LIFT
World Premiere

LIFT

Viewpoints
Feature | United States | 87 MINUTES | English, Spanish | English subtitles
New York, Dance, Documentary, Art

Homeless shelters may seem like an unlikely place to discover classical ballet dancers, but that’s exactly what the New York Theatre Ballet’s Project LIFT program has been doing for the past 30 years. Offering scholarships to homeless, home insecure and at-risk children, LIFT exposes participants to the beauty and discipline of ballet, often for the first time, and helps them develop talent they never knew they had. Serving as mentor to these impressionable young dancers is Steven Melendez, an international ballet star who was himself plucked from a Bronx homeless shelter at age 7 through the LIFT program. Using his own personal experiences to connect with the kids, Steven’s guidance inspires them to reach for bigger dreams than they ever thought possible.

Spanning the course of 10 years, this moving film follows Steven and his hand-picked students as they traverse the ups and downs of their journeys from shelter to stage, culminating in a remarkable performance that speaks to the often unseen struggles of homelessness in America.--Andrea Passafiume


Cast & Credits
Directed by
David Petersen

Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker, David Petersen, has films in the permanent collections of several museums including MoMA. His films include Fine Food, Fine Pastries, Open 6 to 9, If You Lived Here You Would Be Home Now, Let the Church Say Amen, Journey of the Bonesetter’s Daughter, and The Witmans

Director
David Petersen
Producer
Mary Recine, David Petersen
Cinematographer
Gary Griffin, Alan Jacobsen, David Petersen
Composer
Kathryn Bostic
Editor
M. Watanabe Milmore, David Petersen
Executive Producer
Jody Allen, Sam Pollard, Jannat Gargi, Ruth Johnson, Rocky Collins
Associate Producer
Laura Pilloni
Co-Producer
Martha Southgate, Laura Pilloni
Principal Advisor
Misty Copeland
Advisor
Lourdes Lopez, Wendall Harrington, David Lansky, Nan Roman
Cast
Steven Melendez, Diana Byer, Victor Abreu, Yolanssie Cardona, Sharia Blockwood

Contacts
Print Source
Mary Recine
Beaufort 9 Films
Phone: 917 686 0305
mary@beaufort9film.com
Press Contact
Susan Norget
Susan Norget Film Promotion
New York, NY 10010
Phone: 917 833 3056
susan@norget.com
International Sales Contact
Andrew Herwitz
The Film Sales Company
New York, NY 10028
Phone: 212 481 5020
andrew.herwitz@filmsalescorp.com
US Sales Contact
Andrew Herwitz
The Film Sales Company
New York, NY 10028
Phone: 212 481 5020
andrew.herwitz@filmsalescorp.com
* Rush Tickets available at venue except for
Beacon Theatre
Rush will be offered when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available at venues other than Beacon Theatre.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.

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