The 22nd Annual Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase runs from July 15-24 and features the best that local filmmakers have to offer. Cinema St. Louis artistic director Chris Clark notes that this showcase is meant to highlight the work of talented people working in film around St. Louis. “We pick what we think are the most unique, fresh, exciting new directions,” Clark says.
After two years of virtual screening, the showcase returns in person this year with a slate of seven features, seven shorts programs, and four masterclass sessions, which will also be livestreamed. All film screenings will be held at Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium, with a closing night award ceremony at Blueberry Hill on July 24. Here’s a rundown of the features films playing in this year’s showcase:
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The latest from documentary filmmaker Joseph Puleo digs into the influx of Bosnian refugees who moved to St. Louis in the early 1990s. The film examines both the geopolitical underpinnings of the genesis of the war in Bosnia that caused them to leave, as well as the impact the refugees have had on the St. Louis community and economy. This is Puleo’s follow-up to his documentary America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill, which played virtually at St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase and the St. Louis International Film Festival in 2020. ”Even though it was online, we sold more tickets to that film than we had sold to any other film in our entire history as an organization in eight countries across the world,” Clark says.
After his partner is killed in a drug bust gone wrong, a veteran cop goes on an unauthorized investigation into a pervasive narcotics ring in this film from writer/director Josh Guffey. The police-thriller was shot entirely in St. Louis, making use of many local actors, as well as Tony Todd, who is best known for his role in the 1995 film Candyman. Clark notes that this film originally premiered at SLIFF in 2021, and is an encore screening as a part of the showcase.
This neo-western from director Jason Millner follows two estranged brothers in rural Missouri who hatch a plan to prove their incarcerated father’s innocence by kidnapping the lead witness who testified against him. Millner and producing partner Irina Gorovaia played their previous short, A Magnificent Gray, at the 2019 St. Louis International Film Festival.
This documentary by Seth Ferranti focuses on Rev. Kenneth McCoy, known in St. Louis as the “Pastor of the Streets,” and his NightLIFE ministry. Shot over the course of two years—and edited over another three—the film features verité footage of McCoy’s ministry in action as they walk the streets of North St. Louis working to fight the drug addiction and mental health crisis in the community, as well as actively interrupting gun violence.
Poetry in Motion: St. Louis Poets Take the Mic
Shot amid the COVID-19 pandemic, director Dana Christian’s documentary captures spoken-word performances from poets from all around the St. Louis region, and features other local visual artists, musicians, and dancers. The 36 poets featured, who come from varied gender, racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds, share work that deals with issues that bubbled up to the surface during the pandemic, such as mental health, race, police brutality, and social justice.
This sprawling revenge film from first-time director Bruce Carlton Cunningham follows a recently released ex-convict who seeks to reconnect with his family and live a quieter life. But he’s pulled back to the streets after his daughter befriends an enemy from his past. Un-resolved is not only the longest film in this year’s showcase, but also, at just over two hours and 45 minutes, the longest film ever shown in the showcase’s 22-year history.
Winemaking in Missouri: A Well-Cultivated History
This documentary traces the history and evolution of Missouri winemaking, one of the state’s leading industries. Co-directed by Emmy award-winning producer and host of Nine Networks’ tasteMAKERS Catherine Anys Neville and Chris Roider, the film explores nearly 200 years of history and features interviews with notable winemakers and sommeliers from around the state.
For tickets and passes, visit cinemastlouis.org.
