s striking movements, ORIGINS creates a moving portrait of the language of dance and showcases how art forges connection, despite cultural barriers and personal differences.
Produced by Julie Costanzo, Gary Kout, Robert Rosenwasser, and Drea Cooper, ORIGINS offers an intimate and poetic look at King’s artistic vision, illustrating how movement becomes a universal language of transformation. More than a film about dance, Director Drea Cooper delivers a stunning meditation on the meaning of life, the ties that bind us to each other, and hope for a brighter future.
The San Francisco International Film Festival, presented by SFFILM, runs April 17–27 at venues in San Francisco and Berkeley. The official program—curated from nearly 4,500 submissions and invitations—includes premieres, eagerly anticipated award titles, debut work from emerging storytellers, international narrative and documentary films, mid-lengths, shorts, and the Golden Gate Award juried competition.
Drea Cooper
Drea Cooper’s short film The Aquadettes (Festival 2012) won the Golden Gate Award for Best Bay Area Short. Among his other works are T-Rex (Festival 2015), winner of The Festival’s Documentary Audience Award and a Special Jury Award for Bay Area Documentary Feature; the series Flint Town (2018); a short, Fire in Paradise (2019); and Fellini Forward (2021).
SFFILM
SFFILM is a nonprofit organization whose mission ensures independent voices in film are welcomed, heard, and given the resources to thrive. SFFILM inspires and connects audiences, students and teachers, and filmmakers through film exhibition, youth education, and artist development programs. Annual public film programs presented by SFFILM include the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival), which is the longest-running film festival in the Americas, Doc Stories documentary series, special events with the best and brightest in contemporary film, and family programming. SFFILM Education serves more than 15,000 students and educators with learning opportunities designed to cultivate media literacy, global citizenship, and a lifelong love of movies. SFFILM Makers supports the careers of independent filmmakers from the Bay Area and beyond with grants, residencies, and other creative development services.
Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Michael Montgomery | © RJ Muna
LINESConnected 