THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

Emerging Filmmakers Showcase #2 at THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL October 1st

On Wednesday, October 1st, THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL will be presenting the second of two Emerging Filmmaker’s Showcases – a night focused exclusively on the short works of St. Louis-based filmmakers. The event begins at 7pm. It is free and it will be great to see so much local talent on display.

THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL runs September 26 through October 4^th and will take place at the St. Louis’ most comfortable theater, The MX downtown (618 Washington Ave, St Louis, MO 63101). This is a festival aimed at local, independent filmmakers and features the best of what St. Louis screenwriters, directors, and actors have to offer. THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL is dedicated to making the film festival experience as accessible as possible for both filmmaker and audiences alike. Taking a minimalist approach they collect no submission fees and the majority of festival events are free. However no expenses are spared when it comes to filmmaker recognition, with trophies offered for both audience and jury awards. The awards ceremony will be held on October 4th starting at 9:00p in the MX Bar Lounge with free beer provided by Urban Chestnut.

Details and schedule for THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL can be found HERE

http://mxfilmfest.com/

Here are some of the highlights of the locally-produced short films that will play at the Emerging Filmmakers Showcase #2 on October 1st:

THE LOCKSMITH – Directed by Lauren Hayes and starring Ali Brassel. A young business woman accidentally locks the keys to her file cabinet inside of the cabinet. Chaos ensues as she tries to get them out. (runs 3 minutes)

THE TRUTH LIES – Directed by Dion Lack and starring David Hunter Jr. and Simone Shepard. THE TRUTH LIES chronicles the downward spiral of the gentle hearted man. When we first meet Dave, he is at his wits end and seeking direction. As the story progresses we learn that the love of his life, Reyna, is having an affair and appears serious. As Dave tries to figure out how to salvage what’s left of his relationship, Reyna’s blatant dismissal of him sends Dave into a jealous fury. Dave, no longer the victim, takes matters into his own hands. (runs 15 minutes)

JUST DANCE – Directed by Lea Vrabelova & Jordan Hageman and starring Meagan Stevenson & Ben Huntley. A self-absorbed, perfectionist dancer is faced with an irresponsible audio boy, who is always late in the studio. She is in need of practice before her big audition, just when he loses her music. Can she ace her audition to his track? (runs 7 minutes)

IT DIDN’T TAKE – Directed by Kevin Lanigan & Forest J. Wharton and starring Lora Hakanson, Haley Schrager, and Cody Jolly. After a cultish ritual goes wrong, three members of The Sunshine Togetherhood are left alive while everyone else around them is dead. And so begins the quest to unravel the mystery of their existence, and also the quest to clean up all the dead bodies before Mom gets home with the groceries! (runs 14 minutes)

BYGONES – Directed by Chelsie Hardin and starring Dacey Geary, Nadina Schulte, and Bill Finkbiner. He is everywhere that Dawn goes, but she hardly notices him. He would love her if she let him. He will do anything for her. Yes, he would kill to possess Dawn, still Dawn’s surprise is not a pretty picture. (runs 9 minutes)

MARIAH – Directed by Julie M. Hale and starring Shawn I. Chevalier, Robert Nolan Clark, and Bill Finkbiner. The Peterson’s have found their dream home. The family couldn’t be happier. Everything seemed perfect, but things aren’t always what they seem. This house came with a past. Now it is up to a little boy to put together the pieces of a mystery that’s been unresolved for years. (runs 15 minutes)

Music Videos from: ‘Clownvis Presley’ – starring Clownvis Presley, the King of Clowns! Crooning Comedy Sensation!

FOREVER FRIENDS – Directed by Joe Bishop, Cory Byers, Preston Gibson, and Kurt Simpson and starring Alex Deaton, Jason Gibson, and Alex Trepka. A group of friends go on a vacation that suddenly goes creepily awry. (runs 7 minutes)

RIGHT HAND MAN – Directed by Lacey G Souldier Turner and starring Jaan Marion, Brittnee Bell, and Jason Little. RIGHT HAND MAN is a film about a man who becomes obsessed after finding out that his fiancé is sneaking around with his best friend. Watch as his life unravels before your eyes. (runs 12 minutes)

There are more. Here’s the complete list of films scheduled for the second Emerging Filmmaker’s Showcases October 1st:

Block #1

Locksmith

The Truth Lies

Just Dance

In my head

It Didn’t Take

Bygones

Dark Abstraction

Block #2

One of Them

Mariah

Outpost 13

Recap

Clownvis

Forever Friends

Right Hand Man

JUST

Emerging Filmmakers Showcase at THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL September 29th

On Monday, September 29^th, THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL will be presenting the first of two Emerging Filmmaker’s Showcases – a night focused exclusively on the short works of St. Louis-based filmmakers. The event begins at 7pm. It is free and it will be great to see so much local talent on display.

Details and schedule for THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL can be found HERE

http://mxfilmfest.com/

Here is the line-up of locally-produced short films that will play at the Emerging Filmmakers Showcase #1 on September 29^th:

Down the Donut Hole – Directed by Kurt Simpson and starring Alex Trepka. With this group, paranoia comes by the bakers dozen! (runs 7 minutes)

Bellicosity – Directed by Jordan Hageman and starring Ben Huntley and Regan Gillam. Bellicosity is a dark, psychological thriller that follows the tormented life of Blake; a man of two minds. After putting the demons of his past behind him, Blake settles for a numb existence. That is, until he falls for his classmate Mary. But soon, the object of his desire becomes his worst nightmare. Feeling betrayed by Mary, Blake succumbs to his darkest impulses. Because if he can’t have her, no one will. (runs 28 minutes)

Plenty of Time – Directed by D.P. McDonald and starring Anna Blair, Michael Fariss, and Candice M. Coleman. FBI Agent Gwen Alders will go to any lengths to solve her fathers 30-year-old murder case — even traveling through time. (runs 12 minutes)

Remain Calm – Directed by D.P. McDonald and starring Michael Fariss, Meagan Stevenson, and Ally Young-Price. Two pairs of best friends go into a blind double date, which quickly goes awry. (runs 10 minutes)

Music Videos from: ‘Clownvis Presley’ – starring Clownvis Presley, the King of Clowns! Crooning Comedy Sensation!

People of Variety – Directed by Ashley Seering, Cory Byers and Jessica Fraser and starring Myra Juenger, Clare Zell, and Sable Brown. With this group of characters, you never know which direction the party might go, People of Variety was originally created as part of a 48 hour film project that mass communication students do every semester at SIU-Edwardsville. The entire thing was written, shot, and edited within a 48 hour time limit using a great mix of both on camera and behind the camera talent. (runs 8 minutes)

Across the Room – Directed by Brittany Larimore and starring Bradley S. Tolpen, Shawn I. Chevalier, and Mare Felix. Jim Harkins is a FBI agent living the 1950s American dream: a beautiful wife, a beautiful home, the beautiful image. However, Jim becomes convinced that his neighbor, Sam, is a communist spy and has plans to destroy the foundation of Jim’s vision of America. He invites Sam and his wife over for a dinner party where he plans to expose his suspicions. Sam, a French immigrant who came to the United States for a better life after the consequences of World War II, portrays himself as a saint to everyone he meets. He is willing to everything he can to help others despite what others may think. Meanwhile, Jim’s paranoia comes into conflict with everyone else in the room, including his own wife. But Jim continues to openly question Sam’s loyalties and lifestyles, but Sam defended by the other people attending the dinner party. This frustrates Jim to a breaking point and brings anxiety to the attendees. (runs 8 minutes)

Everything Will Be Forgotten – Directed by Ashley Seering and Cory Byers and starring Bobby Taylor, Bryan Bedwell, Joseph Sykes, and Justin Hays. A short news piece inspired this story of the Kingshighway skatepark in St. Louis and how it has been a staple in the local skate scene and its future.The film was shot just over a year ago and has been shown in festivals in L.A., Australia, St. Louis, and Carbondale. (runs 10 minutes)

A second Emerging Filmmakers Showcase will be part of the THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL. That event will be Wednesday October 1st. Stay tuned here at We Are Movie Geeks for details.

This new promo piece should give you a taste of what’s in store at THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL:

THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL Kicks Off September 26th with BEDLAM STREET and TAPESTRY OF SHADOWS

There’s a new film festival in town! THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL runs September 26 through October 4^th and will take place at the St. Louis’ most comfortable theater, The MX downtown (618 Washington Ave, St Louis, MO 63101). This is a festival aimed at local, independent filmmakers and features the best of what St. Louis screenwriters, directors, and actors have to offer. THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL is dedicated to making the film festival experience as accessible as possible for both filmmaker and audiences alike. Taking a minimalist approach they collect no submission fees and the majority of festival events are free. However no expenses are spared when it comes to filmmaker recognition, with trophies offered for both audience and jury awards. The awards ceremony will be held on October 4th starting at 9:00p in the MX Bar Lounge with free beer provided by Urban Chestnut.

Details about THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL can be found HERE

http://mxfilmfest.com/

The fest will kick off on Friday September 26^th with a pair of gritty crime films: BEDLAM STREET and TAPESTRY OF SHADOWS. The two films will play as a double feature the evenings of September 36^th, 27^th, and 28^th beginning at 7pm and will be followed by filmmaker Q&As. Cost is $12 for both films.

BEDLAM STREET is a dark, gritty, character driven drama from director Paul Wendell that takes place on one day near Christmas in an inner city environment. Through a web of intersection and coincidence, it displays the struggles of several interconnected characters, and examines themes surrounding crime, poverty, race, religion, family and the innocence of children. I reviewed BEDLAM STREET when it played at the St. Louis International Film Festival in 2011. I called it: “Smart adult cinema that plays with some ugly truths about people and our society“ (read my entire review HERE)

I have not seen TAPESTRY OF SHADOWS, which is a story about choices. Vincent Purejoy is a young, principled minister who witnesses the violent death of a young girl caught in the crossfire of a neighborhood shooting. Traumatized, he resolves to keep watch on the neighborhood from his living room window. Vincent is compelled to do something, anything to make the neighborhood safer. When another child is gunned down during retaliation shooting, Vincent decides that he and the church should go out to the streets and confront these drug dealers head on.

The Independent Critic said:

“TAPESTRY OF SHADOWS is a beautiful example of Munirah Studio’s vision to create films that display the full spectrum of the human experience, primarily through the eyes of Black people.”

Check back here at We Are Movie Geeks.com next week for more details about THE MX INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

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