cinemastlouis

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF is now an Oscar®-qualifying festival for Short Subject Documentaries

Cinema St. Louis is proud to announce that the "Best Documentary Short" award at the St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) is now an Oscar®-qualifying award. The festival is now included on the Documentary Short Subject Qualifying Festival list from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The SLIFF "Best Documentary Short" award joins the list of other SLIFF short film awards that are Oscar®-qualifying including "Best of Fest," "Best Live Action Short," and "Best Animated Short."

For full details of how a film can qualify, please visit the Rules & Eligibility page on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' website.

#SLIFF #Stlfilmfest #oscars #film festival #short film #short films #documentary

[cinemastlouis]

This holiday season, give the gift of SLIFF to the movie lover in your life!

Visit the CSL office (3547 Olive) today, Wednesday, December 10, 5-8pm, to take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity!

SLIFF tees

Don't miss out on this year's model!

2014 SLIFF tee $10 2014 SLIFF/Kids tee $5

SLIFF posters

The perfect addition for your home or office, reminding you of that SLIFF joy all year round!

Framed 2014 SLIFF poster (12x18) $20 Loose assorted posters (12x18) $5

Framed 2014 SLIFF poster (27x40) $50 Loose assorted posters (27x40) $20

Gift CSL Membership

The perfect, year-long gift for the cinephile in your life!

Pick up a CSL membership gift certificate while you're in the office.

Membership Details

Freebies! Free Chipotle BOGO coupon with every purchase Free Cinema St. Louis tote bag with every purchase of $30 or more

#film festival

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF Day Ten

Tivoli Theatre

Growing Up and Other Lies

Dir. Darren Grodsky & Danny Jacobs, U.S., 2014, 90 min.

Sat, Nov 22 at 5:30pm,  Tivoli Theatre

SLIFF veterans and St. Louis natives Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky ("Humboldt County") return to their hometown with an anti-coming-of-age comedy. After living for years as a struggling artist in New York City, Jake (Josh Lawson of "House of Lies") is calling it quits and returning home to Ohio. On his last day in the city, he persuades his three oldest friends - Billy (Jacobs), Rocks (Adam Brody), and Gunderson (Wyatt Cenac of "The Daily Show") - to help him retrace their greatest adventure together: a walk down the entire length of Manhattan. But their attempt to reclaim the glory of their early 20s doesn't go quite as planned. Over the course of the day, buried conflicts emerge as Jake encounters his ex-girlfriend (Amber Tamblyn), and his friends experience their own crises of manhood. The quartet's journey down the island brings them to haunts old and new, forcing them to confront the inevitable disappointments of adulthood and the changing nature of their friendship.

  With co-directors Grodsky and Jacobs and producer Katie Mustard, who receives SLIFF's Women in Film Award.

  Sponsored by: Joe Lucero

  Also in Tiv 1:

  The 50 Year Argument, 12:15pm

A Master Builder, 2:30pm

Teacher of the Year, 8:30pm

Tivoli 3

Shorts 9: Interesting Individuals

Various directors, 113 min.

Sat, Nov 22 at 12:00pm,  Tivoli Theatre

A program featuring some of the most interesting people -- and creatures -- you'll ever meet.

  The Assistant (Julie Cohen, U.S., 2014, 16 min.): Joanna (Janeane Garofalo), a demanding boss, returns to the office after lunch to find her assistant lying on the couch ... dead.

The Fan (Antony Wabb, Australia, 2014, 17 min.): Daniel's lonely and mundane life quickly changes when he inherits an unlikely new friend.

He Took His Skin Off For Me (Ben Aston, U.K., 2014, 10 min.): A simple love story about a man who takes his skin off for his girlfriend.

Lessons Learned (Toby Froud, U.S., 2014, 16 min.): A boy is surprised when, at his annual birthday visit with his grandfather, he receives an intriguing gift instead of the regular tea and cake.

The Life and Death of Tommy Chaos and Stacey Danger (Michael Lukk Litwak, U.S., 2013, 10 min.): Dinosaurs have invaded Earth, but neither Tommy nor Stacey care now that they've found each other.

Maple Leaves (Sophie Brooks, U.S., 2013, 13 min.): A couple breaks into an ex-girlfriend's apartment to kidnap a cat.

A New Man (Hughes William Thompson, U.S., 2013, 9 min.): After his wife leaves him, Charles begins to assume the identities of strangers at a local coffee shop to avoid being alone.

T>PE Recorder (Douglas Horn, U.S., 2014, 7 min.): All of Joe's conversations are pre-recorded. Alison can't let him get away with that.

This Was My Son (Rob Underhill, U.S., 2014, 7 min.): Chicago-born Mamie Till tells the world what a culture of racial hatred did to her only son, Emmett Till.

The Walrus (Luke Randall, U.S., 2014, 8 min.): A walrus who has everything feels something is missing.

Also in Tiv 3

Druid Peak, 2:15

Wildlike, 5:00pm

Amira & Sam, 7:30pm

Shorts 10: Food on Film, 10:00pm

Plaza Frontenac 5

Paulette

Dir. Jérôme Enrico, France, 2012, 87 min., French

Sat, Nov 22 at 7:00pm, Plaza Frontenac

  Xenophobic old Paulette (Bernadette Lafonte, an icon of the New Wave) lives alone, but her meager pension is too small for her to get along, and soon her possessions are repossessed and phone cut off. Desperate to earn money, she makes a hilarious foray into dealing cannabis, but the local dealers don't take kindly to her unexpected success, and they beat her up and rob her. Paulette refuses to give up so easily, however, and instead cooks up a plan to sell cakes and biscuits spiced with pot. Suddenly, a huge demand develops for her elaborate pastries, and the noisy lines of people tip off  her elderly companions, who soon join the new business. But troubles persist -- her supplier wants Paulette to deal to children, and her cop son-in-law is getting awfully suspicious -- and she fears her income and new success will go up in smoke.

  Sponsored by: Jane M. & Bruce P. Robert Charitable Foundation

  Also in PF 5:

  The Priest's Children, 12:00pm

Me and You, 2:10pm

My Sweet Pepper Land, 4:40pm

The Dark Valley, 9:00pm

Plaza Frontenac 6

The Japanese Dog

Dir. Tudor Cristian Jurgiu, Romania, 2013, 86 min., Romanian

Sat, Nov 22 at 9:15pm, Plaza Frontenac

Told with beautiful simplicity and infused with subtle power, "The Japanese Dog" is a moving tale of loss and recovery. When a flood strikes Costache's village in Romania, his wife and all of their possessions are swept away. Now in a village shelter, Costache refuses to sell his land and move onward. He plans to rebuild, and rebuffs the help and advice of his neighbors. The story takes another turn when Costache's estranged son -- now living in Tokyo -- hears of his mother's death and father's plight and arrives unexpectedly with his Japanese wife, son, and "dog" of the title -- an electronic toy robot. Sifting through the rubble of his past, Costache discovers that more than enough remains to build a future. Variety writes: "Understatement and a beguiling sensitivity are the hallmarks of 'The Japanese Dog.'"  

 Also in PF 6:

Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain, 12:05pm

Life of Riley, 2:15pm

Marie's Story, 4:45pm

Still Life, 6:55pm

Webster University

Tribute to the Nicholas Brothers

FREE

Sat, Nov 22 at 6:00pm, Webster U./Moore

  The fabulous Nicholas Brothers, Fayard (1914-2006) and Harold (1921-2000), are among the greatest dancers of the 20th century. Despite racial hurdles, the self-taught African-American entertainers became one of the biggest musical acts of their time, headlining on Broadway, radio, and television and in vaudeville and nightclubs. But it was their dazzling, show-stopping numbers in movies like "Down Argentine Way," "Sun Valley Serenade," and "Stormy Weather" that made them international icons. Known for effortless balletic moves, elegant tap dancing, perfect rhythms, and jaw-dropping leaps, flips, and splits -- along with a consummate grace, sly sense of humor, and unmatched chemistry -- the brothers are in the end impossible to categorize. The dancer's dancers, their fans have included Gene Kelly, who teamed with them in "The Pirate"; Bob Fosse and Gregory Hines, whose first acts were modeled on them; ballet legends George Balanchine and Mikhail Baryshnikov; Michael Jackson, who once had Fayard as a dance coach; and Fred Astaire, who named their "Stormy Weather" staircase number the greatest of all musical sequences. This special tribute -- featuring clips, home movies, and interviews -- will be presented by Bruce Goldstein, director of repertory programming at New York's Film Forum, a friend of the brothers and writer and co-producer of a 1991 documentary on the team.

  With presenter Bruce Goldstein

  Co-presented by Dance St. Louis

Sponsored by: Mary Strauss

Also screening at Webster:

Tap or Die, 8:30pm

Webster U/Sverdrup

Master Class: Documentary Interviewing Techniques

180 min. (approx.)

Sat, Nov 22 at 1:00pm, Webster U./Sverdrup

  Documentarian Doug Pray conducts a master class on proven techniques for obtaining great interviews. The class covers all aspects of the art of performing interviews for documentary films, including preparing interview questions and their wording; understanding the psychological dynamics of the director-subject relationship; maximizing dramatic, emotional, or humorous responses; getting succinct answers; and saving a bad interview. Although not a technical class with production equipment, Pray touches on camera, lens, and lighting basics for interviews. This informal and participatory session appeals to filmmakers of all skill levels. Pray is an Emmy-winning director with more than 25 years of experience conducting interviews for feature documentaries, nonfiction shorts, and commercials. His documentaries include "Hype!," "Scratch," "Infamy," "Big Rig," "Surfwise," and "Art & Copy." SLIFF offers a free screening of his latest work, "Levitated Mass", and presents Pray with its Contemporary Cinema Award.

  With documentarian Doug Pray

  Co-presented by Webster University Film Series

WashU/Brown Hall

Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People

Thomas Allen Harris, U.S., 2014, 94 min. FREE

Sat, Nov 22 at 7:30pm, Brown Hall

  In partnership with the Henry Hampton Collection at Washington University Libraries, SLIFF inaugurates a four-program series of presentations by minority documentarians; the series will continue in 2015. "Through a Lens Darkly" is the first documentary to explore the role of photography in shaping the identity, aspirations, and social emergence of African Americans from slavery to the present. The film probes the recesses of American history by discovering images that have been suppressed, forgotten, and lost. Bringing to light hidden and unknown photos shot by both professional and vernacular African-American photographers, the film opens a window into the lives, experiences, and perspectives of black families -- a perspective that is absent from the traditional historical canon. Inspired by Deborah Willis's book "Reflections in Black," the film features the works of Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, Anthony Barboza, Hank Willis Thomas, Coco Fusco, Clarissa Sligh, and many others. The New York Times' A.O. Scott writes: "Mr. Harris's film is a family memoir, a tribute to unsung artists and a lyrical, at times heartbroken, meditation on imagery and identity." SLIFF also presents Harris' related project, the  Digital Diaspora Family Reunion Roadshow.

With director Harris

  Co-presented by Henry Hampton Collection at Washington University Libraries

  Part of Henry Hampton Minority Documentarian Series

Sponsored by: African & African-American Studies Program and Center for the Humanities at Washington University

Also screening at Brown Hall:

Amka and the Three Golden Rules, 12:00pm

The Boxcar Children, 2:00pm

Sounder, 4:30pm

KDHX

Tribute to Roberta Collins

Jonathan Demme, U.S., 1974, 83 min. $15

Sat, Nov 22 at 8:00pm, KDHX

  Screen Syndicate, a side project of Southern Illinois-based Americana band Stace England and the Salt Kings, explores the fascinating history of Roger Corman's New World Pictures and the exploitation films made by the company in the 1970s. The life of actress Roberta Collins -- a Hollywood story of sadly unfulfilled promise -- is the vehicle used to navigate the period. Collins lit up the screen in films like "The Big Doll House," "Women in Cages," and "Death Race 2000," often outshining such contemporaries as Pam Grier. But Collins was unable to break out of the B-movie grind, playing minor roles in increasingly poor productions before finally exiting the business. She died in obscurity in 2008. Screen Syndicate combines original songs, film clips, trailers, and other material into a unique live-music experience that pays tribute to Collins. The band has performed at numerous film festivals in the U.S. and Europe -- appearing twice at SLIFF -- with shows about pioneering African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux and Cairo, Ill. The concert is part of a double bill with "Caged Heat", which co-starred Collins.

Decades before "Silence of the Lambs," acclaimed director Jonathan Demme made his debut under the auspices of drive-in king Roger Corman (a former SLIFF Lifetime Achievement Award honoree) with this women-in-prison classic. When Jacqueline (Erica Gavin) is caught in a drug bust and sent to the hoosegow, she falls in with a group of inmates -- including Collins -- who eventually rise up against the sadistic warden (Barbara Steele). Although certainly delivering the nudity and violence that Corman required in his exploitation fare, Demme takes a slyly satirical approach that even manages to incorporate a bit of feminist perspective and social consciousness. For contrast, this year's SLIFF also features Demme's latest, "A Master Builder."

With "Caged Heat" and live concert by Stace England and Screen Syndicate

  Special-event ticket price of $15 for film and concert

  Also screening at KDHX:

  Rubber Soul, 4:00pm

WashU/Steinberg

Levitated Mass

Doug Pray, U.S., 2013, 90 min. FREE

Sat, Nov 22 at 7:30pm,  Steinberg

  It's not a bird! It's not a plane! It's Super Rock! "Levitated Mass," a sculpture of monolithic proportions 40-plus years in the making, was conceptualized by Californian artist Michael Heizer and finally realized with the transportation and arrival of its key component, a 340-ton granite boulder. The journey of this visually minimalistic piece took a mammoth group effort and years of planning, culminating in an 11-day journey. Director Doug Pray ("Art & Copy," "Hype!," "Scratch") chronicles the entire epic process, including the rock's unearthing from the desert and the carting of it for 105 miles through 22 cities at a pace of 5 mph to its current home at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Describing the film as "skillfully structured and highly entertaining," Variety writes: "Partly an exploration of an artist's oeuvre, partly a procedural for logistically nightmarish transport, partly a record of an 11-day spontaneous 'happening,' and partly an amalgam of different views on art, the film manages to appeal to art lovers, pop-culture disciples and high-concept skeptics and supporters alike."

With director Pray, who receives SLIFF's Contemporary Cinema Award

Sponsored by: Alison & John Ferring

  Also at Steinberg:

  Bending the Light, 5:00pm

Centene Center

Spectacular, Spectacular

180 min. (approx.) $20

Sat, Nov 22 at 10:00pm, Centene Center

  SLIFF is famed among guest filmmakers for its St. Louis-style hospitality. This year, members of the general public will be allowed behind the velvet ropes for one of our most titillating filmmaker parties -- a burlesque show that we're modestly dubbing "Spectacular, Spectacular." Celebrated local entertainer Show Me Charlotte -- hostess of "The Gayborhood" on the X (1380 AM) and queen of everything -- hosts and performs in a sexy burlesque revue show. And that's not all! Additional performers include the Riot Kids, the Seven Deadly Sinners, Sofie de Sade, and Bettie LaBootie. "Spectacular, Spectacular" only hints at fabulousness that will be on display. Words simply can't capture the event -- there are no words in the vernacular. Doors open at 10 p.m., with showtime at 11 p.m. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older. The $20 ticket includes show, complimentary Stella Artois, New Amsterdam vodka, Big O liqueur, and wine served by Cocktails are Go, plus light hors d'oeuvres prepared by Chef Elizabeth Schuster and the Tenacious Eats culinary team. Only a limited number of tickets are available, with advance purchase available through Brown Paper Tickets. Get 'em while you can!

  With live burlesque show. Special-event ticket price of $20 for show and drinks

  Sponsored by: New Amsterdam Vodka

#Stlfilmfest #stl #stlevents #film festival

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF Day Nine

Tivoli Theatre

Revenge of the Green Dragons

Dir. Andrew Lau & Andrew Loo, U.S., 2014, 94 min.

Fri, Nov 21 at 7:20pm,  Tivoli Theatre

"Revenge of the Green Dragons" follows two immigrant brothers -- Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) -- who survive impoverishment and despair in 1980s New York by joining Chinatown gang the Green Dragons. The brothers quickly rise through the ranks, drawing the unwanted attention of hard-boiled city cops and FBI agent Michael Bloom (Ray Liotta). After an ill-fated love affair pits Sonny against his own brother, he sets out take retribution on the gang who made him. A brilliant mix of Hong Kong actioner and New York City crime thriller, "Revenge of the Green Dragons" -- based on the real-life story of the gang -- is executive-produced by Martin Scorsese and helmed by acclaimed director Andrew Lau ("Infernal Affairs") with Andrew Loo. 

Also in Tiv 1:

  Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic, 5:00pm

New World, 9:45pm

Tivoli 3

Doc Shorts: Vignettes

Various directors, 93 min. FREE

Fri, Nov 21 at 5:00pm,  Tivoli Theatre

A program of docs that offer privileged glimpses into their subjects' lives and jobs.

  Animating the Void: Erasing Michelle from "Full House" (Andrew Austin, U.S., 2014, 11 min.): After his painstakingly edited video went viral, Andrew decides to find out why.

Gelati e Granite (Ivano Fachin, Italy, 2013, 20 min., Italian): A man, an ice-cream van, and a commitment to hard work and love in southern Sicily.

Modify to Fit (Patrick Murphy, U.S., 2014, 4 min.): Kendra Bailey, a below-the-elbow amputee, describes the modifications she makes to succeed in both the sport world and everyday life.

The Saints (Rogerio Fires, Canada, 2013, 7 min.): An examination of street musicians and the motivations behind their work.

Sriracha (Griffin Hammond, U.S., 2013, 33 min.): A look at Sriracha hot sauce and the company that has made it a cultural phenomenon.

Tiny Book in the Back (Brian McHugh, U.S., 2014, 14 min.): An artist uses his family's past connection to letterpress printing to create socially conscious public art.

Will the Real Dave Barber Please Stand Up? (Dave Barber, Canada, 2014, 4 min.): In this hilarious case of mistaken identity, Dave Barber receives the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal.

  With directors Austin of "Animating the Void" and McHugh of "Tiny Book"

Also in Tiv 3

I Believe in Unicorns, 7:15pm

Listening, 9:35pm

Plaza Frontenac 5

Cupcakes

Dir. Eytan Fox, Israel, 2013, 92 min., Hebrew, French & English

Fri, Nov 21 at 2:10pm, Plaza Frontenac

  Set in contemporary Tel Aviv, "Cupcakes" is the latest film from acclaimed gay Israeli director Eytan Fox ("Yossi & Jagger," "The Bubble"). Six diverse best friends gather to watch the wildly popular UniverSong competition. Appalled by the Israeli submission, the group larkishly decides to create its own entry, recording the song on a mobile phone. Unbeknownst to them, the performance is seen by the UniverSong judges and selected as Israel's entry for the next year's competition. With a soundtrack provided by Babydaddy of the Scissor Sisters, this hilarious comedy is a refreshing ode to music and friendship. Variety describes this cinematic confection as "endearingly goofy with its 'dare to be yourself' moral and '70s-tinged aesthetic."

  Also in PF 5:

  The Priest's Children, 12:00pm

Zero Motivation, 4:15pm

The Major, 6:45pm

The Dark Valley, 9:15pm

Plaza Frontenac 6

Human Capital

Dir. Paolo Virzì, Italy, 2013, 109 min., Italian

Fri, Nov 21 at 9:05pm, Plaza Frontenac

A cyclist is run off the road by a careening SUV the night before Christmas Eve. As details emerge of the events leading up to the accident, the lives of the privileged and detached Bernaschi family intertwine with the Rovellis, who struggle to keep up appearances and their comfortable middle-class life. Director Paolo Virzi's taut character study deconstructs the typical linear narrative, observing transformative events from each character's perspective. The result is a nuanced account of desire, greed, and the value of human life in an age of rampant capitalism and financial manipulation. The cast includes Valeria Golino (director of SLIFF film "Honey) and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi ("Munich"). The Observer's Mark Kermode calls the film "an elegant Chinese puzzle of a movie, deftly constructed by director Virzì, and boosted by an array of strong performances."  

 Also in PF 6:

Marie's Story, 12:05pm

Run Boy Run, 2:15pm

God's Slave, 4:45pm

Come to My Voice, 6:40pm

Webster University

SlingShot

Paul Lazarus, U.S./Paraguay/Ghana, 2013, 93 min.

Fri, Nov 21 at 7:30pm, Webster U./Moore

  An inspirational character study of Segway inventor Dean Kamen, "SlingShot" documents the life of an indomitable man whose innovative thinking might well offer a solution to the world's water crisis. An eccentric genius with a provocative worldview, Kamen lives in a house with secret passages, a closet full of denim clothes, and a helicopter garage. Although he's chosen to forego parenthood, Kamen nonetheless serves as an inspiration and mentor to future scientists through his First robotics competition. Kamen's inventions, which include home-dialysis technology, are first and foremost intended to help people in need and to ease suffering, and his latest passion -- the SlingShot water-purification system -- holds the promise of obliterating half of human illness on the planet. "SlingShot" follows the development of Kamen's vapor compression distiller from its beginnings through recent successful trials in rural Ghana and beyond.

  With producer Barry Opper.

  Sponsored by: Carol & Ward Klein

WashU/Brown Hall

Windstorm

Katja von Garnier, Germany, 2013, 100 min., German FREE

Fri, Nov 21 at 7:30pm, Brown Hall

  Fourteen-year-old Mika is looking forward to the best time of the year -- summer camp -- but when she fails to pass her end-of-year exams, she's instead exiled to her grandmother's stables in the country to study. Although she knows nothing about horses and has never ridden, Mika quickly realizes she has a special bond with animals -- especially with the wild stallion Windstorm. When she discovers that Windstorm is supposed to be sold to a butcher, Mika hatches a plan to rescue the stallion's life. With the help of stable boy Sam and his grandfather, a former trainer at her grandmother's stable, Mika learns to ride with the goal of winning a prestigious jumping competition with Windstorm. Because her protective grandmother has forbidden Mika to have any contact with the wild horse, she's forced to train in secret. Still more challenging, the novice rider must defeat an outstanding equestrian who intensely dislikes her. But Mika is undeterred: Only by proving Windstorm's worth can his life be saved.

KDHX

Pulp: A Film About Life, Death & Supermarkets

Adam Hamdy & Shaun Magher, U.K., 2013, 90 min.

Fri, Nov 21 at 8:00pm,  KDHX

  Though culminating with the farewell concert the band played to thousands of adoring fans in their hometown of Sheffield, England, "Pulp" is by no means a traditional concert film or rock doc. A testament both to Jarvis Cocker and his bandmates and to the city and inhabitants of the group's hometown of Sheffield, "Pulp" weaves exclusive concert footage with man-on-the-street interviews and dreamy staged sequences to paint a picture much larger and funnier, more moving and life-affirming, than any music film of recent memory. British entertainment site We Got This Covered hails it as "the best film that could be made about Pulp.... This documentary, centering on the band's 2012 farewell concert, grasps everything that Pulp is about. It's less a straightforward band biography and more a sociological study of the swamp of fears, loves and passions that bubbles away under the industrially cratered landscape of Sheffield."

SLU

American Arab

Usama Alshaibi, U.S., 2013, 58 min. FREE

Fri, Nov 21 at 7:30pm,  St. Louis University

  It's impossible to lay low as an Arab in America today. If you look the part, you are suspicious by association. Terrorists could be anywhere. You're compelled to defend yourself, your people, or your religion. But why should you apologize for acts that have nothing to do with you? In "American Arab," Iraqi-born director Usama Alshaibi takes a hard look at the contradictions of Arab identity in post-9/11 America, weaving his own life's journey and "coming of Arab" experiences into the life stories of several unique subjects. From Chicago to small towns in Illinois and Iowa, Usama explores the values, passions, and hopes of his fellow Arab-Americans as he struggles to make peace with the contradictions of his chosen homeland.

  With Skype Q&A with director Alshaibi. 

CAMSTL

On Company Business

Allan Francovich, U.S., 1980, 179 min. FREE

Fri, Nov 21 at 7:00pm,   Contemporary Art Museum

  Co-presented with the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, "On Company Business" was chosen by artist Mel Chin, whose exhibition "Rematch" is on display at CAM through Dec. 20. The show explores Chin's engagement with social justice, and the documentary he's selected reflects that concern. An award-winning documentary directed by the late Allan Francovich, "On Company Business" takes a long, penetrating look at one of the world's most powerful secret organizations -- the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Decades before WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden, "On Company Business" provided a peek behind the curtain of covert operations by featuring exclusive interviews with CIA employees. The film stirred such controversy that it was removed by PBS after a single showing in response to protests by sponsors. "On Company Business" won the International Critics Award for Best Documentary at the 1980 Berlin International Film Festival.

#Stlfilmfest #stl #stlevents #film festival

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF Day Eight

Tivoli Theatre

I'm Not Racist ... Am I?

Dir. Catherine Wigginton Greene, U.S., 2014, 90 min. FREE

Thu, Nov 20 at 7:00pm,  Tivoli Theatre

The conversation about race in America just keeps getting louder and more intense: the "N" word, black-face Halloween costumes, race-themed college parties, professional sports teams, police and prison policies, poverty, achievement gaps, and immigration reform. Why can't we move past all of this? What if this next generation could transcend it all? "I'm Not Racist ... Am I?" tells the story of a group of New York City teens who decides to try and goes on a year-long journey to get at the heart of racism. What unfolds over the course of the year will challenge their relationships with friends and families, and cause them to examine their own attitudes and behaviors. As they push through naiveté, guilt, and some tears, these remarkable young people develop deeper bonds, a stronger resolve, and a bigger, more significant definition of racism.

  With director Wigginton Greene

Sponsored by: Movie Friends of the Ethical Society of St. Louis

Also in Tiv 1:

  Who Took Johnny?, 5:00pm

Borgman, 9:45pm

Tivoli 3

Shorts 8: Our Canadian Neighbours

Various directors, 118 min.

Thu, Nov 20 at 9:30pm,  Tivoli Theatre

A sampling of stories from North of the Border filmmakers.

  Anxious Oswald Greene (Marshall Axani, Canada, 2013, 15 min.): Oswald Greene must cure his crippling anxiety, even if it means trusting a blind nurse, a talking fly, and a flamboyant doctor with a knack for rhyming.

Bird Doggin'! (Bram Cayne, Canada, 2013, 2 min.): Music meets mayhem when a pet dog and a stray bird get into a fight among an unsuspecting struggling songwriter's musical instruments.

Cochemare (Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski, Canada, 2013, 12 min.): Blending animation and live action, the film journeys from the mystical Forest of Storms to the orbiting International Space Station.

Cutaway (Kazik Radwanski, Canada, 2014, 7 min.): Told through close details of hands and objects, this film intimately portrays uncertainty and loss.

Dead Hearts (Stephen W. Martin, Canada, 2014, 17 min.): In this whimsical, gothic bedtime story filled with love, loss, taxidermy, kung fu, and biker werewolves, a young mortician will give his heart away to find true love.

The Dive (Delphine Le Courtois, France, 2013, 10 min., French): On the edge of adulthood, a 13-year-old boy on a diving board faces the unknown.

I Really Like You (Jason Karman, Canada, 2014, 13 min.): When Brandt walks into Michael's life, Michael shows him his unique collection of past loves.

Life's a Bitch (Francois Jaros, Canada, 2013, 6 min.): Love. Grief. Shock. Denial. Sleeplessness. Bubble bath. Mucus. Masturbation. Pop tart. Pigeons. Toothpaste. Hospital. Hair. Sports. Chicken. Bootie. Kids. Rejection. Squirrels. Cries. Life's a bitch.

Migration (Fluorescent Hill, Canada, 2014, 6 min.): A vintage nature film exploring the migratory pattern of a herd of wild creatures.

Milk Teeth (Julie Charette, Canada, 2013, 4 min.): The loss of a tooth shakes a young boy's world and makes him grow faster than he wishes.

Siren (Alex Clark, Canada, 2014, 9 min.): Two paramedics put their lives on the line when a routine call becomes a deadly race against time.

The Toll (Scott Simpson, Canada, 2013, 8 min.): A toll-booth worker, Rich has the most boring job on the planet until a mysterious woman crashes into his toll plaza. Rich is excited to find a bag of cash in the car, but things really get interesting when two thugs show up.

Wired (Nick Hillier & Nick Lacelle, Canada, 2014, 9 min.): After a botched sting operation, undercover cop Allen Grimshaw finds himself in the middle of a wild getaway.

  Also in Tiv 3

Doc Shorts: Matters of the Mind, 5:00pm

 The Animal Condition,7:30pm

Plaza Frontenac 5

May in the Summer

Dir. Cherien Dabis, Jordan, 2013, 96 min.

Thu, Nov 20 at 7:00pm, Plaza Frontenac

  To all appearances, May has it all: She's intelligent and gorgeous, receives critical raves for her recently published book, and plans to marry her loving fiancé, Ziad, a distinguished New York scholar. But when May -- played by writer/director Cherien Dabis ("Amreeka") -- returns to her hometown of Amman, Jordan, for the wedding, the cracks in her seemingly perfect life begin to show. Her headstrong, born-again Christian mother disapproves of Ziad, a Muslim, and stands firm in her decision to not attend the ceremony. Her sisters revert to behaving like rebellious teenagers. And her estranged, newly remarried father (Bill Pullman) awkwardly attempts to make amends. Freshly confronted with the wounds of her parent's long-broken relationship and struggling with the unavoidable clash of ancient and modern values, May questions the direction her life is taking. Noting that the film "is deceptively light in tone, given such strong themes as infidelity, abandonment and religious intolerance," the Seattle Times concludes: "Dabis covers a lot of ground as a storyteller while delivering a smart, focused performance."

  Also in PF 5:

  Traitors, 12:15pm

The Bit Player, 2:15pm

Honey, 4:45pm

West, 9:15pm

Plaza Frontenac 6

Manuscripts Don't Burn

Dir. Ravi Kumar, India, 2013, 96 min., English & Hindi

Thu, Nov 20 at 8:45pm, Plaza Frontenac

"Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain" explores the real-life tragedy that unfolded in 1984, when thousands died from a gas leak at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India. Dilip (Rajpal Yadav) views his new job at the plant as a chance to escape poverty, so when managers repeatedly ignore safety standards, he resists speaking up for fear of losing that opportunity. But tabloid journalist Motwani (Kal Penn of "The Namesake" and the "Harold and Kumar" films) has no such hesitation. He knows the city's residents complain of the plant's smell -- they wake up at night choking from the gas -- and Motwani is on a mission to uncover what he believes is a "time bomb" in the middle of Bhopal. In that effort, he enlists American journalist Eva (Mischa Barton) to confronts executive Warren Anderson (Martin Sheen) on a plant visit. Although once an idealist -- he started the plant with the intent of helping local farmers -- Anderson now advises his team to circumvent safety to increase productivity.

 Also in PF 6:

The Amazing Catfish, 2:00pm

Life of Riley, 4:00pm

Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter, 6:30pm

Webster University

St. Louis Filmmaker Showcase Shorts

Various directors, 76 min.

Thu, Nov 20 at 7:00pm, Webster U./Moore

  Our first sampling of the best short films from Cinema St. Louis' annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase.

  9 to 5 Feet Under (Terry Ziegelman, U.S., 2014, 10 min.): In Bob's dead-end job, the end is only the beginning.

The Ballad of Ted (Beth Ashby, Sarah Worner, U.S., 2014, 7 min.): The musical tale of Ted, a dinosaur whose time is about to end.

The Battle of Island Mound (Brant Hadfield, U.S., 2014, 25 min.): On a frigid January evening in 1862, 22-year-old George Washington escapes the bonds of slavery and joins the first African-American Union regiment to ever see combat in the Civil War.

The Butterfly and The Sacrifice (Madison Ridgdill, U.S., 2014, 4 min.): Two creatures fall in love and spend their lives watching the butterflies of those who have already passed.

EVT (Mike Rohlfing, U.S., 2014, 6 min.): In this stunning winner of the 2014 48 Hour Film Project St. Louis, a young man is forced to attend a unique and ultimately disturbing virtual-reality therapy session.

Good Conduct (Patrick Rea, U.S., 2013, 7 min.): Aidan visits his father in prison the day before his parole. Aidan gives him one more chance.

Human Resources: Sick Days Aren't A Game (Jeff Barry, U.S., 2013, 11 min.): How do you take down the queen of HR who hired half the company and made you who you are?

Tick Tock (Heidi Schlitt, U.S., 2014, 8 min): Insight into what women really think about common questions concerning dating, babies, and marriage.

  Various directors, 84 min.

Thu, Nov 20 at 9:00pm, Webster University

  The second sampling of the best short films from Cinema St. Louis' annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase.

  Confined (Patrick Murray, U.S., 2014, 21 min.): After being paralyzed by a severe stroke, Mark is defenseless against the increasingly abusive treatment of his wife.

Hiccup (Griffin Devine & Alyssa Radmand, U.S., 2013, 17 min.): A man with chronic hiccups struggles with the affliction over 15 years, until he discovers a unique fix for the problem.

The Solipsist (Patrick Lawrence, U.S., 2014, 24 min.): A high-powered attorney enjoys all the spoils of success until he wakes up one morning to find he's never actually been a lawyer.

Under the Grove (Nate Townsend, U.S., 2014, 22 min.): A young man must find a way out of the dark, disturbing town that's determined to steal his future.

SLU

Doc Shorts: Human Rights

Various directors, 104 min. FREE

Thu, Nov 20 at 7:30pm,  St. Louis University

  Documentaries from the frontlines of the battle for human rights.

  Broken Branches (Ayala Sharot, Israel, 2014, 25 min., Hebrew & Yiddish): Through animated images created by her granddaughter, a woman recalls being sent to live in Israel to escape the invasion of Poland during World War II.

Journey of a Freedom Fighter (Mohammed Moawia, Palestinian Territories/Sweden, 2014, 31 min., Arabic & English): A Palestinian freedom fighter moves from armed resistance to cultural resistance when he drops his weapon and joins the Freedom Theatre.

Minerita (Raúl De la Fuente, Bolivia/Spain, 2013, 27 min., Spanish): Women near Bolivian mines struggle to survive in a hostile place where brutal violence is inflicted on them by male miners and environmental dangers pose a constant threat.

Rainy Season (Joan Widdifield, Vietnam/U.S., 21 min., Vietnamese & English): When 7-year-old Thien found an American mortar in a rubber-tree grove near his home in Vietnam, his family's life forever changed.

#Stlfilmfest #stl #stlevents #film festival

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF Day Seven

Tivoli Theatre

Winter Sleep

Dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey, 2014, 196 min., Turkish, English

Wed, Nov 19 at 8:00pm,  Tivoli Theatre

A Chekhovian relationship drama by celebrated Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan ("Three Monkeys," "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia"), "Winter Sleep" centers on the brutal patriarchal figure of Aydin, a cynical and defensive former actor who lords over a small hotel and town in central Anatolia. His primary victims are his young wife, with whom he has a stormy relationship, and his sister, who is suffering from her recent divorce. In winter, as the snow begins to fall, the hotel offers shelter, but it's also an isolate, inescapable place that fuels their animosities. Initially proceeding at a deliberately glacial pace, the film ultimately ignites into a roaring fire of hate and emotion. "Winter Sleep" won both the Palme d'Or and the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Declaring the film "simultaneously vast and intimate, sprawling and incisive, and talky in the best possible sense," Variety concludes: "Nuri Bilge Ceylan is at the peak of his powers with 'Winter Sleep,' a richly engrossing and ravishingly beautiful magnum opus that surely qualifies as the least boring 196-minute movie ever made." 

Also in Tiv 1:

  Born to Fly, 6:00pm

Tivoli 3

You Have His Eyes

Christopher Wilson, U.S./Jamaica, 2014, 93 min.

Wed, Nov 19 at 7:00pm,  Tivoli Theatre

Christopher Wilson, the black director of "You Have His Eyes," was adopted at 3 months old by a white family. Curious about his roots, Christopher reunites 25 years later with his biological mother, and she heartbreakingly explains the reasons for giving him up, telling her son an empowering story about perseverance, sacrifice, resilience, and love. But Christopher's father, a Jamaican track runner and national record holder, had seemingly disappeared, and "You Have His Eyes" documents the filmmaker's search for his father -- an intense, life-changing experience that uncovers long-hidden truths about his biological family. Along the way, a high-end Hollywood private investigator, a psychic, and members of the Jamaican government aid in the hunt, with the long journey eventually leading to a shocking conclusion.

  With director Wilson and composer Stephen Witte

  Also in Tiv 3

Doc Shorts: Life Observed, 5:00pm

Shorts 7: Relationships,9:20pm

Plaza Frontenac 5

The Major

Dir. Yuri Bykov, Russia, 2013, 99 min., Russian

Wed, Nov 19 at 9:15pm, Plaza Frontenac

  Anxiously trying to get to the hospital to see his newborn son, police commander Sergey Sobolev furiously weaves in and out of cars at high speed. Suddenly, he notices a woman and a young boy attempting to cross the street. Ice on the road causes his SUV to slide, and the vehicle kills the child instantly and leaves his mother stunned. Panicked, Sobolev is primarily concerned with protecting his reputation as one of the town's prominent authority figures. Afraid of the public outcry that the death could bring, he and his crooked force hatch a disastrous plan to cover up the crime, creating a cascade of events that make the initial accident seem small by comparison. The Hollywood Reporter declares: "Like an episode of 'The Shield' transplanted to the snow-swept Russian countryside, writer-director Yuri Bykov's 'The Major' is a tense, handheld police thriller filled with scores of dirty cops, scenes of abrupt violence and a relentless, overriding sense of nastiness."

  Also in PF 5:

  Age of Love, 12:00pm

History of Fear, 2:15pm

Waltz for Monica, 4:15pm

Beginning with the End, 9:15pm

Plaza Frontenac 6

Manuscripts Don't Burn

Dir. Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran, 2013, 125 min., Farsi

Wed, Nov 19 at 8:30pm, Plaza Frontenac

  Clandestinely produced in defiance of a 20-year filmmaking ban imposed by the Iranian authorities, the scathing "Manuscripts Don't Burn" brings a whole new level of audacity to Mohammad Rasoulof's already extraordinary work ("Iron Island," "The White Meadows"). Drawing from the true story of the government's attempted 1995 murder of several prominent writers and intellectuals, Rasoulof imagines a repressive regime so pervasive that even the morally righteous are cast aside. A lacerating and slow-burning thriller filmed in a frigid palette of blues and grays, the film is a subversive and incendiary j'accuse aimed squarely at Iran's authoritarian regime. The Village Voice writes: "Harrowing, defiant, and exemplifying through its very existence the moral courage its totalitarian villains stamp down, Mohammad Rasoulof's 'Manuscripts Don't Burn' exposes the brutal measures Iran's government takes against free expression."

 Also in PF 6:

Come to My Voice, 1:30pm

The Japanese Dog, 3:55pm

L'Chaim: To Life!, 6:00pm

Webster University

An Honest Liar

Dir. Tyler Measom & Justin Weinstein, U.S., 2014, 93 min.

Wed, Nov 19 at 7:30pm, Webster U./Moore

  For the last half-century, James "The Amazing" Randi has entertained millions of people around the world with his remarkable feats of magic, escape, and trickery. But Randi was enraged when saw his beloved magician's tricks being used by faith healers, fortune tellers, and psychics to steal money and destroy lives, and he's dedicated his life to exposing those frauds. Perpetrating a series of unparalleled investigations and elaborate hoaxes, Randi has fooled scientists, the media, and a gullible public, but always with a deeper goal of demonstrating the importance of evidence and the dangers of magical thinking. His work exposing faith healers won him the prestigious MacArthur "Genius" Award in 1987. When dealing with a master deceiver, however, the truth can often be hard to find: The film also follows Randi and his partner through a dramatic -- and potentially devastating -- twist in their own lives. With appearances by Adam Savage, Penn & Teller, Bill Nye, and Alice Cooper, "An Honest Liar" is an exciting and thought-provoking film: a detective story, a biography, and a bit of a magic act itself.

SLU

I'm Not Racist ... Am I?

Dir. Catherine Wigginton Greene, U.S., 2014, 90 min.

Wed, Nov 19 at 7:30pm,  St. Louis University

  The conversation about race in America just keeps getting louder and more intense: the "N" word, black-face Halloween costumes, race-themed college parties, professional sports teams, police and prison policies, poverty, achievement gaps, and immigration reform. Why can't we move past all of this? What if this next generation could transcend it all? "I'm Not Racist ... Am I?" tells the story of a group of New York City teens who decides to try and goes on a year-long journey to get at the heart of racism. What unfolds over the course of the year will challenge their relationships with friends and families, and cause them to examine their own attitudes and behaviors. As they push through naiveté, guilt, and some tears, these remarkable young people develop deeper bonds, a stronger resolve, and a bigger, more significant definition of racism.

With director Wigginton Greene

  Sponsored by: Movie Friends of the Ethical Society of St. Louis

#Stlfilmfest #stl #stlevents #film festival

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF Day Six

Tivoli Theatre

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night

Dir. Ana Lily Amirpour, Iran, 2014, 99 min., Farsi

Tue, Nov 18 at 7:05pm,  Tivoli Theatre

In an impressive debut, director Ana Lily Amirpour takes a uniquely feminist approach to the undead, offering a sly, surprising mash-up of genre and culture: the first Iranian vampire Western. Threaded into the film's dense weave is a love story between two tortured souls who dwell in the imaginary underworld of a mythical Iranian town called Bad City. The unnamed girl of the title is a lonely female vampire who preys on the town's most depraved, repellent, and misogynistic denizens but falls into a tenuous romance with well-meaning good guy Arash. The film's distinctive characters, visuals, and soundtrack choices (a mix of '80s new-wave, Euro-pop, and Persian songs) help make "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" one of the most inventive, imaginative works of modern Iranian cinema. Indiewire raves: "Shot in gorgeously expressionistic black-and-white and fusing multiple genres into a thoroughly original whole, Amirpour has crafted a beguiling, cryptic and often surprisingly funny look at personal desire that creeps up on you with the nimble powers of its supernatural focus." 

Also in Tiv 1:

   Shorts 6: Crime Dramas & Thrillers, 5:00pm

 The Apostle, 9:30pm

Tivoli 3

Doc Shorts: Black Lives Matter

Various Directors, 86 min.

Tue, Nov 18 at 5:00pm,  Tivoli Theatre

A look at black individuals through a variety of lenses.

  Fighter by Nature (Jonathan Keenan, U.S., 2014, 28 min.): The story of a Hall of Fame boxer turned coach who balances mentoring the next generation of boxers with raising his family.

  Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace (Jeff Dupre, U.S., 2013, 44 min.): Famous for his vibrant reinterpretations of classical portraits featuring African-American men, painter Kehinde Wiley embarks on a new project. This film is on the shortlist for nomination at the 2015 Oscars®.

  We Are Somebody (Reid Bangert, U.S., 2014, 7 min.): Youth from some of Kansas City's most economically depressed neighborhoods tell their stories and their dreams of a better future.

  Yellow Fever (Ng'endo Mukii, Kenya, 2012, 7 min.): Using animation and live action, this short looks at how the globalization of beauty ideals affects African women's self-image.

With director Keenan of "Fighter" and director Bangert and executive producer Kurt Bangert of "We Are Somebody."

  FREE

  Also in Tiv 3

Evolution of a Criminal, 7:10pm

Alex & Ali,9:35pm

Plaza Frontenac 5

The Bit Player

Dir. Jeffrey Jeturian, Pellerito, Philippines, 2013, 111 min., Filipino & Tagalog

Tue, Nov 18 at 4:30pm, Plaza Frontenac

  Veteran Filipino director Jeffrey Jeturian delivers a bittersweet and endearing tale of a woman coming to terms with the reality of her dreams. Loida is a single, middle-aged mother with lofty goals: For years, she's worked as an extra on soap operas, patiently waiting for her chance to shine. Because her non-speaking roles don't pay much, Loida must work extremely hard to make ends meet. Although this relentless schedule requires time away from her daughter, her work ethic ensures a modicum of financial stability. In fact, Loida's desire to succeed is driven as much by parental responsibilities as personal ambitions, and her motherly ways are just as evident on the set, where she often offers guidance to the younger extras. Singling out the "glowing central performance by Filipino screen queen Vilma Santos," Variety writes: "The unshakable optimism of a middle-aged extra is the warm heart driving 'The Bit Player,' an appealing dramedy that pokes plenty of good-natured fun at TV soap operas."

  Also in PF 5:

  Advanced Style, 12:00pm

The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas, 2:15pm

Honey, 7:00pm

Class Enemy, 9:15pm

Plaza Frontenac 6

Warren

Dir. Alex Beh, U.S., 2014, 84 min.

Tue, Nov 18 at 6:15pm, Plaza Frontenac

  An award-winning shorts filmmaker, actor/comedian Alex Beh makes his feature directorial debut with this smart and touching work about a young adult facing an uncertain future. After giving up on his dream of making it in the Chicago improv scene, Warren (Beh) fatefully reconnects with Emma (Sara Habel of "Whip It"), the former love of his life, while working as a barista at a busy local coffeehouse. Afraid of growing old alone -- with his recently divorced father (John Heard) providing a cautionary case study -- Warren is strongly tempted to try winning Emma back, but that pursuit will likely require abandoning all hope of a career as a comedian. Faced with a decision, Warren can no longer put his life on hold: He must find the courage to go after his dreams a second time. The film also stars Jean Smart ("Designing Women") as Warren's mother.

With director/star Beh

 Also in PF 6:

Stations of the Cross, 1:45pm

God's Slave, 4:15pm

La Passion Noureev, 8:30pm

Webster University

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

Dir. Mami Sunada, Japan, 2013, 118 min., Japanese

Tue, Nov 18 at 7:30pm, Webster U./Moore

  Located in a Tokyo suburb, Studio Ghibli looks from the outside like a modest office building, but behind its doors some of the greatest creative talents in cinema have worked on such masterpieces as "Spirited Away," "Princess Mononoke," "Grave of the Fireflies," "My Neighbor Totoro," and "Ponyo." "The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness" goes inside the studio, offering unprecedented access to the work of producer Toshio Suzuki and world-renowned directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Shooting Miyazaki at work on "The Wind Rises" and Takahata making the upcoming "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya," director Mami Sunada reveals Ghibli as an enchantingly old-fashioned workshop, a place where Miyazaki -- perhaps the greatest animator in cinema history -- toils on his meticulous drawings while wearing a work apron and timing his animation with an analog stopwatch.

#stl #Stlfilmfest #stlevents #film festival

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF Day Five

Tivoli Theatre

Nas: Time is Illmatic

Dir. One9, U.S., 2014, 74 min.

Mon, Nov 17 at 7:00pm,  Tivoli Theatre

Twenty years after the release of Nas' groundbreaking debut album -- regarded as one of hip-hop's seminal works -- "Nas: Time Is Illmatic" explores the heart of the artist's creative process. Returning to his childhood home in Queensbridge, N.Y., Nas shares stories of his upbringing and influences -- from the music of his jazz-musician father to the burgeoning hip-hop scene in New York City -- and frankly discusses the obstacles he faced in escaping the dangers and limited opportunities of his rough, violent neighborhood. Featuring interviews with the album's producers and his musical peers (including Pharrell Williams and Alicia Keys), the film provides a thrilling account of Nas' evolution from a young street poet to a visionary MC, and offers insight into the challenges that young African-American males must overcome to succeed.

  FREE

  Sponsored by: Cbabi Bayoc and Sweetart Bakery

Also in Tiv 1:

  Walking Man, 5:00pm

The Impersonators, 9:00pm

Tivoli 3

Shorts 5: Leading Ladies

Various directors, 91 min.

Mon, Nov 17 at 9:30pm,  Tivoli Theatre

  "For most of history, Anonymous was a woman." - Virginia Woolf

  Audrey Makes A Mixtape (James Mackenzie, U.S., 2014, 10 min.): Audrey hopes to save her crush from losing his virginity to the queen bee. Her 1988 weapon of choice? A blank cassette tape.

  Dusk (Hannah Radcliff, U.S., 2013, 5 min.): A young woman is faced with a life-changing decision.

  An Extraordinary Person (Monia Chokri, Canada, 2013, 30 min.): A 30-year-old scholar -- intelligent and beautiful but socially crippled -- is forced to attend a bachelorette party, where her quest for authenticity unsettles old acquaintances.

  A Ginger Sheep (Rona Soffer, Israel, 2014, 12 min., Hebrew): Nuni, a sexy redheaded girl, lost her once-intense interest in graffiti when she lost her leg, but her first love rekindles that passion years later.

  Red Car (Steven Wilsey, U.S., 2014, 15 min.): A hardworking woman tries to build a better life with the purchase of a used red car.

  Subtext (Arnold & Jacob Pander, U.S., 2014, 17 min., Hebrew): The truth about a relationship is revealed when a young woman is led into a tryst via phone texts by her boyfriend.

  Also in Tiv 3

Doc Shorts: Perseverance, 5:00pm

ThuleTuvalu, 7:15pm

Plaza Frontenac 5

West (Lagerfeuer)

Dir. Christian Schwochow, Germany, 2013, 102 min., German, English, Russian & Polish

Mon, Nov 17 at 5:30pm, Plaza Frontenac

  A vigorous thriller, "West" is set in the hostile climate of 1970s Berlin, a divided city fraught with tension and mistrust. Looking to start a new life, Nelly manages to escape with son Alexej into West Germany, but beginning over in the West proves far harder than leaving the East. Living as refugees, they are working through the necessary steps to gain citizenship when the process suddenly halts. Officials begin to question Nelly about her lover, whose recent death remains suspicious, and the information uncovered threatens to place mother and son in peril. Consumed by an intense paranoia, Nelly risks both losing her sanity and destroying her relationship with the fragile Alexej. A tale of survival and love, "West" serves as testament to the overwhelming pressure that the past can often exert on the present.

  Also in PF 5:

  The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas, 12:45pm

Uzumasa Limelight, 3:00pm

Class Enemy, 8:00pm

Plaza Frontenac 6

Diplomacy

Dir. Volker Schlöndorff, Germany/France, 2014, 88 min., German & French

Mon, Nov 17 at 6:20pm, Plaza Frontenac

As the Allies march toward Paris in the summer of 1944, Hitler gives orders that the French capital should not fall into enemy hands. If it does, he instructs his army to leave the city "only as a field of rubble." The person assigned to carry out this barbaric act is Gen. Dietrich von Choltitz, who already has mines planted in monuments and bridges all over the City of Lights. However, at dawn on Aug. 25, Swedish Consul General Raoul Nordling steals into German headquarters through a secret underground tunnel and starts a tension-filled game of cat and mouse, attempting to persuade Choltitz to abandon his plan. This passionate, emotional adaptation of the 2011 drama by French playwright Cyril Gély is directed by Academy Award® winner Volker Schlöndorff ("The Tin Drum"). Variety calls the film a "classy drama of political manners" and "an elegant orchestrated pas de deux between formidable opponents."

Sponsored by: Jane M. & Bruce P. Robert Charitable Foundation

  Also in PF 6:

To Kill a Man, 12:00pm

The Ambassador to Bern, 2:15pm

A Small Southern Enterprise, 4:00pm

Ricki's Promise, 8:30pm FREE

#Stlfilmfest #stl #stlevents #film festival

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF Day Four

Tivoli Theatre

Northern Borders

Dir. Jay Craven, U.S., 2013, 107 min.

Sun, Nov 16 at 5:45pm,  Tivoli Theatre

Directed by SLIFF veteran Jay Craven ("Where the Rivers Flow North," "Disappearances"), "Northern Borders" is his fourth adaptation of a novel by acclaimed Vermont author Howard Frank Mosher. It's 1956, and 10-year-old Austen Kittredge is exiled by his father to his grandparents' Vermont farm. The farm serves as a battleground for his eccentric, stubborn grandparents -- played by legendary actors Bruce Dern, an Oscar® nominee for last year's "Nebraska," and Genevieve Bujold -- whose thorny marriage is known as the Forty Years' War. Stuck in this fractured, fractious household, Austen hopes for a quick exit but ends up stranded, and he has no choice but to cope and endure. In the process, he experiences his share of wild adventures and uncovers a few long-festering family secrets. A humorous and sometimes startling coming-of-age-story, "Northern Borders" wonderfully evokes Vermont's wild beauty, haunted past, and enchanted aura.

  With director Craven 

  Sponsored by: Joni Tackette Casting

Also in Tiv 1:

  The Great Invisible, 12:30pm

Marshall the Miracle Dog, 2:45pm SOLD OUT

Treehouse, 8:30pm

Tivoli 3

#ChicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes on a Dictator

Dir. Joe Piscatella, U.S./Syria, 2013, 74 min., Arabic & English

Sun, Nov 16 at 3:30pm,  Tivoli Theatre

  From her childhood bedroom in suburban Chicago, 19-year-old Ala'a Basatneh -- born in Damascus but raised in the U.S. -- plays a key role in coordinating the revolution in Syria. Armed with Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and camera phones, she helps her social network "on the ground" in Syria brave snipers and shelling in the streets to show the world the human-rights atrocities of a dictator. Because Syria is rife with government informants, Ala'a provides vital aid in deciding protest and escape routes, and she enables small groups of protesters to link up so that they can stage giant protests. But just because the world can see the violence doesn't mean the world can help. As the revolution rages on, everyone in the network must decide the most effective way to fight a dictator: social media or AK-47s? The Hollywood Reporter calls the documentary "a stirring story of ordinary heroism" and describes Ala'a as "a charismatic, telegenic presence."

  Also in Tiv 3

In Country, 1:00pm

The Tribe, 5:20pm

Shorts 4: Stars in Shorts, 8:20pm

Plaza Frontenac 5

American Cheerleader

Dir. David Barba & James Pellerito, U.S., 2014, 89 min.

Sun, Nov 16 at 2:15pm, Plaza Frontenac

  Set in the highly competitive world of top-flight cheerleading, "American Cheerleader" follows the journey of two high-school teams vying for the coveted National High School Cheerleading Championship. Overcoming challenges through discipline, dedication, and teamwork, 12-girl squads from New Jersey and Kentucky redefine what it means to be an American cheerleader. The film interviews both kids and coaches, and shows the girls as they arduously prepare and go about their daily lives. By the time the film climaxes with the competition, viewers will be equally invested in the two squads and rooting for both teams, even though only one can emerge triumphant.

  Also in PF 5:

  SLIFF/Kids Family Shorts, 12:00pm

Yakona, 4:15pm

Handy, 6:30pm

Abuse of Weakness, 9:00pm

Plaza Frontenac 6

Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq

Dir. Nancy Buirski, U.S., 2013, 91 min.

Sun, Nov 16 at 2:45pm, Plaza Frontenac

  Of all the great ballerinas, the Paris-born Tanaquil Le Clercq may have been the most transcendent. With a body unlike any before hers, she mesmerized viewers and choreographers alike. Her unique style, humor, and authenticity redefined ballet for all dancers who followed. Amazingly, she was the muse to not just one great artist but two: Both George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins loved her as a dancer and a woman. Balanchine married her, and Robbins created his famous version of "Afternoon of a Faun" for Tanny. Tragically, after establishing herself as the foremost dancer of her day, Tanny had her career suddenly stopped when she was struck down by polio and paralyzed. She never danced again.

Co-presented by Dance St. Louis

Sponsored by: Centre Francophone at Webster University

Also in PF 6:

I'm Ten, then I'll Catch Eleven, 12:15pm

Red Army, 5:15pm

Mr. Turner, 7:30pm

Webster University

Dance Shorts

90 min. (approx.)

Sun, Nov 16 at 8:15pm,  Webster U./Moore

  As part of its Dance on Film programming, SLIFF offers a selection of classic and contemporary dance shorts. The program features a trio of newly restored shorts by pioneering American independent Shirley Clarke ("Bullfight," "Dance in the Sun," and "Moment in Love"), a special 16mm screening of "Seafall" (co-starring a young Michael Uthoff, the artistic and executive director of Dance St. Louis), and two locally made shorts ("Nightfall on Neptune" and "Shifted"). The program concludes with excerpts from a new dance short by filmmaker/dancer Elliott Geolat and a trio of live dance performances: "In the Pines" and "The Prowler (both choreographed by Geolat) and "The Gallows" (choreographed by Audrey Simes, who appears in "Shifted"). The dancers featured are Geolat, Simes, Ellen Vierse, and the St. Louis Ballet's Clayton Cunningham, Audrey Honert, and Milan Valko.

  Bullfight (Shirley Clarke, U.S./Spain, 1955, 10 min.): In the only filmed performance of the legendary dancer/choreographer Anna Sokolow, Clarke cuts between a bullfight and Sokolow's passionate interpretation of bullfighter, audience, and the bull.

Dance in the Sun (Shirley Clarke, U.S., 1953, 8 min.): A magical adaptation of Daniel Nagrin's ballet that cuts between the interior dance stage and the exterior location on the beach.

Moment in Love (Shirley Clarke, U.S., 1957, 10 min.): A spectacular duet choreographed by Anna Sokolow, using abstract colors and changing landscapes from an idyllic garden to a desolated city.

Nightfall on Neptune (Elliott Geolat, U.S., 2014, 15 min.): After a disastrous date, a romantically unsuccessful man returns to his lonely apartment only to be visited by his beautiful, newly single neighbor. The pair dance outdoors at night in front of a gorgeously lit Saint Louis Art Museum.

Seafall (Gardner Compton & Emile Ardolino, U.S., 1969, 11 min.): A dance in the outdoors choreographed by Michael Uthoff and performed by Uthoff and Lisa Bradley, with music by Albinoni-Giazotto and narration by Omar Sharif, who reads passages from Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee."

Shifted (Laura Ferro, Eleanor Dubinsky & Zlatko Cosic, U.S., 2014, 6 min.): An exploration of the connection between self and other featuring dancer Audrey Simes.

With director Geolat, Dance St. Louis' Uthoff, and live dance performances.

Co-presented by Dance St. Louis

  Sponsored by: Mary Strauss

Also showing at Webster:

The Overnighters, 6:00pm

WashU/Brown Hall

Tomorrow We Disappear

Dir. Jim Goldblum & Adam Weber, India, 2014, 84 min., Hindi & English

Sun, Nov 16 at 4:15pm, Brown Hall

At first glance, the Kathputli Colony looks like any other Indian slum: Flies swarm its putrid canals, children climb on drooping electrical wires, and construction cranes and an ever-expanding Metro line loom on the horizon. But Kathputli is a place of fading traditions. For a half-century, 2,800 artist families of magicians, acrobats, and puppeteers have called its narrow alleyways home. That life became threatened when, in 2010, the Delhi government sold Kathputli to developers for a fraction of its worth. The land is to be bulldozed to make room for the city's first-ever skyscraper, the Phoenix. The film follows two of Kathputli's most talented performers -- magician Rahman and puppeteer Puran -- as they wrangle with the reality of their approaching eviction. Although the film focuses on the fate of these marginalized performers in Delhi, it also addresses larger issues about what India stands to lose in the name of progress.

With co-director Weber

  Shown with: 

The Red Carpet

Manuel Fernandez & Iosu Lopez, Spain/India, 2014, 10 min.

The Red Carpet chronicles the efforts of 12-year old Rubina, who aims to become an actress and change the Indian slum in which she lives into a cleaner and more habitable place.

Also showing at Wash U/Brown Hall:

American Arab, 12:00pm

Where God Likes to Be, 2:00pm

Partners for Peace, 8:00pm

KDHX

Eamonn Wall: Your Rivers Have Trained You

Dir. Paul O'Reilly, Ireland, 2014, 58 min.

Sun, Nov 16 at 3:30pm, KDHX

A portrait of one of Ireland's leading poets, "Eamonn Wall: Your Rivers Have Trained You" was filmed in the writer's birthplace of Enniscorthy in County Wexford, Ireland. The poet -- who now lives in St. Louis -- walks viewers through several chapters of his life, interweaving them with extracts from poems and essays that characteristically reveal much about his family, travels, and influences. From his difficult early school years to his appointment as professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Wall journeys from childhood to fatherhood, talking candidly about a wide range of subjects: his emigration to New York, his experience as a father, the impact of Irish storytelling on his work, his discovery of new poetic forms, his views of politics on both sides of the Atlantic, and his family.

With director O'Reilly and a reading by subject Wall.

  Also at KDHX

  We Don't Wanna Make You Dance, 1:00pm

Bob Reuter's Last Tape, 7:30pm

SLU

120 Days

Dir. Ted Roach, U.S./Mexico, 2014, 79 min., Spanish & English

Sun, Nov 16 at 7:00pm, St. Louis University

"120 Days" provides an intimate look at the lives of one family of undocumented immigrants. The Corteses have lived and worked in the United States illegally for 12 years, but Miguel, the father and husband, now faces deportation as a result of his immigration status. When Miguel agrees to leave the country voluntarily and pay a $5,000 bond, the judge offers him 120 days to get his affairs in order before leaving his wife and two daughters, who will stay behind in the U.S. to continue their education. Miguel has four months to work hard, save money, and weigh his options: Should he return to Mexico alone or should he change his name and illegally disappear back into another U.S. city with his family?

With director Roach.

  Shown with:�� 

Life on the Line

Sally Rubin & Jen Gilomen, U.S./Mexico, 2014 29 min., English & Spanish

Teenager Kimberly must cross the U.S./Mexico border every day to go to school.

Also at SLU:

  Ricki's Promise, 4:00pm

SLAM

Tribute to Alice Guy-Blaché

Sun, Nov 16 at 2:30pm, Saint Louis Art Museum

Trailblazing Alice Guy-Blaché was the first woman to direct a motion picture. Born in Paris in 1873, Guy-Blaché was hired as a secretary by Léon Gaumont in 1894, but when he established the Gaumont Film Company two years later, she became the studio's head of production. Over a 25-year career, Guy-Blaché was responsible for more than 700 works. In conjunction with the University of Missouri-St. Louis, SLIFF pays tribute to this film pioneer with a program highlighted by her 1906 silent "The Birth, the Life and the Death of Christ." The screening will feature a newly created score by Dr. Barbara Harbach, curators' professor of music and director of Women in the Arts at UMSL, with the music performed by members of the St. Louis Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Dr. James E. Richards, professor of music and associate dean of Fine Arts and Communication at UMSL. The program also includes a new multimedia piece that surveys Guy-Blaché's life and career by Dr. Rita Csapo-Sweet, associate professor of media studies, and video artist Zlatko Cosic, with music by composer Brad Decker. Csapo-Sweet introduces the program and leads a post-film discussion.

Co-presented by University of Missouri-St. Louis

With an original score for "The Birth, the Life and the Death of Christ" by Dr. Barbara Harbach and live musical accompaniment by members of the St. Louis Chamber Orchestra.

Sponsored by: TV5MONDE

#Stlfilmfest #stl #stlevents #film festival

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF Day Three

Tivoli Theatre

Red Butterfly

Dir. Jon Alston, U.S., 2014, 85 min.

Sat, Nov 15 at 8:00pm,  Tivoli Theatre

  Former NFL linebacker Jon Alston -- the Rams' third-round draft pick in 2006 -- makes his directorial debut with the psychological thriller "Red Butterfly." Star-crossed lovers Tonio (Diogo Morgado) and Cleo (Christine Evangelista) become trapped in a hellish nightmare after a young woman's death from a drug overdose catalyzes a chain reaction of unfortunate events. When the woman is found slumped over a toilet in a bathroom at the bar owned by the criminal TC (Wilson Jermaine Heredia), Tonio's best friend, the two men attempt to cover up the death. But things quickly go from bad to worse, with both a police detective (Lawrence Mason) and a ruthless crime figure (James A. Stephens) becoming part of the deadly mix. As pressure mounts and nerves fray, they all hurtle toward a dark and unavoidable conclusion.

With director Alston, producer Gerren Crochet , and actors Evangelista, Morgado and Mason.

Sponsored by: Tadlock|Brueggemann Group & The Warner Hall Group (of Dielmann Sotheby's International Realty)

  Also in Tiv 1:

  She's Beautiful When She's Angry, 12:30pm

Cheatin', 3:00pm

The Imitation Game, 5:00pm

Tivoli 3

Queers in the Kingdom: Let Your Light Shine

Dir. Markie Hancock, U.S., 2014, 74 min.

Sat, Nov 15 at 2:15pm,  Tivoli Theatre

  Most students on Christian college campuses were raised in evangelical homes and went regularly to church, where they were told that being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender was a sin. That "lesson" was then repeated over and over by parents, Sunday-school teachers, youth leaders, and pastors. Students struggling with their sexuality on Christian campuses are thus likely to believe that being gay is the worst sin imaginable and that they are going to hell. More immediately, they fear expulsion if anyone discovers their secret. This scenario has deep roots in the evangelical movement in the U.S., where Bible-based homophobia is normative and discrimination by churches and Christian colleges is accepted. Focusing on Wheaton College, Billy Graham's alma mater, "Queers in the Kingdom" tracks both the general evangelical history of the nation and the specific emergence of OneWheaton, a group of LGBTQ alumni and allies from the college. OneWheaton members resist the silencing and shame that has led to a suicide on campus, and they take action to support current students and each other.

With director Hancock.

  Also in Tiv 3

Shorts 2: Absurd/Experimental, 12:15pm

In the Turn, 4:30pm

Five Star, 7:00pm

Shorts 3: Comedy, 9:00pm

Plaza Frontenac 5

Handy

Dir. Vincenzo Cosentino, Italy, 2013, 83 min.

Sat, Nov 15 at 4:20pm, Plaza Frontenac

  This utterly charming epic features a highly unique protagonist: a hand. Untalented writer Martini relies exclusively on his left hand, called Handle, for his supposed creative drive, relegating his right hand, known as Handy, to the armrest. After decades of being ignored and living with Handle's mediocrity, Handy does what any sensible hand would do: He quite literally breaks free and embarks on a life-affirming journey across the globe. When Handy meets another disembodied hand, the gorgeous Manicure, on a Sicilian beach, she sets his middle finger ablaze. It doesn't take the two long to go palm to palm. But as his ambitions grow ever larger, Handy realizes he could be responsible for a perilous rebellion. Proudly billed as "the first movie about stand-alone hands," "Handy" features famed Italian actor Franco Nero.

With director Cosentino.

  Sponsored by: Sponsored by Sharon & J. Kim Tucci

  Also in PF 5:

  Hiroshima, Mon Amour, 12:00pm

The Frontier, 2:00pm

Waltz for Monica, 7:00pm

Trapstreet, 9:30pm

Plaza Frontenac 6

I'm Ten, Then I'll Catch Eleven (Boku wa môsugu jûissai ni naru)

Dir. Yoshimasa Jimbo, Japan, 2014, 75 min., Japanese

Sat, Nov 15 at 2:15pm, Plaza Frontenac

  Told from the perspective of a child, this quiet family film is an inspiring, gently instructive story about the nature of life, death, and reincarnation. Shogo is a shy elementary-school boy who emulates his father by collecting insects as a hobby. He develops a friendship with Kanon, a girl from his class, and teaches her how to catch insects and mount them. But when his father returns from a job overseas, he tells Shogo that he no longer wants to collect insects. Touched by his encounter with the reincarnation philosophies of India and Bhutan, Shogo's father now wants to honor the lives that the insects represent. Shogo learns additional life lessons on a visit to his grandfather's home: The young boy is both confused and transfixed by the old man's veneration of his dead wife's ashes, which are kept in a shrine and regarded as a living figure.

With director Yoshimasa.

  Sponsored by: East Asian Languages and Cultures at Washington University

  Also in PF 6:

Diplomacy, 12:05pm

The Sound and the Shadow, 4:30pm

A Small Southern Enterprise, 7:05pm

Abuse of Weakness, 9:25pm

Webster University

Above All Else

Dir. John Fiege, U.S., 2013, 94 min.

Sat, Nov 15 at 8:30pm,  Webster U./Moore

In "Above All Else," one courageous man risks his family and future to stop the tar sands of the Keystone XL pipeline from crossing his land. Shot in the forests, pastures, and living rooms of rural East Texas, the film follows David Daniel, a retired high-wire artist and circus performer, from the moment that he discovers survey stakes on his land, through years of activism and civic engagement, to four climatic days in September 2012, when Daniel makes a final stand against the pipeline. Backed into a legal and financial corner, he rallies an eccentric group of neighbors and environmental activists to join him in a final act of brinkmanship: a tree-top blockade of the controversial project. Inspired by his example, other East Texas residents and a band of young, Occupy-inspired activists embark on their own acts of civil disobedience with different degrees of success. What begins as a stand against corporate bullying and property-rights abuse becomes a rallying cry for climate protesters nationwide.

  Sponsored by Carol & Ward Klein

Also screening at Webster

Wrenched, 6:00pm

Webster U/Sverdrup

Master Class: Women in Film

120 min. (approx.)

Sat, Nov 15 at 10:00am, Webster U./Sverdrup

Documentarian Mary Dore conducts a master class that explores women in the film industry. The class covers early pioneers such as Mary Pickford, Mae West, and Dorothy Arzner; the impact of the 1960s feminist movement on women filmmakers such as Liane Brandon and Claudia Weill; the formation of women's film collectives such as New Day Films; and the current industry status of women in film. The class will interest both filmgoers and filmmakers, and appeal equally to women and men. Dore has been a filmmaker and TV producer for the past 35 years, and her work includes "The Good Fight: The Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War." SLIFF screens her new documentary, "She's Beautiful When She's Angry," a history of the women's movement.

  With documentarian Mary Dore

  Co-presented by Webster University Film Series

  Click here to RSVP

WashU/Brown Hall

Limited Partnership

Dir. Thomas G. Miller, U.S., 2014, 76 min.

Sat, Nov 15 at 5:00pm, Brown Hall

"Limited Partnership" chronicles the love story between Filipino-American Richard Adams and Australian Tony Sullivan, who in 1975 became one of the first same-sex couples in the world to be legally married. After applying for a green card for Tony based on their marriage, the couple received a denial letter from the Immigration and Naturalization Service that stated, "You have failed to establish that a bona fide marital relationship can exist between two faggots." Outraged by the letter and intent on preventing Tony's impending deportation, the couple sued the U.S. government, filing the first federal lawsuit seeking equal treatment for a same-sex marriage in U.S. history. Richard and Tony's tenacious story of love, marriage, and immigration equality is as precedent setting as it is little known.

With subject Sullivan.

  Shown with:  

Under Ground

Sha Huang, U.S./China, 2014, 15 min., Chinese & English

Talented young busker Xuan creates a life in New York City with another Chinese girl but remains apprehensive about revealing her relationship to family.

Also showing at Wash U/Brown Hall:

Doc Shorts: Human Rights, 12:00pm

Natural Life, 2:30pm

Zemene, 8:00pm

KDHX

Well Now You're Here, There's No Way Back

Dir. Regina Russell, U.S., 2014, 109 min.

Sat, Nov 15 at 8:00pm, KDHX

An inspiring chronicle of the rise, fall, and resurrection of '80s metal band Quiet Riot, "Well Now You're Here, There's No Way Back" also offers an unlikely and surprisingly personal account of coping with the loss of a friend. The career of Frankie Banali, the drummer of Quiet Riot, reached a serious crossroads when Kevin DuBrow -- the band's singer and Banali's best friend -- died in 2007. Years later, in 2010, Banali realizes he must forge ahead and make a new life for himself and his daughter, and he decides to reunite the band and try filling the immense void left by Kevin. Focusing on a man whose ambition, adaptability, principle, and relentless determination help him navigate successfully through a series of daunting obstacles, the alternately tragic and hilarious "Well Now You're Here, There's No Way Back" proves far more compelling than just another story of getting the band back together.

  Also at KDHX

  Strictly Sacred: The Story of Girl Trouble, 3:00pm

The Winding Stream, 5:30pm

SLU

Elegy to Connie

Dir. Sarah Paulsen, U.S., 2014, 60 min.

Sat, Nov 15 at 6:30pm, St. Louis University

This touching and unique documentary employs stop-motion animation to address the events leading up to and following the 2008 Kirkwood City Council shooting. The troubling incident is retold in interviews with a group of unintentional women activists who are bound together by their friendship with slain Councilwoman Connie Karr, and the animation amplifies their voices through striking visuals that sometimes illustrate their comments directly but frequently offer metaphoric counterpoint. Made in collaboration with these women, the film addresses the complicated issues surrounding the shooting - citizen representation, disenfranchisement, white privilege and black alienation, post-tragedy healing - and celebrates Connie's legacy as a leader.

With director Paulsen.

#Stlfilmfest #stl #stlevents #film festival

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF Day Two

Tivoli Theatre

Wild

Dir. Jean-Marc Vallee, U.S., 2014, 115 min.

Fri, Nov 14 at 7:00pm,  Tivoli Theatre

  Novelist/screenwriter Nick Hornby ("About a Boy," "An Education") and director Jean-Marc Valleé ("Dallas Buyers Club") adapt Cheryl Strayed's acclaimed, bestselling memoir into a passionate, emotional, funny, and involving cinematic journey. Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon) has suffered a painful divorce, the abrupt death of her 45-year-old mother (Laura Dern), and a period of promiscuity and drug use. At the edge of homelessness, she decides to take a solo hike along the entire 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Oregon. Witherspoon is superbly unsentimental and gutsy in rendering the inner battle between Cheryl's self-destructive impulses and her will to survive. Along the way, she encounters veteran hikers, spiritual seekers, granola freaks, and the most ordinary of ordinary people, each a reminder of the restlessness of the human soul. "Wild" received its world premiere at the 2014 Telluride Film Festival, where Variety hailed the film as "a ruggedly beautiful and emotionally resonant saga of perseverance and self-discovery that represents a fine addition to the recent bumper crop of big-screen survival stories."

Sponsored by: Marcia K. Harris, Dielmann Sotheby's International Realty

  Also at the Tivoli Theatre

  Tiv 1:

The Congress, 9:45pm

  Tiv 3:

Cru, 7:15pm

Shorts1: Animation 1, 9:40pm

Plaza Frontenac

Foxcatcher

Dir. Bennett Miller, U.S., 2014, 130 min.

Fri, Nov 14 at 8:30pm, Plaza Frontenac

  Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum give superb performances in this powerfully disturbing true-crime saga from director Bennett Miller ("Capote," "Moneyball"). John Dupont (an almost unrecognizable Carell), an heir to one of America's largest family fortunes, longs to be a coach/mentor in the ultra-macho world of Olympic wrestlers. He hooks up with Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), a medal winner lacking the basic material resources to keep training. Ruffalo (once a wrestler himself) plays Mark's decent and caring brother, trainer, and fellow medalist, completing the doomed triangle. Intended as the fulfillment of the American Dream, Dupont's project instead devolves into a Greek-infused tragedy, with the men's relationship poisoned by inequalities of status, talent, power, and desire. Variety describes "Foxcatcher," which was one of the buzz films of the Cannes film fest, as "bleak, bruising, furiously concentrated storytelling, anchored by exceptional performances."

Sponsored by: David Houlle, Sight & Sound Production Services

  Also at Plaza Frontenac

  PF 5:

The History of Fear, 12:10pm

Traitors, 2:00pm

Uzumasa Limelight, 4:00pm

Trapstreet, 6:15pm

  PF 6:

The Sum Total of Our Memory, 12:00pm

The Ambassador of Bern, 2:15pm

Not Exactly Cooperstown, 4:05pm

One Small Hitch , 6:00pm

Webster University

Tribute to King Baggot

210 min. (approx.)

Fri, Nov 14 at 7:00pm,  Webster U./Moore

With an introduction and illustrated lecture by Tom Stockman, editor of the website We Are Movie Geeks, and live musical accompaniment by the Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra ("Ivanhoe") and pianist Matt Pace ("Tumbleweeds")

  Special-event ticket price of $15 for double bill

SLIFF pays tribute to the career of one of St. Louis' unjustly forgotten heroes, actor and director King Baggot, who is considered the first movie star. Born in St. Louis in 1879, Baggot was tall and handsome, a blue-eyed Irish boy with a distinctive white streak through his dark hair. An almost immediate sensation, Baggot was the first actor to have his name featured above the title, and his stardom marked the first time that audiences went to see a movie for a particular actor. At his career's height, Baggot was heralded as "King of the Movies" and "The Most Photographed Man in the World." Not content with just acting, Baggot also established a successful career as a director. The program will feature both the 1913 epic "Ivanhoe," with Baggot in the title role, and the William S. Hart silent Western "Tumbleweeds" (1925), which Baggot directed.

Ivanhoe, 7pm

U.S., 1913, 48 min.

As part of its celebration of King Baggot, SLIFF presents a rare screening of the 1913 version of "Ivanhoe," based on Sir Walter Scott's 1820 novel of romance and medievalism. Filmed at Chepstow Castle in Wales, "Ivanhoe" was the first example of an American studio sending a cast and crew to Europe to film at a remote location. St. Louis native Baggot plays Ivanhoe, the Saxon knight. Returning from the Holy Lands to England, Ivanhoe teams with Robin Hood to rescue his father, who has been captured by the evil Prince John. Leah Baird plays Rebecca, the Jewish maiden who loves Ivanhoe, and director Herbert Brenon co-stars as Isaac of York. The lively and ambitious "Ivanhoe" -- filled with pageantry, lavish sets, costumed horses, epic battle scenes, and swordfights -- was a box-office smash and made Baggot an international star. The screening features a tinted 35mm print on loan from the Museum of Modern Art.

With live musical accompaniment by the Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra

Tumbleweeds, 9pm

U.S., 1925, 75 min., silent

The Western "Tumbleweeds" concludes SLIFF's double bill focused on actor/director King Baggot. The film marked the return of silent cowboy legend William S. Hart after a long screen absence. Hart plays Don Carver, a "tumbleweed" (drifter) who decides to settle down after falling in love with Molly (Barbara Bedford). But before he eases into married life, Don first joins the Cherokee Land Rush of 1889, in which a large tract of Oklahoma was thrown open to the public for the taking. The action sequences in "Tumbleweeds" -- with hundreds of horses, wagons, and riders tearing across the plain -- remain thrilling, and director Baggot used influential and dynamic cutting techniques to generate suspense. "Tumbleweeds" was also unique for its era in its accurate depiction of Native Americans and African Americans. In a recent interview with We Are Movie Geeks, cinematographer King Baggot III said: "'Tumbleweeds' was my grandfather's greatest triumph as a director. It's the picture he'll be remembered for."

  With live piano accompaniment by Matt Pace

KDHX

20,000 Days on Earth

Dir. Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, Australia/U.K., 2014, 97 min.

Fri, Nov 14 at 9:00pm, KDHX

"20,000 Days on Earth" explores how myth, memory, love, and loss have shaped the life of musician Nick Cave. Taking its title from a line in his songwriting notebook -- a calculation of how many days he's been alive -- the film delves deeply into Cave's artistic processes, fusing drama and documentary to weave a cinematic day-in-the-life that includes a provocative session with a psychoanalyst and a fascinating journey through the Cave archives. In addition to conversations between Cave and regular musical collaborator Warren Ellis, "20,000 Days on Earth" sets up intriguing car-based encounters between Cave and key figures in his life: actor Ray Winstone; former Bad Seed Blixa Bargeld; and "Where the Wild Roses Grow" duet partner Kylie Minogue. Along the way, Cave performs music both new and old. The LA Times' Kenneth Turan observes: "This examination of the whys and wherefores of indie rock star Nick Cave is an unusual and nonformulaic cinematic enterprise and an adventurous film by any standard."

  Also at KDHX

  Mistaken for Strangers, 7:00pm

WashU/Brown Hall

The Homestretch

Dir. Kirsten Kelly & Anne de Mare, U.S., 2014, 90 min.

Fri, Nov 14 at 7:00pm, Brown Hall

"The Homestretch" follows three homeless teens as they fight to stay in school, graduate, and build a future. Each of these smart, ambitious teenagers -- Roque, Kasey, and Anthony -- will surprise, inspire, and challenge audiences to rethink stereotypes of homelessness as they work to complete their education while facing the trauma of being alone and abandoned at an early age. Through haunting images, intimate scenes, and first-person narratives, these teens take the audience on their journeys of struggle and triumph. As their stories unfold, the film connects us deeply with larger issues of poverty, race, juvenile justice, immigration, foster care, and LGBTQ rights.

With co-director de Mare and Diedra Thomas-Murray, MSW, LMSW, St. Louis Public Schools homeless coordinator and foster-care liaison.

  Co-presented by PBS's American Graduate Initiative

  Sponsored by: Linda & Erv Rhode

SLU

The Overnighters

Dir. Jesse Moss, U.S., 2014, 90 min.

Fri, Nov 14 at 7:00pm, St. Louis University

A modern-day "The Grapes of Wrath," the award-winning "The Overnighters" chronicles the drama unfolding in the tiny town of Williston, N.D., where the natural-gas boom lures tens of thousands of unemployed hopefuls with dreams of honest work and a big paycheck. But those busloads of newcomers chasing a broken American Dream step into the stark reality of slim work prospects and nowhere to sleep. Over at Concordia Lutheran Church, Pastor Jay Reinke is driven to deliver the migrants some dignity. Night after night, he converts his church into a makeshift dorm and counseling center, opening the church's doors to allow the "Overnighters" (as he calls them) to stay for a night, a week, or longer. Many who take shelter with Reinke live on society's fringes and have checkered pasts, and their presence upsets the dynamics of the small community, forcing the pastor to make a decision with profound and unimagined consequences. Praising the film as "one of the most remarkable examples of layered non-fiction storytelling to come along in some time," Indiewire writes: "At first galvanizing in its depiction of survival amid dire circumstances, 'The Overnighters' transforms into a devastating portrait of communal unrest."

#Stlfilmfest #stl #stlevents #film festival

[cinemastlouis]

SLIFF: Day One.

The 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) will be held Nov. 13-23. SLIFF will screen 389 films: 89 narrative features, 76 documentary features, and 224 shorts. This year's festival has 239 screenings/programs, with 69 countries represented. The fest will host more than 125 filmmakers and related guests, including honorees Doug Pray (Contemporary Cinema Award), Katie Mustard (Women in Film Award), and Timothy J. Sexton (Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award).

The festival will open on Thursday, Nov. 13, with the premiere of "The Makings of You," a St. Louis- set and -shot drama by Matt Amato. Amato, an award-winning director of music videos and commercials, returned to his hometown of St. Louis to shoot his feature debut. The film stars Jay R. Ferguson (of "Mad Men") and Sheryl Lee and Grace Zabriskie (both of "Twin Peaks"). Ferguson and Zabriskie attend the fest. Full Schedule 

The Makings of You

Dir. Matt Amato, U.S., 2014, 123 min.

Nothing happens until two people fall in love -- and then the whole world changes. After establishing an acclaimed career as a music-video director of diverse talents ranging from Bon Iver to Barbra Streisand, Matt Amato returns to his hometown of St. Louis to shoot his feature debut. A poignant story of self-discovery, love, and loss, "The Makings of You" tells the story of Judy (Sheryl Lee) and Wallis (Jay R. Ferguson), who share a dissatisfaction with their own lives and an irresistible attraction to each other. Caught between the freedoms offered by Wallis and the demands of her troubled family, Judy struggles to reconcile the two. Deftly avoiding romantic clichés, "The Makings of You" is a classic love story rich in atmosphere -- palpable summertime heat, lush music, and beautifully decaying surroundings. The movie's formidable cast features Ferguson (who plays Stan Rizzo on "Mad Men") and the highly anticipated reunion of "Twin Peaks" alums Lee and Grace Zabriskie, who plays Judy's mother. An opening reception at 6 p.m.features complimentary Stella Artois and Robert Mondavi wine. SOLD OUT

Thu, Nov 13 at 7:30pm Tivoli Theatre

Sponsored by: Steve Lange & Stephanie Oliver, Dielmann Sotheby's International Realty

#stl #Stlfilmfest #stlevents #Film events #film festival

[cinemastlouis]

Check back here on November 14 for a daily update on what to see and special events at SLIFF.

Find the full schedule at cinemastlouis.org

[cinemastlouis]

The Missouri Immigrant Experience: DOCUMENTED

Missouri History Museum | Thursday, October 9 | 7:00pm Lee Auditorium | Lindell and DeBaliviere | Forest Park

Documented

Documented chronicles the efforts of Jose Antonio Vargas-Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, filmmaker, and the founder of the media and culture campaign Define American-to challenge the media's coverage of undocumented immigrants. A conversation with Vargas via Skype follows. 

FREE event!

#documented #immigration #usa #history museum

[cinemastlouis]

Reel Late at the Tivoli: Princess Monoke at Midnight

Tivoli Theatre | October 3 & 4 | Midnight

The Loop | 6350 Delmar Blvd | 63130

Princess Monoke Hayao Miyazaki, Japan, 1997, 137 min.  

Based on Japanese folklore, Princess Mononoke is a landmark of animation and a film of unsurpassed power and beauty. An epic story of conflict between humans, gods, and nature by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle), the film has been universally acclaimed by critics and broke the box office record on its original release in Japan. While defending his remote mountain village from a demonic boar-god, the young warrior Ashitaka (voice of Yôji Matsuda) becomes afflicted with a curse that grants him superhuman power in battle but will eventually take his life. Traveling west to find a cure or meet his destiny, he journeys deep into sacred depths of the Great Forest where he meets San, the Princess Mononoke (Yuriko Ishida), a girl raised by wolf-gods who is waging battle against the human outpost of Iron Town, on the edge of the forest. The Princess is a force of nature, with blood-smeared lips, riding bareback on a great white wolf. She draws young Ashitaka into the struggle between man and nature, forcing him to try to find another way-one that will halt the endless circle of killing and create a middle ground where forest creatures and humans can live in the world in peace together.  

#princess mononoke #Japan #tivoli theatre

[cinemastlouis]

2014-15 Community Cinema Series: WOMEN IN SPACE

Missouri History Museum | Thursday, October 2 | 6:00pm

Lee Auditorium | Lindell and DeBaliviere | Forest Park

Women In Space

Join us for the first installment of the 2014-15 Community Cinema Series! WOMEN IN SPACE traces the history of women pioneers in the U.S. space program. The program includes interviews with Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot a spacecraft, as well as Sally Ride's classmates Shannon Lucid, Rhea Seddon and Kathryn Sullivan, and it features Mae Jemison, the first woman of color astronaut, and Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of the International Space Station. The hour ends with the next generation of women engineers, mathematicians and astronauts-the new group of pioneers, like Marleen Martinez, who continue to make small but significant steps forward. Narrated by Jodie Foster.

Join us for cookies, informational tables, and hands-on activities before the film, and stay for a discussion afterward.

The Community Cinema Series is presented by the Nine Network of Public Media and the Missouri History Museum, in collaboration with Independent Lens and Independent Television Service.

FREE event!

#history museum #women #space

[cinemastlouis]

Crossroads: Labor Pains of a New Worldview

St. Louis Public Library | Thursday, October 2 | 6:00pm

Schlafly Branch | 225 N. Euclid Ave. | 63108

Crossroads: Labor Pains of a New Worldview

Joseph Ohayon, 2013, USA, 64 min

  Free screening of an award winning documentary exploring the human condition and the emergence of a new worldview. Concepts come from leading thinkers, including quantum physicist Amit Goswami, evolutionary biologist Elisabet Sahtouris, and Peter Joseph, founder of the Zeitgeist Movement. Discussion to follow the screening.

#crossroads #public library