Why Don't You Dance? (film)

Why Don't You Dance?
Directed byMichael Downing
Written byMichael Downing
Based on"Why Don't You Dance?" by Raymond Carver
Produced byJoel Awerbuck
Bob Banack
Meredith Caplan
StarringKenneth Mitchell
Deborah Pollitt
Bill McDonald
CinematographyBarry Stone
Edited byMichele Francis
Production
company
Charlotte Bernard Entertainment
Distributed byTzimmes Entertainment
Release date
  • September 2002 (2002-09) (TIFF)
Running time
21 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Why Don't You Dance? is a 2002 Canadian short drama film, directed by Michael Downing.[1] Adapted from Raymond Carver's short story "Why Don't You Dance?", the film centres on a young couple (Kenneth Mitchell and Deborah Pollitt) shopping at a yard sale, where the proprietor (Bill McDonald) ultimately accepts a dance with the woman on the lawn as payment instead of money.[2]

The film premiered at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival.

It was subsequently screened at the Moving Pictures Festival of Dance on Film and Video,[3] although Glenn Sumi of Now characterized its inclusion in that event as "a bit of a stretch" since it wasn't really a dance film per se.[1]

It received a Genie Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Drama at the 24th Genie Awards in 2004.[4]

  1. ^ a b Glenn Sumi, "Why Don't You Dance?". Now, October 24, 2002.
  2. ^ Henry Lewes, "Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival". Take One, March 2003.
  3. ^ Susan Walker, "Reel dance explosion; Bodies in motion captured by the camera's lens stretch limits of both art forms at innovative festival". Toronto Star, October 18, 2002.
  4. ^ "Seducing Dr Lewis leads Canada's Genie nods". Screen Daily, March 16, 2004.