Freeze Frame

Created by Jessica Vokoun in 2007, the Oklahoma Dance Film Festival, this year Oct. 13-16 at Circle Cinema, 12 S. Lewis Ave., is a unique series that features dance documentaries, choreography for the camera and experimental short films that emphasize movement.

"Dance films create a bridge between visual and performance arts," Vokoun, assistant professor of dance at the University of Tulsa, said. "They redefine the idea of 'moving pictures' and construct a new stage for dance."

Vokoun began the festival as a graduate project in college and says it's a sort of merging of her two primary passions: dance and film.

The opening night of the festival is a free event that will feature films by and about Tulsa dance artists, including the theatrical premiere of Hanson's "Thinking 'Bout Something" video, which stars more than 100 Tulsa dancers. It will also include a sampler of what is to be presented during the festival's weekend programs. A meet-and-greet reception will allow the community to mingle with local choreographers and dancers.

Weekend highlights will include two documentaries. A Good Man chronicles acclaimed choreographer Bill T. Jones' process in the creation of his new work about Abraham Lincoln, and Never Stand Still highlights the legacy of Jacob's Pillow, an abandoned Massachusetts farm that evolved into a National Historic Landmark and a nexus for dance throughout the world.

Friday and Saturday programs will open with a selection of short dance films that were submitted to the festival by artists from around the world. Films include animation, interviews, black-and-white, video art and dances created for the camera. Sunday's program will take a look at the creative use of choreography in music videos, featuring the work of indie rock recording artists OK Go.

"This is a community event that helps take dance, which is physical, and put in on a new stage, framing it within a camera," Vokoun said.

Schedule of events

• Thursday, Oct. 13

7pm -- Best-of-the-Fest

• Friday, Oct. 14

2pm -- Selected Shorts Program A: Movement and Meaning

3:00pm -- A Good Man

• Saturday. Oct. 15

2pm -- Selected Shorts Program B: Space and Place

3pm -- Never Stand Still

• Sunday, Oct. 16

4:30pm -- Choreography and the OK Go music video

5pm -- A Good Man

The price of entry is $8.50 each day, though the opening Best-of-the-Fest is free to attend. Visit okdancefilms.com for more information.