SLIFF 2015 – U.S. Rep John Lewis to Attend Screening of GET IN THE WAY November 8th

The 24th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), held from Nov. 5-15, will host U.S. Rep. John Lewis on Sunday, Nov. 8, at a free screening of a documentary on his life and career. GET IN THE WAY: THE STORY OF JOHN LEWIS directed by Kathleen Dowdey, is the first biographical film about the respected legislator and elder statesman.

In 1965, the historic Selma march known as Bloody Sunday was a turning point in the civil-rights movement. Lewis – now a revered U.S. congressman, then a young student – co-led peaceful protesters seeking voting rights for African Americans in the South. Coming face to face with a wall of club-wielding Alabama state troopers, Lewis maintained a steadfast, nonviolent stand. Hours later, televised images of the ensuing assault shocked Americans to the core as they witnessed appalling racial oppression. As a legislator, Lewis continues to practice nonviolence in his unwavering fight for justice.

GET IN THE WAY screens twice during SLIFF. Rep. Lewis will speak at the first screening, at 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8, at Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium. Director Dowdey, a graduate of Webster University, will also accompany the screening. The event is free and open to the public. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The film will screen again at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Missouri History Museum. No guests will accompany that show, but the program will also feature the short “Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot,” the story of a courageous group of Alabama students and teachers who fought a nonviolent battle to win voting rights for African Americans in the South. This screening is also free, with admission again on a first-come, first-served basis.

Both screenings are sponsored by Movie Friends of the Ethical Society of St. Louis.

GET IN THE WAY is part of SLIFF’s continuing response to the 2014 events in Ferguson. The fest will again feature a stream of programming entitled Race in America: The Black Experience, which includes nearly 30 screenings. To maximize outreach, about half of those programs are free.

SLIFF overall will screen an unprecedented 447 films: 97 narrative features, 86 documentary features, and 264 shorts. This year’s festival has 270 screenings/programs, with 70 countries represented.

The fest schedule, ticket and venue information, and a complete list of films (with descriptions) are available at the Cinema St. Louis Web site (www.cinemastlouis.org).

For more information, the public should visit www.cinemastlouis.org or call 314-289-4150.