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/filmmakers with strong local ties.

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 2025 Showcase will take place over two weekends from Friday, July 18 to Sunday, July 27. The event will be held in-person at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.

Deadlines remain important, but we want to be as flexible as possible to be respectful of filmmakers’ abilities to submit fully completed projects. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to CSL Festival Curator Emmett Williams directly.

Awards & Prizes

12 award winning films will receive automatic invitations to the St. Louis International Film Festival.

Best Film - Essy
Best Animated Film
Best Documentary
Best Experimental Film
Best Student Film / Mayors Award
Best Director
Best Acting / Narrative
Best Screenplay
Best Horror Film
Best Cinematogrpahy (Narrative or Doc)
Best Comedy
Best First Film (non-student)

Rules & Terms

Conditions for Eligibility:

This is a competitive, curated event, and submission does not guarantee an invitation.

All films must fulfill the following requirements:

1) Be written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis natives, residents, or with strong local ties.
2) Be a St. Louis festival or theatrical premiere.
3) Be submitted with English subtitles if in a language other than English.
4) Be submitted with full synopsis, all contact info, including mailing address, phone number, email, and appropriate entry-fee payment.
5) No works in progress - completed films only.

It is preferred that films not be widely available on video/DVD, cable, YouTube, Vimeo, iTunes, Facebook, Amazon Prime, or VOD in the St. Louis region before the festival dates. A film's availability on one of these platforms does not disqualify an entry, but first priority will be given to works that are true premieres.

Public cast/crew screenings, especially features, before the event are also strongly discouraged.

Music rights and all copyright clearances are the sole responsibility of the filmmaker.

Cinema St. Louis (CSL) will not be held responsible for any legal disputes regarding the exhibition of this film.

Entry Procedure:

Provide complete information on FilmFreeway. Films should be submitted as secure online screeners on the platform (do not send DVDs or Blu-rays to our office). All preview materials must be received by May 21, 2025.

IF YOUR FILM IS ACCEPTED, THE FOLLOWING IS REQUIRED. FAILURE TO COMPLY AND MEET DEADLINES WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE REMOVAL FROM THE FESTIVAL

1. DCP delivery by June 18, 2025
2. Three film stills by June 23 that can be downloaded from Film Freeway
3. Signed Filmmaker Agreement by June 23 that includes an updated film synopsis of no more than 3 sentences and an updated bio and photo of a Director or Producer
4. A backup mp4

All entrants will be notified of the status of their submission by email no later than June 4, 2025.

Notification of acceptance or rejection will not include criticism or feedback specific to your entry, unless you are a student.

Please contact Emmett Williams at Cinema St. Louis for any/all questions and clarifications.

36 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Paul Vo Le

    I just want to say thank you for giving my film, Flesh and Blood, an opportunity to be screened at St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase. This is such an amazing event where you can meet local filmmakers, and look at their creations. I thoroughly appreciate all the hard work from the filmmakers, and especially the members at Cinema St. Louis for hosting this fantastic showcase with great professionalism. Highly recommend!

    August 2024
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  • James T Dierker

    An excellent event for the veteran filmmaker to the student apprentice. Well-organized and managed, featuring a wide-range of film genres with emphasis on local work. An enjoyable experience for the filmmaker as well as the cinema enthusiast/audience.

    August 2024
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  • Jeffrey Woodson

    Well worth the submission. If you can attend in person try to do it.

    August 2023
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  • Douglas Wicker

    This year’s St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase really elevated an already strong festival. Being centrally located at the Hi-Pointe theater really allowed for a great opportunity to meet other filmmakers and see the films in the best possible way. Chris, Brian, and the team have done such a great job with this festival and you should absolutely consider submitting your film.

    August 2023
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  • Franki Cambeletta

    I absolutely love that Cinema Saint Louis showcases the talent around the city! It is a great festival that brings together all walks of life and every genre. Unbelievable people and one hell of a program! As a horror festival runner, I look to these guys for inspiration and education on how to run a successful film fest!

    May 2023
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