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In Partnership with Dance Studies Association
Torn between his artistic dreams and his parents’ expectations, a Mumbai hip-hop dancer makes a precarious choice after a chance encounter with a curmudgeonly ballet master.












The global appeal of dance is central to this story. Two underprivileged boys, aspiring street dancers from India, connect with a ballet teacher and all three are transformed beyond what any of them could imagine. This is the story of artists who synthesize diverse influences to forge their own unique identities.

Dance Studies Association aims to strengthen the visibility and increase the reach of dance studies as a critical field of knowledge production, encompassing political, creative, and embodied practices at the intersection of the arts, humanities and social sciences. DSA advocates for and invests in anti-racist, decolonial, and caste conscious curation, programming, administration and labor practices at all levels of the organization.

Manish is an athletic street dancer from Mumbai, whose working-class parents depend on their only son's support. When he accidentally walks into an inner-city dance school and encounters a curmudgeonly 70-year-old Israeli ballet master, a hunger develops within him. Ambitious and passionate, Manish is determined to make it as a professional dancer, but the odds are stacked against him.
Call Me Dancer will take you on a magical journey…from the streets of Mumbai to the stages of New York. A story of perseverance, rebellion, passion, family, culture, and an unlikely friendship – filmed in India, Israel, the U.K., and the U.S - and featuring music from legendary singer/songwriter Jay Sean and hip-hop artist/rapper Anik Khan, with a sublime score by Nainita Desai and Nina Humphreys.
Call Me Dancer will make you want to jump up from your seat and, yes, dance!

USA Best of Fest, Documentary Palm Springs Intl Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award Sonoma International Film Festival, 2024
USA Next Wave Jury Prize Miami Jewish Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award Annapolis International Film Festival, 2024
USA Best of Fest, Documentary Award New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award, Documentary Berkshire International Film Festival, 2023
USA Excellence in Documentary Directing Award NY Women in Film & TV @ NY Indian Film Festival, 2023
USA Audience Favorite Award San Francisco Dance Film Festival, 2023
USA Art and Inspiration Award Hamptons Doc Fest, New York, 2023
USA Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature Tasveer South Asian Film Festival, Seattle, 2023
USA Audience Award, Documentary Berkshire International Film Festival, 2023
USA Audience Award, Feature Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, Vermont, 2023
USA Best Director Award Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati, 2023
CANADA Audience Award, Portraits Program Vancouver International Film Festival, 2023
CANADA Honorable Mention, Best Documentary Intl South Asian Film Festival Canada, 2023
NEW ZEALAND Art of Storytelling Award Doc Edge Film Festival, 2023
ITALY Audience Award, Documentary River to River Film Festival, Florence, 2023
CROATIA Young Jury Award DOKUart Festival, Bjelovar, 2023
USA Best of Fest, Documentary Palm Springs Intl Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award Sonoma International Film Festival, 2024
USA Next Wave Jury Prize Miami Jewish Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award Annapolis International Film Festival, 2024
USA Best of Fest, Documentary Award New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award, Documentary Berkshire International Film Festival, 2023
USA Excellence in Documentary Directing Award NY Women in Film & TV @ NY Indian Film Festival, 2023
USA Audience Favorite Award San Francisco Dance Film Festival, 2023
USA Art and Inspiration Award Hamptons Doc Fest, New York, 2023
USA Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature Tasveer South Asian Film Festival, Seattle, 2023
USA Audience Award, Documentary Berkshire International Film Festival, 2023
USA Audience Award, Feature Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, Vermont, 2023
USA Best Director Award Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati, 2023
CANADA Audience Award, Portraits Program Vancouver International Film Festival, 2023
CANADA Honorable Mention, Best Documentary Intl South Asian Film Festival Canada, 2023
NEW ZEALAND Art of Storytelling Award Doc Edge Film Festival, 2023
ITALY Audience Award, Documentary River to River Film Festival, Florence, 2023
CROATIA Young Jury Award DOKUart Festival, Bjelovar, 2023
USA Best of Fest, Documentary Palm Springs Intl Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award Sonoma International Film Festival, 2024
USA Next Wave Jury Prize Miami Jewish Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award Annapolis International Film Festival, 2024
USA Best of Fest, Documentary Award New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award, Documentary Berkshire International Film Festival, 2023
USA Excellence in Documentary Directing Award NY Women in Film & TV @ NY Indian Film Festival, 2023
USA Audience Favorite Award San Francisco Dance Film Festival, 2023
USA Art and Inspiration Award Hamptons Doc Fest, New York, 2023
USA Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature Tasveer South Asian Film Festival, Seattle, 2023
USA Audience Award, Documentary Berkshire International Film Festival, 2023
USA Audience Award, Feature Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, Vermont, 2023
USA Best Director Award Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati, 2023
CANADA Audience Award, Portraits Program Vancouver International Film Festival, 2023
CANADA Honorable Mention, Best Documentary Intl South Asian Film Festival Canada, 2023
NEW ZEALAND Art of Storytelling Award Doc Edge Film Festival, 2023
ITALY Audience Award, Documentary River to River Film Festival, Florence, 2023
CROATIA Young Jury Award DOKUart Festival, Bjelovar, 2023
USA Best of Fest, Documentary Palm Springs Intl Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award Sonoma International Film Festival, 2024
USA Next Wave Jury Prize Miami Jewish Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award Annapolis International Film Festival, 2024
USA Best of Fest, Documentary Award New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival, 2024
USA Audience Award, Documentary Berkshire International Film Festival, 2023
USA Excellence in Documentary Directing Award NY Women in Film & TV @ NY Indian Film Festival, 2023
USA Audience Favorite Award San Francisco Dance Film Festival, 2023
USA Art and Inspiration Award Hamptons Doc Fest, New York, 2023
USA Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature Tasveer South Asian Film Festival, Seattle, 2023
USA Audience Award, Documentary Berkshire International Film Festival, 2023
USA Audience Award, Feature Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, Vermont, 2023
USA Best Director Award Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati, 2023
CANADA Audience Award, Portraits Program Vancouver International Film Festival, 2023
CANADA Honorable Mention, Best Documentary Intl South Asian Film Festival Canada, 2023
NEW ZEALAND Art of Storytelling Award Doc Edge Film Festival, 2023
ITALY Audience Award, Documentary River to River Film Festival, Florence, 2023
CROATIA Young Jury Award DOKUart Festival, Bjelovar, 2023