The St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase (SLFS), an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, serves as the area's primary venue for films made by local artists. With advances in affordable digital filmmaking, more and more movies are being made in St. Louis and environs, but opportunities for moviegoers to see that work are scarce, because few of the films ever screen commercially. SLFS frequently provides the only chance area filmmakers have to display their talents on the big screen.

Saturday, July 18, Regional Arts Commission

10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Filmmaking Seminars: Working filmmakers share their practical experience in three sessions of this seminar; in the fourth, attorneys provide essential information on legal issues in filmmaking. Free.

10:30 a.m.-noon
Down on the Ground with "Up in the Air": A look at the St. Louis film community's experience with a major-studio production.

12:15-1:45 p.m.
Why Go to Film School? Film and media professors from area colleges and universities discuss their programs and the benefits of taking film classes.

2-3:30 p.m.
Feature-Film Distribution Out of St. Louis: Local filmmakers who produced/directed narrative features the past few years provide updates on their distribution experience.

3:45-5 p.m.
Earning a Living as a Filmmaker in St. Louis: A look at the variety of film-related "day jobs" that local filmmakers work when not pursuing personal projects.

Schedule of Films, Tivoli Theatre

Sunday, July 19

Noon & 2 p.m. - Two shows
Paving the Way (Brandon Wade, 114 min.) The compelling story of the creation of the Park-to-Park Highway, a 5,000-mile motor route that connects 12 Western U.S. National Parks, and the adventurous group of motorists who first traveled it during the automobile's early years.

5:15 p.m.
How I Got Lost (Joe Leonard, 87 min.) In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Jake and Andrew tried to numb the pain, but the hangover still lingers a year later, when the pair embark on a life-altering trip to the funeral of Andrew's father. This debut feature by native St. Louisan Leonard was shot in NYC, St. Louis and Labadie, Mo., and co-stars Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel in "Rachel Getting Married").

7:30 p.m.
Comedy Shorts (88 min.)
Cougars, corpses and ninjas - oh my!

Black Thorn (Josh Rolens, 6 min.) Two guys challenge each other to a drinking contest.

The Death of Roger (Andrew Ritter, 12 min.) Young Roger, a science wiz, loves to play tricks on his parents, but things go wrong when he finds a recipe for a temporary-death potion.

Gabriel and Romy (Sam Zvibleman, 23 min.) Crusty widower Gabriel attempts to woo a beautiful woman, but his plans are thwarted by Romy, a friend who shows him that beauty exists in many forms.

Ninjas Protest Pirate Festival (Jeremy Corray, 4 min.) No further description needed.

The Rotten Corpse (Meatloaf Productions, 5 min.) Three young men play with a dead body.

Sweet Revenge (Nick Young, 9 min.) Four years after graduatingl, a tormented young man seeks revenge on his high-school bully.

They Came from Above the Sea (Stephen Jones, 6 min.) A battle-hardened Army major and phobic scientist team up to battle the latest threat to mankind: flying sharks in hot-air balloons.

Third Times a Charm (Wilson Wood, 6 min.) Meet Nichole, whose unfortunate situation makes her the luckiest, and unluckiest, person in the world.

Unreal Housewives of Kansas City (Jon Davis, 6 min.) A reality-show parody about larger-than-life housewives who entertain, enlighten and disgust.

You Got It Dude (Ryan Doris & Sean Gartner, 11 min.) An original comedy sketch based on the improvisational exercise "first line, last line."

9:45 p.m.
Experimental Shorts (86 min.) A sensory overload of light, color and sound.

Con Brio (Ben Hill Triola, 2 min.) An animated TV set experiences birth, life and the realization of its own mortality.

Electrical Storm (Ryan Doris, 4 min.) Stylish debut music video for the band the Mirror Stage

Ella Se Cayo De Cada Montana (Jacob Taylor, 5 min.) A short film concerning a girl, a box, an octopus, an evil man with a mustache and an evil man without a mustache.

Flamingo (Michael Speckart, 5 min.) A young couple hyper-experiences the entire cycle of dating.

Illinois Wants Me (Tim Maupin, 6 min.) A young man finds a MapQuest map in a park and, taking it for a sign, follows it to its destination.

Isis (Denise Ward-Brown, 7 min.) Can ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses teach us about love relationships in today's world?

Mei Artis, Mei Mundus (Rachel Kingen, 4 min.) A girl zaps herself into her own world of art and brings her characters to life.

People on a Row (Nathaniel Calvert, 34 min.) A man in pursuit of justice tries to revolutionize the prison system, but things don't go as planned, and justice is traded for power.

Spaces (Zlatko Cosic, 8 min.) Explores unique objects and visuals found in nature, mixing digital effects, 3-D shapes and textures with music.

Street Preacher (Brian Spath, 4 min.) A music video for "Street Preacher" by Jason & the Beast.

Tantalus (Matthew Rice, 3 min.) A man who's shipwrecked on an island is tantalized by a supernatural coconut.

Tarantula Consciousness (Nate Callaghan, 5 min.) Wear seat belts, helmets, goggles, elbow pads and virtual-reality gloves for this journey into psycho-geometry.

Monday, July 20

5 p.m.
Documentary Shorts 1 (84 min.)
Explorations of the creative process.

Down the Rabbit Hole (Dana Hildenbrand, 8 min.) A record of the filmmaker's artistic process, in which invisible, subterranean spaces are discovered and explored.

The Life of James C. Holmes (Zlatko Cosic, 29 min.) A documentary about an 83-year-old visually impaired man who raised five kids with blind wife Naomi while working in factories and as street musician.

Lutz Bacher: Spill (Ben Kaplan, 6 min.) A behind-the-scenes look at Lutz Bacher's "Spill" installation at the Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, providing a look at what is entailed in a major art-gallery installation.

Shadowland: Beneath the Soil (Brian Wessel, 31 min.) A look inside the creation of the locally produced feature film "Shadowland," including behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast and crew.

Theodore: Recording "Defeated, TN" (Aaron Robertson and Justin Johnson, 10 min.) Performances and a recording session with St. Louis band Theodore.

7 p.m.
Dramatic Shorts (90 min.)
Some want to remember, some want to forget.

After Thoughts (Anthony Sanchez, 13 min.) Two ex-lovers bump into each other at a winery and have an initially awkward discussion: One is willing to tell their secret, but the other is not.

The Last Legend (Brant Hadfield, 11 min.) A young woman embarks on a journey to a farm to return it to her family and restore its place in history.

The Observer (David Uthus, 12 min.) A pharmacy delivery man see his doppelganger - a man wanted for grand larceny - on the evening news.

Playing Dead (Mike Rohlfing and Carey Keane, 4 min.) A kid finds himself in a treacherous situation when he rounds a corner and encounters a hall full of bloodthirsty zombies.

Ragman (Dale Ward, 18 min.) Will follows the mysterious Ragman through the lonely city streets as he encounters the hurting and needy.

Remember to Forget (Param, 7 min.) Sometimes we all have to forgive and "remember to forget" the bad and unwanted incidents in our life.

The Weed (Elliott Geolat, 24 min.) Jackson is an alcoholic loner who discovers a mysterious weed that sparks fantasies.

9:15 p.m.
Game of the Year (Chris Grega, 90 min.) In this mockumentary from the director of "Rhineland" and "Amphetamine," a group of St. Louis gamers attempt to get on the reality TV show "Game of the Year."

Shown with:

Donnie Baker and the Pork Pistols: Live (Jay Kanzler, 25 min.) A behind-the-scenes look at "carport band" Donnie Baker and the Pork Pistols, who perform at the Pageant.

Tuesday, July 21

5 p.m.
Documentary Shorts 2 (81 min.)
A pair of filmic history lessons.

Continue Courageously (Tom Barry, Bryan Stevens & Suzy Farren, 45 min.) The Franciscan Sisters of Mary have long served as nurses. As their numbers dwindle, they work to pass on their mission and ministry to others.

William Clark: The Further Journey (James F. Scott, 36 min.) A look at the career and achievements of William Clark as explorer, statesman, Indian negotiator and crucial figure in opening the American West.

7 p.m.
Relationship Shorts (117 min.)
The wide world of dating - the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

And Seven Hours Later ... (Lynelle White, 7 min.) Two people from opposite ends of the corporate ladder are forced to co-exist when their elevator gets stuck between floors.

The Blind Date of Coffin Joe (Raymond Castile, 10 min.) Coffin Joe, an evil undertaker from Brazil, is on a quest to find a superior woman to bear his child and journeys to the U.S. for a blind date.

The Ending (Lauren Staebell, 14 min.) A girl awaits a surprise visit from her estranged ex-boyfriend, who has life-changing news for her.

Evil Gal (Denise Ward-Brown, 3 min.) Surrounded by flirtatious men at her job, a lonely soldier's wife worries whether she's cheating on her husband in Iraq.

Have a Nice Day (Jason Britton, 13 min.) David wants to ask Christina out, but the universe has a different plan.

Hope and Expectation (Chuzen Jalipa, 6 min.) A man takes a familiar journey, but this time it is different.

It's Not Me, It's You (Doc Crotzer, 11 min.) A young couple works out their most intimate relationship issues with a counselor.

Oranges (Whitney Gelnett & Emily Hatcher, 5 min.) A man discovers the value of change on his daily trip to the produce stand.

Slice of Pie (Tim Reischauer, 35 min.) A charming story of midlife dating in a small town where everybody knows everybody else's business.

When the Body Speaks (James Freivogel, 13 min.) Two institutionalized young adults, incapable of communicatiing with the outside world, find a common language of their own called love.

9:30 p.m.
Salad Daze (Randy Prywitch, 111 min.) A serious comedy about loss and relationships, "Salad Daze" chronicles a very bad week in Alex's life: His girlfriend dumps him on the last day of senior year, his grandfather dies, and his dysfunctional family comes apart at the seams.

Shown with:
Love Lost (Jay Kelley, 5 min.) St. Louis musical artist Caleb Gray performs in a music video about a young woman's grief over the loss of her lover.

Wednesday, July 22

5 p.m.
About a Girl (Michael Dorn, 60 min.) A melancholy, highly successful young filmmaker pines over his ex, and when a 14-year-old fan commits a copycat suicide inspired by one of his films, the stress sends him into a tailspin of despair, longing and self-doubt.

Shown with:
The Sharp Edge of Revenge (Dan McGee, 21 min.) In 1940s Chicago, a young woman threatens the psychiatrist whose testimony years before led to her brother's trial and conviction for murder.

7 p.m.
Just Shy of Being (Derek Elz, 114 min.) In this melding of narrative and documentary, the world is seen through the eyes of Arielle and Rafi, a Jew and a Muslim, whose love story is inevitably affected by the Middle East's ongoing ideological conflicts.

9:45 p.m.
Life on the Edge of a Bubble: Blowing the American Dream (William Lewis, 102 min.) A provocative documentary essay that challenges the prevailing view of the sudden, unforeseeable and unique nature of the current financial crisis by bringing to light historical patterns.

Thursday, July 23

7 p.m.
The Rink (Ronald Butts, 58 min.) A documentary on the urban rollerskating tradition in the African-American communities of St. Louis and East St. Louis.

Shown with:

Battle of the Sexes (Hybrie Brownlee & Jarohn Johnson, 5 min.)
U. City High School's Macho Men and Feline Fashionistas battle in this spoof of TV wrestling matches.

Being Born Is Marvelous and I Always Wanted to Be a Teacher
(Denise Ward-Brown, 6 min. and 4 min.) In-progress studies of the filmmaker's 91-year-old mother, Rosina, in which she reflects onf working and growing up in St. Louis as a black woman and her lifelong desire to be a teacher.

8 p.m.-midnight
Closing-Night Awards Party
Blueberry Hill's Duck Room
KDHX-FM DJ Rob Levy will spin music, and Cinema St. Louis will announce the SLFS films chosen for inclusion in the St. Louis International Film Festival. Awards for the best SLFS films will be given by the St. Louis Film Critics. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

Thank You
Tim Lane (cover artist), Andrea Sporcic, Jerry Jones, J. Kim Tucci, Rob Levy, Grizzell & Co., Kaldi's Coffee, Coolfire Media and Bad Dog Pictures.