New York, NY – January 31, 2023
Leslie Shampaine’s 84-minute feature documentary CALL ME DANCER will have its world premiere at Santa Barbara International Film Festival (in juried competition for Best Documentary) on February 9th followed by the East Coast premiere as the Opening Night film at Dance on Camera Festival at Film at Lincoln Center, the longest-running dance film festival in the world, on February 10th.
The film is looking for distribution in North America, the U.K., South Asia, and other regions of the world.
International pop icon, singer and songwriter Jay Sean executive produced CALL ME DANCER because the story resonated with his own; as a British-Indian, Sean’s parents wanted him to pursue medicine rather than his dream of becoming a singer.
In English and Hindi (with English subtitles), the film’s lead protagonist is Manish Chauhan, a young and talented street dancer from Mumbai who is struggling against his parents’ insistence that he follow a traditional path because they are counting on their only son to support them.
When he secretly attends an inner-city dance school and accidentally walks into a ballet class, he meets Yehuda, a curmudgeonly 70-year-old Israeli teacher, and 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.
This is a heart-warming and uplifting story of struggle and tenacity, family, culture, rebellion, and an unlikely friendship.
Filmed in India, the United Kingdom, Israel, and the United States, the documentary features TWO original songs by Jay Sean, music by Bangladeshi American hip-hop artist Anik Khan, and a score by award-winning, British-Indian composer Nainita Desai.
Watch the trailer HERE. And also read the 2021 “Call Me Dancer” piece on Daniel Plus Lauren.