The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis (CSL), serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were shot in the St. Louis region or were written, directed, or produced by St. Louis-area residents or by filmmakers with strong local ties who are now working elsewhere.
The 91 films in this year’s Showcase is spread across 17 film programs ranging from narrative and documentary features to multi-film compilations of fiction, experimental, and documentary shorts. Feature length film programs include Q&As with filmmakers. In addition to the film programs, this year’s event includes three free master classes focused on key aspects of filmmaking.
All film programs screen exclusively at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. Three master classes will also be offered, two at the theater and a legal-issues master class will be held at the offices of Capes Sokol in Clayton.
The July 30th closing-night awards presentation will take place in the Hi-Pointe Theatre from 7:30 – 10:30 PM, with awards announcements beginning at 8:30 PM. Announced during the event will be nearly two dozen Showcase jury awards — including the Essy Award, a $1,000 prize to the overall Best Showcase Film. Cinema St. Louis staff will also announce the films that will move on to the 32nd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival in November.
The 91 films and three master classes in this year’s Showcase include the following:
Animated and ExperimentalShorts: Over a dozen animated and experimental works are presented in a colorful shorts program.
Doc Shorts: Two illuminating and thoughtful documentary-short programs feature a wide range of stories and subjects.
Master Classes: A series of three free master classes — featuring filmmakers and industry professionals — focus on key aspects of filmmaking: winners in the Missouri Stories Lab, Film Criticism, and Legal Issues.
Narrative Shorts: Eight eclectic narrative-short programs include comedies, dramas, thrillers, supernatural and experimental films
“The Box” is a sci-fi project over 11 years in the making by Doveed Linder, whose feature film “Defiance” screened in the very first Showcase in 2001
“Anthem: Road to Redemption” is a documentary about an 80’s St. Louis high school cover band who makes an album and holds a reunion concert 40 years later.
“Bring Dat Mono Back” is a documentary about The Monastery nightclub and the birth of dance craze the “Mono,” that has influenced local dance and music culture to this day.
“Somewhere in Old Missouri” is a supernatural, mid-western musical in a program along with three lively music videos.
23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase
Dates: Screenings held July 21-23 and 28-30, 2023
Tickets: Individual tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for Cinema St. Louis members and students with valid and current photo IDs
Locations: All film screenings and closing night awards party will take place at the Hi-Pointe Theatre, located at 1005 McCausland Ave., at the intersection of McCausland Ave. and Clayton Rd. Two of the filmmaking master classes will also be held at the theater; and the closing-night party will be held at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.
Passes: 5-film passes are available for $65, $50 for CSL members; VIP passes are available for $140, $105 for CSL members
The Whitaker Foundation again serves as the Showcase’s title sponsor. The foundation’s twofold mission is to encourage the preservation and use of parks and to enrich lives through the arts. The Chellappa-Vedavalli Foundation is underwriting both the Showcase’s master classes and the Essy Award, a $1,000 prize for the Best Showcase Film.
The event’s other sponsors include Arts & Education Council, Capes Sokol, Cheshire, Explore St. Louis, Grizzell & Co., Lindell Bank, Missouri Arts Council, Missouri Division of Tourism, Missouri Film Office, Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, and St. Louis Public Radio.
Night Life, the full-length directorial debut of St. Louis resident Seth Ferranti, is slated to have its world premiere as a centerpiece film at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase on Sunday, July 17, 7:30pm at Washington University’s Brown Hall.
This call-to-action docu-drama focuses on Reverend Kenneth McKoy, known to St. Louis as the Pastor of the Streets, and his NightLIFE Ministry’s mission to fight an epidemic of mental illness and drug addiction while they actively interrupt the gun violence crisis within a city notoriously known for being the murder capital of America.
“I’m looking forward to headlining the Showcase with Night Life because I feel that premiering the film in St. Louis is important to the city as a whole and can have a big cultural impact on the community,” Ferranti said. “While this film highlights people like the Reverend Kenneth McKoy who have made it their mission to save their communities and their people, it is a microcosm of everything that has been plaguing our nation. Watching and understanding why and how these people live the lives they lead we can better comprehend how to help make things better for all of us. This is just my contribution to the solution. Much more is needed but watching this film is a start.”
The film, a culmination of two years of filming and three years of editing, was shot in the North side of St. Louis and features more than 25 interviews. “We were threatened, chastised, ridiculed, and looked down upon but at no time did I feel unsafe. Being with the Reverend Kenneth McKoy is like being with an angel,” described Ferranti. “We filmed the poverty and homelessness, the drug addiction and drug dealers, the gangbangers and prostitutes and the degradation of these communities but we also filmed the hope, love, consideration, caring and the lust for life and all things.”
“I wanted to find a local story I could craft for my directorial debut,” Ferranti explained. “After writing a piece for VICE about the Reverend Kenneth McKoy and his group NightLiFE, I knew I’d found the story to base my first documentary on. As an ex-con I knew what it felt like to be marginalized and discriminated against, but in reality I had no idea what a black man in our society faced every day. To think that an 11 or 12 year old kid feels like he needs a gun for protection in our country is infuriating.”
Ferranti initially came to the media’s attention as a first time, non-violent offender in 1993, when his impending twenty-five year LSD kingpin conviction and subsequent position on the US Marshals Top-15 Most Wanted List attracted national media attention from outlets like The Washington Post and Rolling Stone.
But despite his sentence, Ferranti decided to rise above his past and focus on his future and has become an inspiration for others facing similar situations. He began building a writing and journalism career by earning an associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degree while in prison. With unlimited access to criminals’ stories and a renewed hope for his future, he crafted raw portrayals of prison life and penned prison and gangster stories for national outlets like Vice while establishing his brand, Gorilla Convict.
Ferranti starred in the Season One Finale of Vice TV’s “I was a Teenage Felon,” appeared on Fox News, Inside Edition, and News Nation as a subject matter expert, and has acted in, directed and produced numerous short films and documentaries. Most notable to date is White Boy, the former Netflix Top 10 documentary about youthful drug dealer and FBI informant Richard Wershe Jr. He has also written more than 25 books on gangsters, true crime and prison life, drawing heavily on his background as an ex-con for material. He currently has three films in pre-production.
“When I was in prison the guards told me I’d never be a writer much less a filmmaker,” Ferranti remembers. “Think I’ve proved them wrong 100 times over.”
Future plans for Night Life include a digital release via video-on-demand (VOD), then streaming domestically and internationally for subscription and ad-based VOD. Distribution details to be announced later this summer.
A New Home, the latest documentary from Director/Producer Joseph Puleo and Executive Producer Rio Vitale, will premiere at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase on July 17, 5pm at Washington University’s Brown Hall. In a follow up to America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill, their new film examines the story of Bosnian War refugees fleeing to St. Louis, Missouri, 30 years ago. With the war in Ukraine currently raging and thousands of its citizens displaced and seeking new homes, the plight of the Bosnians remains as relevant as ever.
When Bosnians fled their homes to escape the war in 1992, many ended up in St. Louis, largely because of its affordable housing and available jobs. The new arrivals began assimilating, starting their own businesses and transforming a once dilapidated South City neighborhood in the shadow of the Bevo Mill into a thriving “Little Bosnia.” Over the ensuing three decades, an estimated 70,000 Bosnians have migrated to St. Louis, making it the most inhabited area for Bosnians outside of Bosnia itself. A New Home tells the story of these refugees’ perseverance and determination to not only start life over but prosper.
Pre-production on A New Home began in the spring of 2021 with hours of VHS footage and more than a thousand photographs generously donated to the project to utilize during the editing process. The film also includes interviews with luminaries including Patrick McCarthy, author of After the Fall: Srebrenica Survivors in St. Louis; Ben Moore, Senior Researcher at the Center for Bosnian Studies; Anna Crosslin, past president of the International Institute of St. Louis; Francis Slay, former Mayor of St. Louis; former Missouri congressman Russ Carnahan; and Doug Moore, a former journalist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, as well as 5 Bosnian War survivors and refugees.
“This film was made as a complete labor of love,” said Puleo. “To be trusted with telling the harrowing and triumphant story of the Bosnians in St. Louis was not a responsibility that I took lightly. Their courageous resolve inspired me to give this film all I could give and I cannot wait for the opportunity to share this film with them and the St. Louis area.”
Similar to their last collaboration, America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill, Puleo and Vitale hope to generate buzz for their latest project via word of mouth and self-distribute. “We’d love to emulate that model with A New Home, ultimately, having the film be available to rent/purchase on Amazon Prime,” explains Puleo.
The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis (CSL), serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were shot in the St. Louis region or were written, directed, or produced by St. Louis-area residents or by filmmakers with strong local ties who are now working elsewhere. Ticket and Pass Purchase: cinemastlouis.org/st-louis-filmmakers-showcase.
Read the WAMG Interview with Joseph Puleo, director of America’s Last Little Italy:The HilHERE
Because of the Covid-19 health crisis, the Showcase will be presented virtually in 2020. CSL is partnering with Eventive, which also handles our ticketing, to present the Virtual Festival. Filmswill be available to view on demand anytime from July 10-19. There are no geographic limits on accessing the programs. Once a ticket-holder begins watching a program, access remains available for 48 hours.
The Showcase’s 15 film programs range from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Most programs will feature recorded Q&As with filmmakers, which will also be available on CSL’s YouTube channel.
In addition to the film programs, which will be available for streaming anytime during the July 10-19 run of the Showcase, this year’s event features a series of free master classes focused on key aspects of making and marketing an independent narrative feature. These will be offered as live streams at specific times/dates during the Showcase, but recordings of the presentations will also be archived and available on the CSL YouTube channel. A free live stream on the evening of July 19 will present the Showcase jury awards — including a $500 prize to the Best Showcase Film — and announce the films that will move on to the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival in November.
This year’s Showcase includes the following:
America’s Last Little Italy:The Hill: A documentary feature by Joseph Puleo that explores the deep historic roots of the Hill, St. Louis’ iconic Italian neighborhood.
The Ballad of John Henry: A documentary feature by Matthew Rice that analyzes how an ex-slave became one of America’s greatest tall-tale heroes: John Henry.
College Bound: A documentary feature by Jenna Gandolfo that chronicles a diverse group of Ritenour High School students as they overcome an array of obstacles to be accepted into some of the top universities in the country.
Doc Shorts Programs: The first of the two programs focuses on food, wine, and nature, and the second is anchored by Post-Dispatch columnist Aisha Sultan’s “33 and Counting,” a true-crime story about a 70-year-old grandmother serving a life sentence for a murder she says her rapist committed.
Easy-Bake: A narrative feature by writer-director-star Zoë Kennison — a Webster U. grad — in which a 22-year-old college student is informed by her doctor that she is on an unexpected biological clock: Because of a medical issue, she has only one year to conceive a child.
Master Classes: A series of four free master classes — featuring filmmakers and industry professionals — focused on key aspects of making an independent narrative feature: Finding Financing (July 11), Developing a Budget (July 12), Casting (July 18), and Securing Distribution (July 19).
My Ireland: A documentary feature by Anthony Monaghan, a working-class immigrant now living in St. Louis, that takes a hard look at the rampant emigration, mass evictions, and homeless crisis that plague his homeland of Ireland today.
Narrative Shorts Programs: The 56 films in the six programs include comedies, dramas, thrillers, and experimental works.
Resolution: A narrative feature by former St. Louisan Jacob T. Martin in which a tight-knit group of friends gathered for a New Year’s Eve party have their night of celebration descend into chaos when the host couple breaks up.
Wake Up: A documentary feature by Nate Townsend that weaves together stories from four different frontlines of suicide prevention across the country. The film premiered at We Are One: A Global Film Festival.
The Whitaker Foundation again serves as the Showcase’s title sponsor. The foundation’s twofold mission is to encourage the preservation and use of parks and to enrich lives through the arts. The Chellappa-Vedavalli Foundation is underwriting both the Showcase’s master classes and the $500 prize for the Best Showcase Film.
The event’s other sponsors include the Arts & Education Council, Grizzell & Co., Missouri Arts Council, Missouri Film Office, Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis Public Radio, and Washington University Film & Media Studies.
The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were shot in the St. Louis region or were written, directed, or produced by St. Louis-area residents or by filmmakers with strong local ties who are now working elsewhere. Because of the Covid-19 health crisis, the Showcase will be presented virtually in 2020.
AMERICA’S LAST LITTLE ITALY: THE HILL tells the story of this unique Italian-American neighborhood by looking at its past, present, and future. In the late 1800s, Italians immigrated to south St. Louis to work in the many clay mines there. These enterprising immigrants quickly took over the area and began to make it their own, building their own church, starting their own businesses and creating a self sufficient “city within a city.” The Hill has a vibrant athletic tradition, home to baseball royalty Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola, and multiple players on the 1950 U.S. soccer team that defeated England in what is referred to by many as the biggest upset in World Cup History. Incredibly, “The Hill” remains prosperous to this day, mixing residential homes with businesses of all varieties, including numerous world-famous restaurants.
Joseph Puleo, director of AMERICA’S LAST LITTLE ITALY: THE HILL , took the time to talk to We Are Movie Geeks about the film
Interview conducted by Tom Stockman July 6th 2020
Tom Stockman: Congratulations on your documentary AMERICA’S LAST LITTLE ITALY: THE HILL. It’s very well done.
Joey Puleo: Thank you.
TS: Everybody likes The Hill. What is your relationship to the neighborhood?
JP: I had family that lived on The Hill, so growing up I used to visit all the time, but I didn’t really know the history behind the neighborhood. I just knew it was a place where my Italian relatives lived and because of the familial connection and my Italian American heritage, I’ve always felt a kinship to The Hill.
TS: How did you come up with this idea of making a documentary about The Hill? I’m a little surprised no one has before.
JP: Rio Vitale, our Executive Producer, had written a book on The Hill and he came to me with the idea of me directing a documentary on it. There has been a lot of books written about The Hill, but no documentaries. There has been programs on PBS about the restaurants, and the news stations would often go down there and highlight toasted ravioli and things like that, but there’s never been a film about the history of the neighborhood. The thing that really lit a fire under Rio was that the older generation on The Hill were starting to pass away. He was worried that if someone didn’t come along and film interviews with these people now, then all of these stories and all of this history was going to be lost.
TS: Good point. And some of these participants in your film have indeed passed away. When did you film all of these interviews?
JP: Rio came to us in late May 2018 and within five days, we were on The Hill interviewing. Basically anybody who was old and lived on the hill, we wanted to interview. We did 25 or 30 interviews with people who were over 80 years old. That’s where we started. We knew we could wait with the younger residents, but the main goal was getting the interviews of the elderly done first. So that entire summer, for three months, we did interviews. We interviewed around 70 people and about 55 made the cut. We waited on the B-roll until the summer after. I would have a shot list so I would know what footage to get. The timing worked out beautifully for us and everything just fell right into place.
TS: Your film is very well-organized. Did you start out with a treatment, or did you just start filming and see where the story took you?
JP: It was kind of twofold there. When Rio told me that this was what he wanted to do, he gave me a few books to read. One of those, Immigrants on the Hill: Italian-Americans in St. Louis, was written by Gary Mormino, who is probably the star historian of our film. Another book was An Urban Design Study For The Hill by Phillip C. McCurdy. He’s an architect who is also in the film. Those two books were what I used to lay out an outline, so I had a loose framework as to what I thought was important. When I was doing these interviews with the old-timers, that’s when the story started to take shape. Everybody kept telling us that The Hill is the last real ‘Little Italy’ and that stuck with me, so I figured if I was making that claim, I had to be able to back it up. So the first act of the film is the history of the neighborhood until till World War II. The second act was when we started getting into Father Polizzi, and seeing all of the other ‘Little Italys’ in America go under and him taking the steps to try to make sure that The Hill remained Italian and keep its ethnic identity.
TS: You go into the history of The Hill, and illustrate how it started out as a clay mining community. Do they still mine there today?
JP: No the mines are buried under where the hill is today
TS: Have you seen Bill Streeter‘s documentary BRICK BY CHANCE AND FORTUNE about St. Louis bricks?
JP: I have not.
TS: Oh you should. It’s all about how the mud in St. Louis produced such gorgeous red bricks. It really made me appreciate how attractive our bricks are compared to a city like Chicago which has sort of pukey yellow bricks.
JP: I’ll have to see that.
TS: You discuss in your film how the Northern Italians with look down on the Southern Italians, but they were all working class, I assume.
JP: There were prejudices there that go on to this day, but that really goes back to the old country, to Italy where that’s just the way it is. The Sicilians were the peasants who worked the fields. There’s also the speaking of different dialects, not being able to understand each other. Sicilian culture is a completely different culture than the Northerners. The Northern Italians are a lot more laid-back and subdued. When you’re thinking about Italians, you’re typically thinking about Sicilians. They are a bit more boisterous, so it’s kind of a culture clash. Me being Sicilian helped in making the film in that it made it less difficult to talk about those things.
TS: Was there anybody that you wanted to interview for your film but we’re unable to?
JP: No not really. Everybody basically wanted to be in the movie.
TS: Yes, there’s a lot of pride in that neighborhood and I think that really comes through.
JP: Yes, they were excited about the fact that we were just there making the documentary and they wanted to be part of it.
TS: When I was a kid growing up in West County my dad would drive us to The Hill to eat, but he would always precede ‘Hill’ with a certain derogatory ethnic term that was used by many outsiders back in the day. I noticed that you really don’t mention that in the film.
JP: Yes, that was something we avoided on purpose. My whole view with this project was to focus on the people of the neighborhood, so I didn’t go through the thought process of people throughout other parts of St. Louis and how they view the neighborhood. The people on The Hill never referred to themselves as living on anything but ‘The Hill’, so when I was talking to them I made the conscious decision not to mention that. I wanted to keep it insular
TS: I get it. I get the impression that these people are likely thick-skinned. I think if someone said that term perhaps they might not be particularly offended by it.
JP: I agree. That is just one of the names that people called it. A film gets into prejudice somewhat when we’re talking about how Italians would be viewed in someone’s head.
TS: Yes you keep your film very positive. So many documentaries today have to have an agenda, while AMERICA’S LAST LITTLE ITALY: THE HILL just documents. I like the way your film illustrated how those on The Hill addressed crime. There’s this fellow Joe Causino in your film who encouraged young people on The Hill to participate in sports instead of joining gangs and causing trouble. It seems like The Hill is always been somewhat crime-free at least in terms of violent crime
JP: Yes, and we get into that in the second act showing how the neighborhood kind of policed itself. There’s a guy in the movie named Jim Merlo and he says that if there was anything that residents of The Hill saw in terms of activities that would not bring pride to the neighborhood, they were going to step in and tell you about it. That was really the thought process of everyone on The Hill. You go down there and see the well-manicured lawns, everything is taken care of, everything is dealt with with pride. They are just not going to accept crime going on in that neighborhood. We do touch on some crime there during prohibition, but that was really a way for them to make money when they had to get involved in prohibition. It’s always been a safe neighborhood and I attribute that to members of the community not allowing criminal activity to go on.
TS: That’s really in the spirit of Joe Causino who you talk about in the film.
JP: Yes, in the 1930s and 40s there were a lot of boys on the hill. Italians at that time we’re having a lot of children, so they were these boys in the neighborhood and Joe Causino came in and did what he did to keep them from getting into trouble. He started these sports clubs and many incredible athletes came from these clubs. It’s really a tribute to him that he saw a need and provided an athletic arena for them to play in. And of course from that you got Yogi Berra, and Joe Garagiola, and Frank Borgi and the other members of the 1950 soccer team that defeated England in the World Cup.
TS: The vintage footage you used in the film spectacular. Was all of that footage on The Hill?
JP: Yes. We got lucky. We sent out a message letting everyone know that if they had 8mm film, family home movies, we were hoping that could be donated for use in the documentary . Multiple Hill families came through with original reels of film that we were able to convert into HD. My family had some 8mm film that we were able to bring forward. That was huge for us getting that film, and not having to go to stock footage very often. We did go with stock footage for a couple of things that were happening nationally, such as things from the war, but when the documentary talks about a confectionery being on every corner, we have 8mm footage of a confectionery there. When we talk about Family’s cooking Sunday dinners there, we have footage of that basement kitchen on The Hill. That was big for us.
TS: Oh, that was great. That’s really the heart of the film.
JP: 100%. The biggest thing for me was keeping the audience in the era, so there’s a point where we are talking about the building of shotgun homes and the fact that a lot of the homes were built on stilts then filled in with concrete later. I was able to go to 8mm film to show that as opposed to going down there now in 2020 and shooting in 4K and splicing it in. I really never wanted to take the audience out of that time.
TS: What filmmakers did you collaborate with on this project?
JP: My co-producer and editor is Steve Cakouros
TS: Is he a St. Louis guy?
JP: Yes, we met at Lindenwood film school and have been making films together since.
TS: I remember the short comedy you made, TOP SON about the young man who looks just like Tom Cruise. I interviewed that film’s star Evan Ferrante. Wasn’t there talk about that film becoming a feature?
JP: Yes there was. In 2016, we did the festival circuit for TOP SON. In 2017 we got into a contest that Kevin Hart put on where our film got to go to Montreal is part of the ‘Just For Laughs’ festival. That was a huge deal for us. We came back to St. Louis and a local producer wanted to help us make it into a feature and we worked about another year on it and then the money fell through and we were unable to go forward with TOP SON. But I guess everything happens for a reason because within a month, Rio came to us with The Hill idea and we started working on AMERICA’S LAST LITTLE ITALY: THE HILL.
TS: So there is a TOP SON feature script out there?
JP: Yes. Myself and Steve wrote a feature script, so we still have that one in the back pocket. But this documentary about The Hill had to be made so that’s what we set our sights on.
TS: Have the residents of The Hill seen AMERICA’S LAST LITTLE ITALY: THE HILL yet?
JP: No, July 10 when the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase starts virtually will be the first time that anyone will have the opportunity to see it.
TS: It’s too bad about this virus. Did you have a big a plan for some sort of screening for the movie for the people on The Hill that were involved?
JP: The dream was to have everybody from The Hill go to a packed theater and see themselves on the big screen, especially some of the older participants. Corona really threw a wrench into that plan, but I’m trying to be positive about everything. More people than ever will be able to see the film because it is it streaming, including a lot of people that probably wouldn’t go to a movie theater.
TS: Beyond the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, what are your plans for the AMERICA’S LAST LITTLE ITALY: THE HILL?
JP: We have submitted the film to about 15 festivals, especially ones that are located in areas with a large Italian population. Everything at this point seems to be going online, so I don’t know if there will be any in-person festival that I will actually go to, but the goal is still to have a festival run and potentially strike a deal with a distributor, or PBS or any of those options.
TS: I could totally see KETC running your film. They ran Bill Streeter‘s brick documentary and Ron Stevens documentary about KSHE. They seem to enjoy showing well-made documentaries with local ties.
JP: The main goal for us is to get the film seen by as many people as possible and to bring awareness of this neighborhood to the masses. To show that this neighborhood still does exist and that it’s still vibrant and strong. Everyone thinks that all of the Little Italys are just tourist attractions where they are selling flags and trinkets, but there’s still a Little Italy here in St. Louis that exists in its original fashion.
TS: The Hill in St. Louis has maintained its ethnic identity unlike any other Little Italy, and I could ask you why that is, but that’s what your film is about and I think watching your film answers that questions.
JP: Yes that was the goal of the film, to answer that question. Hopefully we did so and made the neighborhood proud and made St. Louis proud.
TS: What is your next project Joseph?
JP: We’ve been talking about the potential of doing a couple of other documentaries We have a couple of ideas but nothing that I can share at this moment The virus has put a hamper on all the plans that we have had moving forward.
TS: Best of luck with AMERICA’S LAST LITTLE ITALY: THE HILL and all of your future projects.
The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were shot in the St. Louis region or were written, directed, or produced by St. Louis-area residents or by filmmakers with strong local ties who are now working elsewhere.Because of the Covid-19 health crisis, the Showcase will be presented virtually in 2020. This short video provides more information on CSL’s decision to move its 2020 festivals and events online. CSL is partnering with Eventive, which also handles our ticketing, to present the Virtual Festival. Ticket information for WAKE UP can be found HERE
Review of WAKE UP by Stephen Tronicek
If there is one thing that Nate Townsend’s Wake Up: Stories from the Frontlines of Suicide Prevention wants to tell you, it is that suicide is not just a suicide problem. It is a problem attached to many different factors and many different lives, from gun control to the fight for LGBTQ rights.
Wake Up starts with the death of Ryan Candice, a Mizzou student, who took his own life. Following this, his friends put together a cross country film about the widespread problems that are connected to suicide. Along the way, they find an activist taking photos of suicide survivors, the problem with gun control, and a retreat that is helping veterans with their Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
What results is a documentary that succeeds in capturing the scale of the problem, but also succeeds in being respectful of these stories. Wake Up has plenty of the macro statistics, some of which seem like mistakes ( “…over 80% of Utah’s firearm deaths are suicides”), but it never loses sight of the individuals who deal with the issue every single day.
These people include Dese’rae Stage, the creator of Live Through This, a project collecting photographs of suicide survivors. Dese’rae’s story visits the effects of suicide on the LGBTQ community. It also includes Craig Bryan, the Director of the National Center for Veterans Studies who discusses the effects of PTSD on veterans and the climbing suicide rate in veterans and Roger Thompson who talks about his experience with PTSD, but also his experience at the Nation Abilities Center.
All of these aspects come together to form a cohesive thesis on suicide prevention in the United States: That there are many things that contribute to feelings of suicide, some that may seem too large for you to handle, but that there are many people out there to help.
The filmmaking is as clean as most documentaries. The elements aren’t necessarily special, but they are perfectly polished with B-Roll rolling into interviews all flowing together through the fantastic original score by Roberto Murgia. While many documentaries are hampered by a pacing problem, Wake Up avoids such a pitfall. Wake Up is a film about hope. It is about different people facing up against one of the most horrible things in the world and fighting it. As that, it is one of the most important films of the year, showing us true stories of suicide but also shows us that we can just keep fighting.
America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill will debut online July 10th through 19th aspart of the 20th annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase. This historical documentary traces the roots of the venerable St. Louis neighborhood known as “The Hill.”. Check out the trailer:
America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill tells the story of this unique Italian-American neighborhood by looking at its past, present, and future. In the late 1800s, Italians immigrated to south St. Louis to work in the many clay mines there. These enterprising immigrants quickly took over the area and began to make it their own, building their own church, starting their own businesses and creating a self sufficient “city within a city.” The Hill has a vibrant athletic tradition, home to baseball royalty Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola, and multiple players on the 1950 U.S. soccer team that defeated England in what is referred to by many as the biggest upset in World Cup History. Incredibly, “The Hill” remains prosperous to this day, mixing residential homes with businesses of all varieties, including numerous world-famous restaurants.
America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill was a two-year odyssey that began in May of 2018 and is the culmination of the vision of three St. Louisans: director/producer Joseph Puleo; producer/editor Steve Cakouros; and executive producer Rio Vitale. The film features 55 interviews, including notable personalities such as Chris Stephens, Professor of Italian Studies at St. Louis Community College; Monsignor Vincent Bommarito, pastor of St. Ambrose on “The Hill”; Joe DeGregorio, known as “The Hill Tour Guide”; Gary Mormino , author of “Immigrants on the Hill: Italian-Americans in St. Louis”; and Philip C. McCurdy, architect and author of “An Urban Design Study for the Hill.” Several Hill families also donated their personal 8MM home movies for use in the film, including director Puleo’s.
“We are so excited to have our film America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill be selected as part of the 2020 St. Louis Filmmakers showcase,” said Puleo. “This documentary was made by and for the people of St. Louis and being able to share this film with its intended audience is something we are extremely excited about. Although we always envisioned screening this film to a packed house on the big screen, we completely understand the move to online and are thankful to Cinema St. Louis for prioritizing the safety and well-being of the people that would have come in person to see the films in this year’s festival. Hopefully, this change gives us filmmakers the opportunity to reach more viewers who would rather stream the films online from the comfort of their own home.”
The filmmakers have plans for festival screenings across the country – and potentially Italy – over the upcoming year, hoping to shed light on this historic neighborhood. They will also be pursuing offers from distributors to give their film the opportunity to reach as large an audience as possible for their intended demographic. Updates on future screenings, awards and further information on the film can be found on their Facebook page.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:
Joseph Puleo is an award-winning director born and raised in St. Louis. He attended Lindenwood University and graduated with a BFA from their school of film in 2015. In 2017, his short film “Top Son” screened across the country and was selected as part of Kevin Hart’s “Eat My Shorts Competition” where it was named a top 5 finalist and screened at the prestigious “Just For Laughs” festival in Montreal.
Steve Cakouros is a filmmaker, audio engineer, and national award winning editor. He was born in Summit, New Jersey and moved to St. Louis when he was 10 years old. After living in Los Angeles pursuing a career in music and audio engineering, Steve returned to St. Louis and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Lindenwood University’s School of Film.
Rio Vitale was born in St Louis and has 40 years of experience in the financial brokerage industry. In 2014, Rio published his first book, “St. Louis’s The Hill.” In 2016, he was knighted by the Italian government for his extensive work in the Italian community. Recently, Rio began a new venture into film production with America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill.
The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis (CSL), serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were shot in the St. Louis region or were written, directed, or produced by St. Louis-area residents or by filmmakers with strong local ties who are now working elsewhere. Ticket and Pass Purchase: cinemastlouis.org/st-louis-filmmakers-showcase
Because of the Covid-19 health crisis, the Showcase will be presented virtually in 2020. CSL is partnering with Eventive, which also handles our ticketing, to present the Virtual Festival. Filmswill be available to view on demand anytime from July 10-19. There are no geographic limits on accessing the programs. Once a ticket-holder begins watching a program, access remains available for 48 hours.
The Showcase’s 15 film programs range from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Most programs will feature recorded Q&As with filmmakers, which will also be available on CSL’s YouTube channel.
In addition to the film programs, which will be available for streaming anytime during the July 10-19 run of the Showcase, this year’s event features a series of free master classes focused on key aspects of making and marketing an independent narrative feature. These will be offered as live streams at specific times/dates during the Showcase, but recordings of the presentations will also be archived and available on the CSL YouTube channel. A free live stream on the evening of July 19 will present the Showcase jury awards — including a $500 prize to the Best Showcase Film — and announce the films that will move on to the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival in November.
This year’s Showcase includes the following:
America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill: A documentary feature by Joseph Puleo that explores the deep historic roots of the Hill, St. Louis’ iconic Italian neighborhood.
The Ballad of John Henry: A documentary feature by Matthew Rice that analyzes how an ex-slave became one of America’s greatest tall-tale heroes: John Henry.
College Bound: A documentary feature by Jenna Gandolfo that chronicles a diverse group of Ritenour High School students as they overcome an array of obstacles to be accepted into some of the top universities in the country.
Doc Shorts Programs: The first of the two programs focuses on food, wine, and nature, and the second is anchored by Post-Dispatch columnist Aisha Sultan’s “33 and Counting,” a true-crime story about a 70-year-old grandmother serving a life sentence for a murder she says her rapist committed.
Easy-Bake: A narrative feature by writer-director-star Zoë Kennison — a Webster U. grad — in which a 22-year-old college student is informed by her doctor that she is on an unexpected biological clock: Because of a medical issue, she has only one year to conceive a child.
Master Classes: A series of four free master classes — featuring filmmakers and industry professionals — focused on key aspects of making an independent narrative feature: Finding Financing (July 11), Developing a Budget (July 12), Casting (July 18), and Securing Distribution (July 19).
My Ireland: A documentary feature by Anthony Monaghan, a working-class immigrant now living in St. Louis, that takes a hard look at the rampant emigration, mass evictions, and homeless crisis that plague his homeland of Ireland today.
Narrative Shorts Programs: The 56 films in the six programs include comedies, dramas, thrillers, and experimental works.
Resolution: A narrative feature by former St. Louisan Jacob T. Martin in which a tight-knit group of friends gathered for a New Year’s Eve party have their night of celebration descend into chaos when the host couple breaks up.
Wake Up: A documentary feature by Nate Townsend that weaves together stories from four different frontlines of suicide prevention across the country. The film premiered at We Are One: A Global Film Festival.
The Whitaker Foundation again serves as the Showcase’s title sponsor. The foundation’s twofold mission is to encourage the preservation and use of parks and to enrich lives through the arts. The Chellappa-Vedavalli Foundation is underwriting both the Showcase’s master classes and the $500 prize for the Best Showcase Film.
The event’s other sponsors include the Arts & Education Council, Grizzell & Co., Missouri Arts Council, Missouri Film Office, Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis Public Radio, and Washington University Film & Media Studies.
The 19th Annual Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, a
presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, serves as the area’s primary
venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were
written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis residents or films with
strong local ties.
The 19 film programs that screen at Washington University’s
Brown Hall from July 12-14 & 19-21 serve as the Showcase’s centerpiece. The
programs range from full-length fiction features and documentaries to
multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Many programs
include post-screening Q&As with filmmakers. There are 106 films in this
year’s event.
The Showcase also hosts a free closing-night awards party on
Sunday, July 21, at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room. Cinema St. Louis will announce
the Showcase films chosen for inclusion in the St. Louis International Film
Festival, and juried awards for the best Showcase films will be given. Complimentary Urban Chestnut beer and a cash bar are available
for attendees who are 21 or older.
Tickets for film
programs from July 12-21 at Brown Hall are $13 each; $10 for students with
valid and current photo ID and for Cinema St. Louis members with valid
membership cards. No phone sales, but tickets can be purchased online at brownpapertickets.com.
Direct ticketing links will be on the Cinema St. Louis website, or search for
“St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase” on Brown Paper Tickets. There is a small
service charge per ticket for online sales, which are limited to
full-price tickets only. The closing-night awards party is free and does
not require tickets.
Highlights of this
year’s Showcase include the following:
The Ghost Who Walks: Shot in St. Louis by former Showcase
award-winner Cody Stokes, “The Ghost Who Walks” is a breathlessly paced ride
through the hidden underbelly of the city. After five years in prison, Nolan
(Garland Scott) is given his freedom, but his release required that he rat on
his former boss — a betrayal that carries a death sentence.
A New Leaf: Reimagining Henry Shaw’s
Museum: After more than a
century of decline, Henry Shaw’s museum is once again open to the public at the
Missouri Botanical Garden (MoBOT) following a multi-million-dollar restoration.
The film chronicles the painstaking effort to bring Shaw’s museum back to its
original glory Directed by Paul Schankman.
Road to the Pros: “Road to the Pros” offers an inside look at
the St. Louis amateur boxing scene. Providing a lively and informative
overview, the film interviews past and current trainers and a host of
up-and-coming boxers of all races and ages. Directed by Earl McWilliams Jr.
Through the Cracks: In July 2002, Johnny Johnson was arrested and
charged with the abduction and murder of 6-year-old Cassandra Williamson in
Valley Park, Mo., and the effects of the crime continue to reverberate in the
community. Directed by Ben Scholle
Path of the Past: The subject’s grandson tells the incredible
true story of Pocahontas, Ill.’s Louis “Louch” Baczewski, a tank-crew member
who miraculously survived the perilous journey through all five major campaigns
of World War II’s European Theater.
Documentary Shorts: Three programs of outstanding documentary
shorts offer inspiring and intimate portraits of our city and its inhabitants.
Experimental Shorts: Seventeen riveting experimental shorts are
featured in this annual favorite Showcase program
Narrative Shorts: A wide array of filmmakers of all ages present
new fiction works.
The Whitaker
Foundation again serves as the Showcase’s title sponsor. The foundation’s
twofold mission is to encourage the preservation and use of parks and to enrich
lives through the arts.
The 18th Annual Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, a presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis residents or films with strong local ties.
The 20 film programs that screen at Washington University’s Brown Hall from July 13-15 & 20-22 serve as the Showcase’s centerpiece. The programs range from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Many programs include post-screening Q&As with filmmakers. There are 106 films in this year’s event.
Look for more coverage of The St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase here at We Are Movie Geeks in the coming days including interviews with the filmmakers and reviews of the film.
The Showcase also hosts a free closing-night awards party on Sunday, July 22, at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room. Cinema St. Louis will announce the Showcase films chosen for inclusion in the St. Louis International Film Festival, and juried awards for the best Showcase films will be given. Complimentary Urban Chestnut beer and a cash bar are available for attendees who are 21 or older.
Tickets for film programs from July 13-22 at Washington University’s Brown Hall are $13 each; $10 for students with valid and current photo ID and for Cinema St. Louis members with valid membership cards. No phone sales, but tickets can be purchased online at brownpapertickets.com. Direct ticketing links will be on the Cinema St. Louis website, or search for “St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase” on Brown Paper Tickets. There is a small service charge per ticket for online sales, which are limited to full-price tickets only. The closing-night awards party is free and does not require tickets.
Highlights of this year’s Showcase include the following:
The Best of Us: 100 Seasons of Muny Magic: Veteran Showcase director Kathy Bratkowski from HEC-TV brings us this delightful chronicle of the 100-year history one of the true crown jewels of St. Louis: the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre.
Parallel Chords: Filmmaker Catherine Dudley-Rose first presented this story of a talented yet frustrated young female violinist as a short in 2015, and after a successful crowdfunding effort, she has expanded the drama into a full-length feature.
An American Tragedy: Jeffrey Ferguson was executed March 26, 2014, for a murder he committed in St. Charles. His last wish was for the victim’s family forgive him. Documentary filmmaker Lisa Boyd brings us the story of his lengthy and painful road to redemption.
Dirty Laundry: Two cousins journey across the U.S. by bicycle, fueled by curiosity about their grandmother’s sudden passing from a rare cancer: mesothelioma. Through interviews and research, they uncover a trail of broken families all bound by the common thread of asbestos exposure.
A Song for Sarah: A heartwarming family musical about an orphaned teenage girl who is reunited with her wacky uncle, who then has to fight to keep them together. Originally shot in 2003, the film had to be abandoned when several reels were lost in a lab. Many years later, in 2011, the missing reels miraculously surfaced, and 15 years after it was begun, this joyful film finally receives its long-delayed debut.
Daniel Lord, S.J.: The Restless Flame: Jesuit priest Daniel Lord, a St. Louisan, was one of the most influential American religious figures of the 20th century. He wrote 230 pamphlets and 70 plays and musicals. Lord also co-wrote the controversial Motion Picture Production Code, the self-censorship rules to which the studios adhered from 1930-68.
Documentary Shorts: Three programs of outstanding documentary shorts offer inspiring and intimate portraits of our city and its inhabitants.
Narrative Shorts: A wide array of filmmakers of all ages — ranging from 12 to 84 — present new fiction works, including more than a dozen films directed by teenagers.
The Whitaker Foundation again serves as the Showcase’s title sponsor. The foundation’s twofold mission is to encourage the preservation and use of parks and to enrich lives through the arts.
The event’s other sponsors include the Arts & Education Council, Missouri Arts Council, Missouri Film Office, Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, and Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.
