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 film programs that will screen 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 2019 event will take place over 2 consecutive weekends in mid July (12-14 and 19-21) 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 flash drive (NOT a DVD/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 7, 2019. Notification of acceptance or rejection will not include criticism or feedback specific to your entry.

(At no extra charge SLFS submissions are also eligible for consideration for the 28th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival, Nov. 7-17, 2019. You will not need to resubmit your film.)
10 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Benjamin Dewhurst

    The St. Louis Filmmaker's Showcase is a treasure for all filmmakers in the area or with St. Louis ties. We're so lucky to have the venue and the wonderful team supporting it. They work tirelessly to make us understand that our art is valued and deserves a great at-home festival experience. Highly recommend.

    October 2018
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  • Patrick Payne

    Chris Clark and staff made this festival, our very first, a most exciting and enjoyable experience. We traveled a long way to attend and it was worth every mile.
    Patrick Payne
    Film PASSENGER

    September 2018
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  • catherine dudley-rose

    St. Louis does an amazing job of promoting it's local filmmakers, and an opportunity to connect with the community is a treasure. This year was my sixth time participating in the Showcase and I am grateful, and proud to be a part of it.

    August 2018
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  • Aziza Binti

    I really enjoyed the festival. Looking forward to the St. Louis International Film Festival this fall as well. My only issue with the summer festival was parking and locating the venue. But other than that it was great. Excellent work by everyone responsible for the festival.

    August 2018
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  • Brian Cooksey

    Great festival. One of best I've been to.

    July 2018
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