IAmADancerFilms

Karole Armitage formed IAmADancerFilms in 2019. IAmADancerFilms are made by and with dancers who perform roles including cast, crew, gimbal operators, and designers. Rather than capturing the live dance experience, they are designed to show dance from new perspectives.

IAmADancerFilm projects begin with a long rehearsal process tailored to suit the needs of dancers as well as the needs of actors. The rehearsal process includes figuring out most of the camera work. The shoots are fast, fluid and cost effective with light technical and equipment needs. The work combines conceptual rigor while practicing restraint to minimize ecological impact and fiscal requirements. The philosophy comes from a deep commitment to the environment and the belief that consumer culture must change in order to protect it. The cinematic styles include art films, hybrid documentaries and installations.

One short feature and four art films have been completed. The five completed films were screened in Vienna, Austria at the Film Casino during the Vienna Film Festival in the fall of 2023. A recently completely feature length documentary-hybrid film is in the editing phase. Two features length films are in the works: one is in the pre-production phase and the second is in the script phase.

Armitage's early interest in cinema was cultivated during her long residencies in Paris. She would often attend five films a day to see everything from new European cinema to classic Hollywood and silent films. Armitage was selected for the Directors Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in the mid-90s. In addition to studying directing, she learned to edit on, what was then, the brand new Avid, which launched digital editing as a profession. Armitage has enjoyed editing ever since. Armitage today attends many film festivals and goes to see art, international and independent films in the movie theater several times a month.