From mainstream Hollywood films to international entries and little known documentaries, with a range featuring comedy, pathos and horror, the 21st annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival will have something for everyone during its Nov. 8-19 run.
"As always, there's a misperception about film festivals generally and the St. Louis Film Festival in particular, that somehow you have to be a film nerd to be really appreciative and get anything out of it," said Cliff Froehlich, the festival's executive director. "It's almost like you have to be a member of the club to attend. That's the part of the festival experience I always like to emphasize is not true. That in fact, film festivals - particularly film festivals like ours - offer a huge array of different kinds of material. Honestly, anybody who's interested in movies, even in a nominal way, is going to actually find something that's going to be entertaining, enlightening, educational, or fun. There are all sorts of different offerings available."
It's as simple as buying a ticket, he said, and in some cases simpler, as several films are free. That ticket, as it always has been with movies, opens a doorway to fascinating new experiences. It might be a mainstream movie, like the St. Louis premiere of Silver Linings Playbook, starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro. Or old favorites like Gremlins and Gremlins 2, introduced by Joe Dante, who directed those films and will be at the festival to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are also 73 documentaries on the bill, tackling such issues as homelessness, racial strife, stray dogs and more.
"If they are willing to take a chance on stuff they perhaps aren't as familiar with, they may discover that they'll enjoy an international film, a documentary, a program of shorts - things that they perhaps wouldn't think about attending in a normal theatrical movie-going setting," Froehlich said. "But the festival offers that opportunity and they can end up really being surprised at what they encounter."
The festival schedule, ticket information, and a complete list of films (with descriptions) are available at the Cinema St. Louis Web site. The primary venues are the following theaters:
* Webster University, Webster Hall's Moore Auditorium * Hi-Pointe Theatre, Clayton
* Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Plaza Frontenac
* Tivoli Theatre, University City
* Washington University, Brown Hall Auditorium
* Wildey Theatre, 252 N. Main St., Edwardsville, IL.
There are more than 400 films in the festival, including 110 narrative, 70-plus documentaries and 200 or so short films.
Tickets for most films are $12, $10 for Cinema St. Louis members, and are available at the box office of the venue. |
