‘Rhythm is a Dancer’ Trailer – Lauren Caster Directs and Stars in Semi-Autobiographical Donor Dad Reunion Drama

Here is the official trailer for Rhythm is a Dancer, an independent film directed by Lauren Caster.

The film which follows a dancer as she reunites with her biological father, also stars Lauren Caster, along with Amy Aquino, Tate Donovan, Marianne Muellerleile, Jasmine Ashanti, Conor Donnally, Beau Billingslea, Bobby Costanzo, Susan Diol, Melanie Hutsell, Darlene Vogel, Kevin Brief, and Ellen Gerstein.

Rhythm is a Dancer premiered at the 2025 Austin Film Festival, and will open in theaters starting in Los Angeles at Laemmle Santa Monica on July 8, 2026 with a Q&A with Caster and Donovan on July 8 and 9., then in New York at Roxy Cinema on July 16, 2026 with a Q&A with Caster and Donovan on July 16 and 17.

Ro (filmmaker Lauren Caster), a young woman with a dwindling dance career, returns home after many years to meet her biological father (Tate Donovan – Damages, The OC) for the first time. Born to Susan (Amy Aquino – Working Girl, Moonstruck), a lesbian who opted for insemination, Ro grapples with the complexities of her unconventional family dynamic and soon forms a bond at her new job with three lively 80-year-olds, who help her reconnect with her family, her roots, and herself.

The story is inspired by writer-director Lauren Caster’s own life with her biological father serving as Executive Producer, helping her to bring the story to life.

She has created the short films Donor Baby (2020), Plan C (2022), and Becoming (2022). Rhythm is a Dancer is her debut feature film.

“Rhythm Is a Dancer comes from a personal chapter of my life,” says Caster, “discovering my biological father in my late 20s, an anonymous sperm donor used by my butch lesbian mom. It was a moment that cracked open everything I thought I knew about myself. I’d spent years imagining what his absence meant, how it defined me, and finding him didn’t close that gap, it made it messier, more confusing. This film is a reflection of that mess — and exploration of identity and connection at a time when I thought I was supposed to have already had all the answers.”

Critics have called the film “a thematically-rich, heartfelt story,” arguing that while it could use more polishing and improved pacing, the emotional core and actors’ performances are commendable.

Watch the official trailer for Rhythm is a Dancer above.