Still from documentary Atomic Homefront. Photo courtesy of St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase
Though ranging in genre from full-length fiction features to documentary shorts, all 87 films screening at the 17th annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase share one commonality—they were either written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis residents, or have strong ties to the city. The showcase had a record number of 160 submissions this year, says Chris Clark, director of the Filmmakers Showcase. "There are a lot of great storytellers out there from the St. Louis region," he says.
There are 15 film programs—including narrative shorts, experimental shorts, and full-length films—at the centerpiece of the showcase. The event kicks off on July 16 with documentary shorts, and ends with an award party at the Duck Room on July 20. Many of the programs are followed by Q&As with the filmmakers.
"A lot of these films you could play anywhere in any festival, and they would fit," says Clark, who is also Artistic Director for Cinema St. Louis. Some highlights from the showcase include Atomic Homefront, a documentary about the Bridgeton landfill site in North County, Dev Diary, about brother game-designers in St. Louis, and two programs of documentary shorts about the city and its inhabitants.
The St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase has witnessed the evolution of filmmaking over the last 17 years. "We used to get submissions on video tapes, and then DVDs, and then BluRay, and now everything is digital," Clark says. "At least one film in the event is made entirely on an iPhone."
As a nonprofit arts organization, Cinema St. Louis promotes art of the cinema, Clark says. This showcase allows local filmmakers to see their work on the big screen, network with others, and gain inspiration for projects going forward. "It's team-building—people get story ideas and resources about people they want to work with," Clark says. "It's an important part of marketing and growth as a filmmaker to do these things."
At the conclusion of the festival, a handful of films will be invited to screen at the upcoming St. Louis International Film Festival. These films be announced, along with the juried awarded showcase films, on July 20 at the free closing-night awards party at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room. The party will include complimentary Kräftig beer, and is open to attendees 21 or older.
Tickets for the film programs at the Tivoli are $13 each. For students with valid and current photo ID, and Cinema St. Louis members with valid membership cards, tickets are $10. Tickets can be purchased at the Tivoli Theatre box office or on their website.
"I challenge the casual filmgoer to take a chance on a local presentation," Clark says. "Everyone likes to support Imo's and the Cardinal's and things like that—well, these are local products, too, and people would enjoy that local aspect."
The St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase takes place Sunday, July 16 through Thursday, July 20 at the Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Blvd. Tickets are $13 each; $10 for students and Cinema St. Louis members. See full schedule at cinemastlouis.org for times and film descriptions.
