In response to an emerging landscape for current artists, internationally renowned film director Lauren Finerman and choreographer Cathy Marston's new choreographic work Switchback offers a physical narrative portraying a dancer’s quest to chase their dreams. Switchback is a coming-of-age story about a young adult who leaves their home in order to chase their dream. The film follows their story as they set out on a quest to leave what is comfortable and embark on the unknown. Their story is echoed through the stories of other characters on the same journey, taking risks, getting lost and facing challenges to reach their goal. By drawing from her personal experiences and that of collaborating artists, this dance film will feature site specific solos and duets, performed by six dancers from locations all over the world.

About the director

Lauren Finerman is a Film Director and Screenwriter from Los Angeles, specializing in the expression of dance, theater and circus onto the film screen. Her ability to tell rhythmic stories for screen comes from her time as the in-house filmmaker at New York City Ballet Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz | Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles | 10361 West Pico Blvd. | Los Angeles, CA 90064 T: 310 286 0553 | www.trk.us.com where she worked on projects including Jody Lee Lipes’ feature film Ballet 422 (Tribeca Film Festival / Magnolia Pictures) and Sarah Jessica Parker’s series City.Ballet (AOL.ON). Finerman recently developed three dance films based on original ballets for San Francisco Ballet and has created similar film projects for the web series Dance On, the SF Dance Film Collab and SF Symphony. She is currently working with Olympic athletes, world renowned dancers and professional circus performers on an array of different film projects including the feature-length documentary, Montaño, chronicling the fight for women’s equality in Olympic Sports. Finerman’s work has been recognized by publications including the Washington Post and the New York Times. Finerman’s circus film Paper Birds (which she wrote and directed) was awarded an International Page Screenwriting Awards Semi Finalist, ScreenCraft Screenwriting Semi Finalist, Best Short Screenplay nomination (MIFF), Best Short Film nomination (PIFF), among other awards. Her recent project This Isn't Me (Executive Producer) has snagged the award for Best Comedy Series by HBO’s Catalyst Film Festival and a SXSW official selection for 2020. Her screenwriting has gone on to award her a seat at the Sundance Collab Screenwriting Program under Semi Chellas (Mad Men). Finerman recently sold her Cabaret styled screenplay The Cave to The Open Door Project, which she will direct this fall. Cathy Marston Choreographer and Co-Director Cathy Marston is an award-winning choreographer, artistic director and Clore Cultural Leadership Fellow.