‘Yale,’ ‘Tender’ and ‘American Flake’ Among Dances With Films: LA’s 2026 Line-Up (EXCLUSIVE)

Jay Silverman’s “Yale,” Adam Hoelzel’s “Tender” and Andrew David Paterson’s “American Flake” are among the titles set to screen during Dances With Films: LA.

Los Angeles’ largest indie film-focused festival, Dances With Films runs June 18-28 with screenings and events at the TCL Chinese Theater. 

Dances With Films’ 2026 lineup includes 279 films, including 41 narrative features, 17 documentary features, 4 midnight features, 33 television and streaming pilots and 184 short films, among others. 

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Silverman’s “Yale,” starring Kevin Dunn and Rachael Harris, will open the festival, and Hoelzel’s “Tender,” starring Jesse Garcia, Jess Weixler, David Koechner and Robert Longstreet, will close the festival. 

Additional narrative features include Jay Diaz’s “Angeleno,” Brian L. Tan’s “Bandit,” John Brownell’s “Coin,” Mädchen Amick’s “Fractured” and Rachel Carey’s “Good Thoughts,” among many others. Feature-length documentaries premieres at Dances With Films  include Kern Konwiser’s “Autumn,” David Booth Gardner’s “The Last Place on Earth,” Beatrix Ryle’s “My Name is Gitta,” Jordan Kronick’s “Peaking: Psychedelics and the Pursuit of Happiness” and more.       

“For close to three decades, Dances With Films has exhibited ‘The Power of Indie Film’ and this year’s lineup is filled with unique and diverse voices from filmmakers working outside of the studio system and without the benefit of bigger budgets, will entertain and surprise film lovers with the cinematic magic DWF is well-known for,” said Dances With Films’ founders Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent. “As always, we couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce them all and connect our filmmakers with audiences, film distributors, and other industry veterans in the best way imaginable: at the TCL Chinese Theatres right in the heart of Hollywood.”