24th Annual ST. LOUIS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Nov. 13-23 – The Schedule Has Been Announced!

Oscar bait performances by Reese Witherspoon, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Timothy Spall, a Tenacious Eats “Movies for Foodies” event, and a tribute to the St. Louis-born silent film star King Baggot are some of the many highlights of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. Cinema St. Louis announced the 2014 line-up today and it’s the usual hi-quality mix of independent films, foreign films, locally-made films, end-of-year studio awards product, and retro programming.

The 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) will be held Nov. 13-23. SLIFF will screen 389 films: 89 narrative features, 76 documentary features, and 224 shorts. This year’s festival has 239 screenings/programs, with 69 countries represented. The fest will host more than 125 filmmakers and related guests, including honorees Doug Pray (Contemporary Cinema Award), Katie Mustard (Women in Film Award), and Timothy J. Sexton (Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award).

The festival will open on Thursday, Nov. 13, with the premiere of THE MAKINGS OF YOU, a St. Louis- set and -shot drama by Matt Amato. Amato, an award-winning director of music videos and commercials, returned to his hometown of St. Louis to shoot his feature debut. The film stars Jay R. Ferguson (of “Mad Men”) and Sheryl Lee and Grace Zabriskie (both of “Twin Peaks”).

Here are just some of the many, many highlights of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival:

• Jonathan Demme’s 1974 Women’s prison opus CAGED HEAT – Barbara Steele, Erica Gavin, Rainbeaux Smith, Roberta Collins !?! – I’m so there!
•  A Tenacious Eats ‘Movie for Foodies’ event featuring a gourmet meal prepared around a screening of the 1964 Beatles movie A HARD DAYS NIGHT
• The King Baggot Tribute – Honoring the St. Louis-born silent screen legend with a 35mm print of the 1913 version of IVANHOE and hosted by We Are Movie Geeks own Tom  Stockman
• Oscar Bait! Oscar Bait! Oscar Bait! – Reese Witherspoon in THE WILD, Timothy Spall in Mike Leigh’s acclaimed MR. TURNER and Benedict Cumberbatch in THE IMITATION GAME
• The world premiere of Pirate Pictures new feature FOUR COLOR EULOGY directed by Wyatt Weed of SHADOWLAND fame
• An appearance by cult actress Grace Zabriskie, best known for her role as Sarah Palmer in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks
• Documentaries Galore! – from Cheerleaders to William S. Burroughs – if there’s a great documentary produced this year, chances are it’s showing at SLIFF
• A pair of ‘Master Classes’ – one on interviewing techniques by Documentarian Doug Pray and another on ‘Women in Film ‘ by Documentarian Mary Dore who will screen her new film SHE’S BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE’S ANGRY
• A tribute to the Nicholas Brothers, two of the greatest dancers of the 20th century to be presented by Bruce Goldstein, director of repertory programming at New York’s Film Forum, a friend of the brothers and writer and co-producer of a 1991 documentary on the team.
• A screening of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, which takes place at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis at the St. Louis Art Museum which was built for the 1904 World’s Fair! How cool is that!?!
• BOB REUTER’S LAST TAPE with a Concert by Bob Reuter’s Alley Ghost – an intimate portrait of the late Bob Reuter, an iconic local musician.

And of course there’s more, more, much more! The St. Louis International Film Festival is always an incredibly well-run and well-attended fest. There will be much more coverage of it here at We Are Movie Geeks so stay tuned!

In the meantime, visit Cinema St. Louis site where the entire schedule is posted and start marking your calendars

http://www.cinemastlouis.org/about-festival