July 13, 2016
Bringing St. Louis filmmakers into focus Learn & Play
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A protein punch
Community Voices
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By Kimberly G. McKenzie
School
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FFSD president recognized (Top Left) Photo courtesy Chris Grega: Travis Estes an actor in the film “35 Days” being interviewed in character as Eric Cutter. (Top right) Photo courtesy Ted Joerding: “35 Days” filming on location at Feraro’s Pizza in South St. Louis. (Bottom) Photo courtesy Chris Grega: The main cast of “35 Days” (from left) Travis Estes, Mike Feraro, John Bratkowski, Andrew Byrd and Maggie Huffman.
St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase gives local artists a chance to bring their work to a wider audience By Sara Hardin Filmmakers and film lovers alike will be swarming to the Tivoli Theatre for Cinema St. Louis’ 16th Annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase from July 17-21. In a city rich in music and theater, local filmmakers fight to earn a spot at the showcase each year for the chance to share their hard work with an audience and open doors to even bigger opportunities in the industry. Film topics vary and genres cover everything from documentaries, horror, drama, comedy and more. For both showcase veterans and first-timers, the benefits of being involved in the event are immeasurable. “First and foremost, the showcase gives us an audience, and there’s so much to be learned from that,” said Vanessa Roman, director of comedy film and showcase feature “The Importance of Doubting Tom.” “You know from an audience right away whether or not you’re doing the right things with your films. It’s such a learning process to sit
with an audience and see them react to everything you’re doing on screen, because filmmaking happens in kind of a bubble. It’s so valuable. Friends, family and people you don’t even know are reacting to your film. It is so worthwhile to be inspired by all of the other filmmakers in St. Louis.” Some directors use the opportunity to send a message. Jun Bae, director of “Bob’s Tour,” follows Washington University architecture professor Bob Hansman in his film as he guides a bus tour of St. Louis. The documentary offers commentary on issues regarding race in the “divided city.” “A lot of the things you hear about St. Louis, especially from outside of St. Louis, contain a lot of negativity,” said Bae. “You hear a lot about high crime rates, gangs and how it’s a dangerous place. With my documentary, I wanted to break that narrative and bring historic perspective to how these things don’t
happen in a vacuum. Since Bob is white, many people asked me why I chose him as the focus of my documentary concerning the city. I think whether you’re black or white, everyone is affected if you live in a divided city. I wanted this film to be a way to increase people’s interest in St. Louis in a way that they haven’t really thought of before, even for people who have lived here their entire lives.” Many local filmmakers see the showcase as a way to show the community that St. Louis has a lot of talent in film. With so many available locations, talent and potential available in the city, the possibilities are nearly endless. “St. Louis is essentially an arts city,” said Chris Grega, director of comedy/ drama and showcase feature “35 Days.” “Film is not really in the spotlight here at all, and Cinema St. Louis is the one organization that has done a great job See FOCUS page 2
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