Father Jacques Marquette described the Piasa bird—not the real one, but the one painted on the Alton bluffs—as being “large as a calf, with horns like a deer, red eyes, a beard like a tiger’s, a face like a man, the body covered with green, red and black scales and a tail so long it passed around the body, over the head and between the legs.”
I didn’t grow up with the Piasa Bird, so that painting still unnerves me when I pass by it on the River Road, though I can never help myself ... I always have to look at it. The organizers of the first annual Piasa Film Festival say they chose the guy as their namesake because he’s such an integral part of our local culture, and though the featured filmmakers will hail from all over the St. Louis metro area, future festivals, like the Piasa, will stay on the Illinois side of the river (Edwardsville next year, followed by Grafton in 2010) and Alton in 2011).
This year, Piasa Bird's sharp teeth and bloodthirsty tendencies are especially appropriate: the festival's big event is the Illinois premiere of Shadowland, a vampire film shot in St. Charles. If you're not into horror, the program also includes a motley collection of 13 short films by local filmmakers. —Stefene Russell
When: October 25, 5–11:30 p.m.
Where: Midtown Theater, 149 E. Ferguson, Wood River, Ill.
How Much: $5
For More Info: piasafilmfestival.com
