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“ROOMS,” a 20-minute cine-dance film made entirely in Arizona, will screen at Harkins Theatres Spectrum 18, February 24m from 6–7 p.m. The project features dancers from across the state, including five from Tucson. This short film represents a collaboration between local choreographers, filmmakers and designers to showcase Arizona’s arts community in a unique and engaging way.

According to Rachel Delovino, producer of “ROOMS” and founder of The Dance Experience AZ, the idea of “ROOMS” began with a trip to choreographer Jordan Pelliteri’s mother’s hometown in middle America.

“Jordan sent me a few pics she had snapped and I immediately knew there was something there… a spark of a story,” Delovino says. “We originally had placed a curious young woman in a barn, as that seemed the most likely place for her to explore.”

But as development meetings unfolded with director Levi Elizaga and production designer Judi Longo, the vision expanded.

“We ‘discovered’ that the young woman was actually exploring a house, a mansion even, with lots and lots of rooms,” Delovino explains. “Each meeting became more lively as the spirit of collaboration took over until we had a script that looked nothing like it had originally.”

What emerged was a layered narrative told primarily through movement, supported by dramatic lighting, mise-en-scène and immersive sound design. The suspense, she notes, is intentional. “You can’t ask a person to sit in a dark theater without some suspense to keep them in their seat.”