ST. LOUIS — Whether you want to laugh, cry, or learn something new there’s a film for you at 33rd annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival, and some of those films were made right here in the Lou.
Over 270 films from more than 30 countries are screening over the next ten days but there is homegrown talent is represented.
Concrete Jungle Gym is a documentary by Mike Gualdoni, a multimedia producer at Nine PBS and St. Louis Native. The film tells the life story of artist Bob Cassilly and the creation of the St. Louis landmark, City Museum.
"My co-director Zack White and I were both kind of like, why hasn't this story been told? It's such an unbelievable story. The story of City Museum is incredible on its own. But then you get so much of the history of Saint Louis in this. It's got some controversies, it's got some excitement, it's got everything," Gualdoni says.
You can catch Concrete Jungle Gym on Sunday, November 10 at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.
Meg Halski is a Midwest independent filmmaker; executive producer, director, and writer. She is bringing her comedy Sylvie Who? to the festival on November 16 and 14.
"It's my love letter to St. Louis. Sylvie Who? is a dark comedy, sort of a coming-of-age series, actually, this is the pilot episode," Halski says.
Slyvie Who? follows a 21-year-old divorcée who is forced to move back home to the Midwest to reassess her dreams, direction, and identity.
"If you love Saint Louis and you love Saint Louis neighborhoods, we shot this all over Saint Louis and Saint Louis is very much a character. Also, if you have had a complicated relationship with your love of Saint Louis, it's a good story to come and sort of work that out," she says.
If you’re looking for a laugh or a fright, STL’s Andy Compton has two films in the festival. US + ONE is a comedy that won Best Screenplay at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase.
"US + ONE is a comedy about a lonely single who swipes right on a dating app. Online dating is just weird. You truly never know who you are going to get and it can be anything from a great date to a very weird interaction to something dangerous," Compton says.
And for the horror fans, you won’t want to miss Compton’s Phantasmic,
"Phantasmic is the story of a distressed woman who begins having panic attacks when she's deprived of her anxiety medication and starts to experience this like insane hallucinatory nightmare," he says.
You can catch both of Compton's films on November 9 and 13.
Whether you’re in the mood for a laugh-out-loud comedy, a gripping drama, or a thought-provoking documentary, the St. Louis International Film Festival has something for you, and it might just be a movie made right here in the Lou.
For more information about the 33rd annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival visit sliff.cinemastlouis.org.
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