Call Me Dancer

Manish is 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. Call Me Dancer is a story of hope, heartache, and hard work. Together, Manish and Yehuda transform each other’s lives, searching to uncover who and what they are. Yehuda seeks a purpose and a place to call home. Manish dreams of dancing on the world-stage but struggles to break free from the confines of his own economic and social circumstances.

Friday, March 7th, 2:00 p.m. – Portland Museum of Art

Includes a pre-recorded introduction by Director/ Producer, Leslie Shampaine

“Touching… Lustrous imagery…the classic underdog story. Call Me Dancer reaches the heart through the archetypal quest of the film’s hero, and the charm of Manish Chauhan…Acts of stunning strength and agility with the joy of someone born to dance. He’s also beautiful…”
– Matthew Carey, Deadline Hollywood.

Since the world film festival premiere in February 2023, Call Me Dancer has won 23 film festival awards, ten of which are Audience Awards at festivals throughout the US and Canada, in Israel and rest of world.

Best Documentary

Golden Prague Award

Czech Crystal Prize, Czech Republic 2024

Best Director

Mystic Film Festival Award – USA 2024

Best Documentary

Magnolia Awards, Shanghai, China 2024

Best of Fest, Documentary

Palm Springs Intl Film Festival, USA 2024

Audience Award, Sonoma

International Film Festival, USA 2024

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The Sea

The Stamp Thief

We Met at Grossinger’s

Important

Once you purchase a pass you must reserve tickets for each screening on the schedule page!