EKKL Entertainment, the newly launched distribution company dedicated to films exploring identity, belief, and belonging, is set to release She Dances, the feature debut of director Rick Gomez, in theaters nationwide this Friday, March 27.
Co-written by Gomez and Steve Zahn, the film brings together a cast including Steve Zahn (Anaconda, “The White Lotus”), Audrey Zahn (Wildcat), Mackenzie Ziegler (Shakey Grounds, Let Us In), Rosemarie DeWitt (La La Land), Sonequa Martin-Green (“The Walking Dead”), and Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon, “The Lowdown”).
The film premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival to a hugely positive reception and has since been showcased at multiple festivals.
Set against the backdrop of the Young Miss Southeast Regional Dance Finals, She Dances explores the unspoken tensions and repressed intergenerational trauma between a father and daughter as they attempt to rebuild their relationship in the wake of a shared loss.
To celebrate this film’s nationwide theatrical release on March 27, 2026, CinemaChords sat down with co-writer and director Rick Gomez, and star Mackenzie Ziegler, to discuss the film’s deeply personal genesis, the fleeting rivalries and lifelong friendships found in the competitive dance world, and its exploration of generational perspectives on grief, speaking hard truths, and emotional connection.
