Freestyle 2004

Elena Elmoznino’s short doc Freestyle has such an irresistible subject matter — it’s about “canine freestyle,” a sport in which dogs and their owners dance competitively — that all she really needed to do was point her camera at these prancing duos and let the footage speak for itself. But what makes Elmoznino’s film a true delight as well as an award winner (it nabbed Best Short Doc at Slamdance 2004) is its sure storytelling sense and the compassionate humor with which it depicts its subjects.