Jody Oberfelder

Bio: Jody Oberfelder presents engaging works by creating original personal pieces that keep audiences on the toes of their perception. Via a combination of vivid choreography with conceptual underpinnings delivered with both reverence and irreverence, Oberfelder stretches the notion of what choreography entails. finding new modalities for exchange with an audience. This cracks open new and viscerally moving experiences that go beyond just “looking” at dance, allowing the participants to feel something textural and sensorial. As a cinematic choreographer, Oberfelder has created over twenty films that have been screened at Espascio Gallery in London, and online in the 4th World Congress of Psychogeography. In person screenings include Portland Dance Film Festival. American Dance Festvial’s “Movies by Movers” Twin Cities Film Festival, San Souci Dance Film Festival. The Dance on Camera Festival, San Francisco Dance Film Festival, Dance Camera West, Cannes Short Film Festival, The Fargo Film Festival, Worlding the Brain Symposium, Imagine Science Film Festival, DCTV and Dance Films Association’s Long Legs Short Films Festival, Cinedans (Amsterdam), VideodanceBA (Buenos Aires) Dance Camera West and the London Dance Film Festival FRAME She, with co-director Eric Siegel, received two Emmys in Best Graphic Design and Best Directing for her work on ABC Nightline in Primetime: Brave New World. Her films have been shown in Women's Independent Film Festival (Hollywood CA Certificate of Merit) Indie Fest USA, Garden Grove, CA, Movies by Movers, Winston Salem NC , Light Assembly Video Art & Film Fest @ Art Basel Miami Beach, Dance on Camera Festival, Queens World Film Festival, (NYC) InShadow, VideodanceBA (Buenos Aires) InShadow (Lisbon) the SAN DIEGO/TIJUANA DANCEonFILM FESTIVAL, DTW’s Captured Series, Fear No Film Festival, (Utah Arts Festival), Green Bay Film Festival, Cape Fear Festival, NY No Limits Festival EDIT2008 4th International Dance Film Festival (Budapest), The Michael Fuchs Theatre at HBO, NAPOLI TEATRO FESTIVAL ITALIA", Z-in-Motion (Helsinki,) Milano Doc Festival , Montage Video Dance Festival (South Africa) Visionfest Independent Film Festival Program, Festival Internacional de Videodanzal, ADF Dancing for the Camera, Dance Camera West, Moving Image Festival in Toronto. Come Sit Stay received a Diamond Award from the California 2011 Award Festival. Her film Duet was awarded a Dance Film Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Silver Award at the Dance on Camera Festival, and a Jurors Choice Award from the New York Film Expo. Oberfelder was honored in an evening of Experimental Films Virginia presented by Dance Films Association and the Taiwan Cultural Center. Commercially she has worked as a movement director with photographer Steven Meisel, for Versace, Prada, and Chloe, in addition to creating movement for Guerlain Perfume with Hillary Swank, and a campaign for Danskin. More info here: www.jodyoberfelder.com Recent live performance: Known for her immersive dance experiences of inventive athleticism, wit, and whimsy present, Story Time and And Then, Now,, offering a distinct and compelling experience that seamlessly integrates dance, and live music. As a cinematic choreographer, Oberfelder has created over twenty films that have been screened at Espascio Gallery in London, and online in the 4th World Congress of Psychogeography. In person screenings include Portland Dance Film Festival. American Dance Festvial’s “Movies by Movers” Twin Cities Film Festival, San Souci Dance Film Festival. The Dance on Camera Festival, San Francisco Dance Film Festival, Dance Camera West, Cannes Short Film Festival, The Fargo Film Festival, Worlding the Brain Symposium, Imagine Science Film Festival, DCTV and Dance Films Association’s Long Legs Short Films Festival, Cinedans (Amsterdam), VideodanceBA (Buenos Aires) Dance Camera West and the London Dance Film Festival FRAME She, with co-director Eric Siegel, received two Emmys in Best Graphic Design and Best Directing for her work on ABC Nightline in Primetime: Brave New World. Her films have been shown in Women's Independent Film Festival (Hollywood CA Certificate of Merit) Indie Fest USA, Garden Grove, CA, Movies by Movers, Winston Salem NC , Light Assembly Video Art & Film Fest @ Art Basel Miami Beach, Dance on Camera Festival, Queens World Film Festival, (NYC) InShadow, VideodanceBA (Buenos Aires) InShadow (Lisbon) the SAN DIEGO/TIJUANA DANCEonFILM FESTIVAL, DTW’s Captured Series, Fear No Film Festival, (Utah Arts Festival), Green Bay Film Festival, Cape Fear Festival, NY No Limits Festival EDIT2008 4th International Dance Film Festival (Budapest), The Michael Fuchs Theatre at HBO, NAPOLI TEATRO FESTIVAL ITALIA", Z-in-Motion (Helsinki,) Milano Doc Festival , Montage Video Dance Festival (South Africa) Visionfest Independent Film Festival Program, Festival Internacional de Videodanzal, ADF Dancing for the Camera, Dance Camera West, Moving Image Festival in Toronto. Come Sit Stay received a Diamond Award from the California 2011 Award Festival. Her film Duet was awarded a Dance Film Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Silver Award at the Dance on Camera Festival, and a Jurors Choice Award from the New York Film Expo. Oberfelder was honored in an evening of Experimental Films Virginia presented by Dance Films Association and the Taiwan Cultural Center. Commercially she has worked as a movement director with photographer Steven Meisel, for Versace, Prada, and Chloe, in addition to creating movement for Guerlain Perfume with Hillary Swank, and a campaign for Danskin. More info here: www.jodyoberfelder.com Recent live performance: Known for her immersive dance experiences of inventive athleticism, wit, and whimsy present, Story Time and And Then, Now,, offering a distinct and compelling experience that seamlessly integrates dance, and live music. Then Now 2024 Choreographed by Jody Oberfelder, with camera and editing by Nate Reininga, viewers are participants, this site-specific work is inspired by Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery, an historic site where the echoes of the past can have tangible connections to and impact on our present. Earthly Beings. 2024. a film by directed byJody Oberfelder,commissioned by Guild Hall in East Hampton, music by Missy Mazzoli, cinematography by Christian Scheider and editing Nate Reininga, devised with young people from the theater company: “Our Fabulous Variety Show” In this poetic cinematic world, we ask: how can our embodied presence as humans yield a gentle impact on the future? How do we collaborate with each other and the earth? X and O 2020 https://vimeo.com/431078543 During Covid, we were all behind out little screens trying to connect. Concept +Director Jody Oberfelder Editing + Animation Eric Siegel Music Andy Akiho Rube G. 2020 Conceived and directed by Jody Oberfelder, Rube G brings to light how things (and people) connect. Inspired by Rube Goldberg, the object artist, and inventor, Oberfelder collected over 300 clips of dancers and regular people who were given direct prompts: spin, pop up, drop down, leap, fall, etc. Oberfelder assembled these into a five-minute film, with animation by Eric Siegal. Original music composed by Frank London. Dance of the Neurons 2017. 24 dancers embody the birth of neurons, activating the brain/body. Created in consultation with leading neuroscientists. Co-directed by Jody Oberfelder and Eric Siegel,Jody collaborated with neuroscientists Weiji Ma, (who also is dancing in the film—who can spot the neuroscientist?), Ed Lein from the Allen Institute for Brain Research, and Gary Marcus to evolve material based on the birth of a neuron (from progenitors) and neuronal connections. Music by Daniel Wohl *********Come Sit Stay 2011 A man confuses his girlfriend for a dog, expecting loyalty and obedience. In this short film written and directed by Jody Oberfelder, playfulness turn to violence and fantasy leaves questions as to who is man’s best friend. Directed by Jody Oberfelder,. Editing is by Daniel Garcia, cinematography by Clarrissa de los Reyes, and music composed by Brendan Berry, with lyrics by Jody oberfelder sung by Tine Kindermann and David Starrels. Starring Carlton Ward, Rebekah Morin and Bailey (as himself). Head First 2010 The world is crazy, head banging even. Director / Choreographer Jody Oberfelder Cinematography: Sam Heesen Editor: Will Arnold Music: Bagdads (Steve Housepian/Jody Oberfelder) Assistant to Director: Meg Madorin Snew 2008 “What’s snew? I don’t know, what’s snew with you?” In this whimsical short, filmmaker Jody Oberfelder looks at our over-saturated world of words and information. LineAge 2005 LineAge, directed by choreographer Jody Oberfelder, contrasts the lines of our bodies with lines in landscape--imprints of time in nature and human nature, from tabula rasa to wrinkles. Martha Myers, 80 years old, looks through time passed. The dancers are her heroes and memories of her life. Shot by Bessie Award winning cinematographer Ronald K. Gray, and edited by Janice Ahn. ******Duet 1990. A dance for mother and unborn child... "a fluid reverie of tidal motion" Burt Supree, The Village Voice