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Friday, 31 October 2003 18:00

November is an exciting month for film in St. Louis, with Cinema St. Louis’s St. Louis International Film Festival on the horizon. For ten days, November 13 through 23, the festival will be showing feature films, short films, documentaries, and more from around the world at the Tivoli, Hi-Pointe, and Webster University cinemas. One of the films highlighted in the New Filmmakers Forum is Misti Barnes’ film Exposed from Los Angeles, California. Exposed is a mockumentary about journalism’s Crystal Awards. It is a must-see, as is Barnes on the panel for Coffee With the Filmmakers. Also check out local filmmakers’ films, including Ponteuse before Melvin Goes to Dinner on the 22nd and Amphetamine on the 14th. For more information about the festival, visit www.cinemastlouis.org.

Local photographer and filmmaker Thomas Smugala has begun preproduction for his feature film, Apocalypse and the Beauty Queen. The film is produced by Charlene Colombini, William Kamper, and Smugala. Jim Schulte, writer of Brew and Captain Nemo’s Island, is set to pen with Smugala. For more information on this project, visit www.smugala.com. This will be shot locally, and if the film is anything like his photographs, expect excellence.

It has been a great couple of months for commercials in St. Louis. Keep your eyes peeled for national Christmas spots for Famous-Barr/May Co., shot at West County Mall, and Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales, shot at Grant’s Farm. So whether you are sipping eggnog in New York or Palm Springs, you will see a taste of home on the plasma screen.

Currently in preproduction are Streetballers, a coming-of-age basketball film by Matt Krentz, and Sugar on the Floor, a gritty, urban, action drama by Vernon Whitlock III. There is much to see this month on the St. Louis film stage, as well as many opportunities to support our local filmmakers. So while you’re out and about, go see some local films and contribute to your growing film community.