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 written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis natives or films with strong local ties.

The 16 film programs that will screen from July 13-22 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. Programs with feature-length films include post-screening Q&As with filmmakers.

The 2018 event will take place over 2 consecutive weekends in mid July at Brown Hall on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis.

Awards & Prizes

More than 2 dozen awards given by the St. Louis Film Critics Association, plus invitations to the St. Louis International FIlm Festival.

Rules & Terms

Conditions for Eligibility:

ALL FILMS MUST:
1) be written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis natives or those with strong local ties
2) be completed by entry deadline (NO works-in-progress)
3) be a St. Louis theatrical premiere
4) be submitted with English subtitles if in a language other than English
5) be submitted with a complete entry and appropriate payment
6) not be widely commercially or publicly available on video/DVD, cable, YouTube, Vimeo, iTunes, or On Demand in the St. Louis region prior to the festival dates.

Entry Procedure:
Please read and understand the agreement before submitting. For preview purposes, films may be submitted on secure online screener through FilmFreeway (strongly preferred) or by mailing a DVD (NOT a Blu-ray) to our office. All preview materials must be received by May 31st. No exceptions.

If you mail your screener and want it returned, you must include a self-addressed, stamped, padded envelope. Nothing will be returned otherwise.

If your film is selected, publicity images must be sent immediately. 300 dpi or higher electronic images are preferred in .jpg or .png format. All invited short subjects should be submitted electronically or on a flash drive or HDD as an .mov file (Pro Res or H.264).

Please contact Cinema St. Louis for questions and clarifications. All entrants will be notified of the status of their submission by e-mail no later than June 8, 2018. Notification of acceptance or rejection will not include criticism or feedback specific to your entry.

(At no extra charge submissions are also eligible for consideration for the 27th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival, Nov. 1-11, 2018. You do not need to resubmit your film.)
2 Reviews
Overall Rating
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Communication
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Networking
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    Bug-Juice Productions

    This annual event is one of the best in the city of St. Louis for local filmmakers to showcase their talents and hard work. I highly recommend this festival to any aspiring local filmmakers, casual or professional.

    July 2017
    Helpful
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    Ashley Seering

    I've had my films screen at the Showcase for 4 years. It's always a good chance to see other local work and meet local filmmakers. Communication is great and the Tivoli is a lovely venue.

    July 2017
    Helpful