Beginning July 19, Cinema St. Louis will hold its annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase featuring works created by St. Louis artists and films with strong local ties.
The four-day event includes 88 films ranging from full-length fiction features to documentaries and multi-film compilations of fiction. Screenings for all films will take place at the Tivoli Theatre.
鈥淔our Way Stop,鈥� written and directed by Efi da Silva, is a movie about the life of a 17-year-old inner city African-American named 鈥淎llen鈥� who desperately tries to stay on a straight path, despite the obstacles he鈥檚 up against. Allen deals with criticism from his mother and a father who is a drug addict. Coupled with racism and peer-pressure, Allen often struggles to make the right decisions.
鈥淭he film is very much inspired by St. Louis and growing up in St. Louis,鈥� said Silva, who now lives in New York. 鈥淚t was very based off of what I saw around St. Louis about people who are similar to me, kids I see in the neighborhood, and different neighborhoods that I went to school in that they were a lot better off than my neighborhood.鈥�
鈥淲eldonkreig,鈥� which means 鈥淲eldon War,鈥� is another film that鈥檚 part of the showcase. It鈥檚 a film about the hobby of reenacting World War II events. Chris Grega, director of the film, explained that the filming took place in Weldon Spring, Mo., and documents the origin of the pastime, which began in the 1970s.
鈥淚 had no idea that World War II reenacting as a hobby actually started in Weldon Spring in the 70s,鈥� Grega said.
Other films that will be showcased during the event are 鈥�,鈥� 鈥�,鈥� 鈥�,鈥� 鈥�,鈥� and 鈥�.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 remarkable,鈥� said Chris Clark, artistic director of Cinema St. Louis. 鈥淭he changes in digital technology have really opened the playing field to people with smaller budgets who can tell great stories.鈥�
Related Events
Cinema St. Louis Presents St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase
- When: July 19 to July 23; Various Times
- Where: Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63130
"Weldonkrieg"
- When: Sunday, July 19; 4:00 p.m.
- Where: Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63130
"Four Way Stop"
- When: Thursday, July 23; 7:15 p.m.
- Where: Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63130
鈥淐ityscape鈥� is produced by and and sponsored in part by the , the , and the .