Family owned since its inception in 1946, still produced from a Colonial house in small-town Pennsylvania, and never containing a single advertisement, Highlights stands alone in the magazine publishing world. From the baby-boom generation to the tech-savvy kids... Read more
Youth
8 Borders, 8 Days
Saturday, November 11 at 2:15pm
“8 Borders, 8 Days” chronicles one woman’s personal revolution in the context of one of the greatest human-rights crises of our time. Sham, a Syrian single mother, serves as moving proof of the consequences of closing America’s doors to families fleeing war. With... Read more
Axolotl Overkill
Friday, November 3 at 4:30pm
Thursday, November 9 at 12:00pm
The directorial debut of Helene Hegemann, who adapts her 2010 bestselling novel, “Axolotl Roadkill” tells the story of Mifti, a 16-year-old who has just lost her mother, and the people who share the shocking and rebellious world she inhabits. As Mifti searches for... Read more
A Chance in the World
Monday, November 6 at 7:00pm
Tuesday, November 7 at 9:15pm
“A Chance in the World” tells the true story of Steve Pemberton, a wounded and broken boy destined to become a man of resilience and vision. From the day 5-year-old Steve is dropped off at his foster home, he suffers mental and physical abuse at the hands of... Read more
Doc Shorts: Music & Art
Tuesday, November 7 at 5:00pm
Profiles of artists, musicians, and the communities they serve. 
Fanny's Journey
Wednesday, November 8 at 4:15pm
Sunday, November 12 at 12:30pm
Based on the memoirs of Fanny Ben-Ami, “Fanny’s Journey” is an incredible tale of bravery, strength, and survival — the story of a daring young girl who will stop at nothing and fear no one. In 1943, 13-year-old Fanny (Léonie Souchaud) and her younger sisters were... Read more
Flock of Four
Friday, November 3 at 6:45pm
Monday, November 6 at 4:45pm
Set in 1959, “Flock of Four” — an expansion of director Gregory Caruso’s short — explores both jazz music and historic Central Avenue in South Central LA. Since Joey (Braeden Lemasters) was a youngster, jazz has been an integral part of his life: He plays it with... Read more
For Ahkeem
Saturday, November 11 at 7:00pm
Beginning one year before the fatal police shooting of a black teenager in nearby Ferguson, “For Ahkeem” is the coming-of-age story of Daje Shelton, a black 17-year-old girl in North St. Louis. She fights for her future as she is placed in an alternative high... Read more
Jasper Jones
Tuesday, November 7 at 8:15pm
Based on the best-selling novel and featuring a stellar cast that includes Toni Collette and Hugo Weaving, “Jasper Jones” is the story of Charlie Bucktin, a bookish boy of 14 living in a small town in Western Australia. In the dead of night during the scorching... Read more
Miss Kiet's Children
Friday, November 10 at 7:30pm
Both touching and hilarious, “Miss Kiet's Children” chronicles small changes of immense consequence. Using observation alone, without interviews or voice-over, the film assumes the perspective of four refugee children of different nationalities and closely follows... Read more
My Friend Dahmer
Friday, November 10 at 7:00pm
Before Jeffrey Dahmer became one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, he was a teenage loner. Conducting grisly experiments in a makeshift backyard lab, Jeff was invisible to most, until his increasingly bizarre behavior unexpectedly attracted friends... Read more
Napping Princess
Sunday, November 12 at 11:00am
The year is 2020, three days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. While she should be studying for her exams, Kokone Morikawa is often dozing off, stuck between reality and a dream-world full of fantastic motorized contraptions. But after her father, a... Read more
Narrative Shorts: Girl's Life
Wednesday, November 8 at 7:30pm
They may be young, but they are worldly. 
Not Alone
Sunday, November 12 at 1:00pm
Driven by a desire to understand why her best friend killed herself at 16, co-director Jacqueline Monetta — herself a recent high-school grad — gets suffering teens to share their struggles with mental illness and suicide attempts. Through Monetta’s intimate one-... Read more
SLIFF/Kids Family Shorts 1
Saturday, November 4 at 12:00pm
A family-friendly program for kids ages 4-8. 
SLIFF/Kids Family Shorts 2
Saturday, November 11 at 12:00pm
Our second SLIFF/Kids program — perfect for ages 8-12 — features films that are both fun and educational. 
The Smuggler and Her Charges
Sunday, November 5 at 12:05pm
In 1942, the life of a Jewish orphan — the father of director Michaël Prazan — was saved by a smuggler. More than 70 years later, his son embarks on an investigation to shed light on the gray areas of the past and to explore more fully his family’s tragic destiny... Read more
St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase Sampler
Monday, November 6 at 7:30pm
A selection of the best films from the 2017 St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase. 
Summer 1993
Monday, November 6 at 12:05pm
Friday, November 10 at 2:25pm
Carla Simón’s autobiographical jewel — named Best First Feature at the 2017 Berlinale — is an evocative and affecting depiction of childhood that marks the arrival of a major new voice in world cinema. In the summer of 1993, following the death of her parents, 6-... Read more
Under the Same Sun
Saturday, November 4 at 4:30pm
Sunday, November 5 at 12:00pm
“Under the Same Sun” — directed by Mitra Sen (“The Peace Tree”) — tells the story of a confused and injured young man, Karim Jamal (Aadar Malik), who accidentally stumbles into a village of Hindu and Muslim orphaned children while on a journey to reunite with his... Read more
Voices Beyond the Wall: Twelve Love Poems from the Murder Capital of the World
Sunday, November 12 at 1:00pm
Rescued from the streets of San Pedro Sula, Honduras — murder capital of the world — orphaned girls find their voices in poetry as they heal traumas of their past and prepare to transition into an uncertain future. Founded 25 years ago in San Pedro Sula, a Central... Read more
When I Was 6, I Killed a Dragon
Sunday, November 5 at 8:30pm
One April morning in 2012, the director Bruno Romy ("The Fairy") and the artist Annabelle Cocollos are told that Mika, their 6-year-old daughter, has leukemia. Eight months later, when Mika is finally able to return to school, the family decides to make a... Read more
The Wound
Friday, November 3 at 2:30pm
Sunday, November 5 at 9:15pm
Brimming with sex and violence, “The Wound” is an exploration of tradition and sexuality set amid South Africa’s Xhosa culture. Every year, the tribe’s young men are brought to the mountains of the Eastern Cape to participate in an ancient coming-of-age ritual.... Read more