An annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, the 2019 Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screened works that are written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis residents or films and filmmakers with strong local ties.

The 2019 event took place over two consecutive weekends in mid July (12-14 and 19-21) at Brown Hall on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. The many film programs that screened there 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.

SHOWCASE JURIED AWARD WINNERS

Best Documentary under 20 minutes – Kat Cory, Bodies Like Oceans
Best Documentary over 20 minutes – Ben Scholle, Through the Cracks 

Best Narrative Film under 20 minutes – Mike Steinberg, The Foghorn Trilogy
Best Narrative Feature over 20 minutes – Cody Stokes, The Ghost Who Walks  

Experimental Films

Artistic Vision Award – Randy Shinn, Louis

Best Editing – Sam Nickelson, I Want To Be a Kid

Best Experimental Film – Chris Aaron, Locomotive Organisms 

Documentary Films

Best Use of Music – Kat Cory, Bodies Like Oceans

Best Sound – Kriss Avery, A Short Conversation with Christian Zehnder

Best Editing, Paul Schankman, A New Leaf: Reimagining Henry Shaw’s Museum

Best Cinematography – Kat Cory, Bodies Like

Direction – Paul Schankman, A New Leaf: Reimagining Henry Shaw’s Museum

Spotlight Award (for a film that shines the light on under-represented subjects) – Lisa Boyd, Prison Performing Arts: The Voice Within 

Narrative Films

Best Costumes – Victoria Rowe, Hot Cake

Best Makeup/Hairstyling – Rommie Martinez, The Ghost Who Walks

Best Use of Music – Damon Davis, The Stranger

Best Sound – Steve Horne, Rabbit’s Foot

Best Production Design – Kevin Reeves, Dante Falls

Best Art Direction – Damon Davis, The Stranger

Best Special/Visual Effects – Richard Taylor, Shipslog

Best Editing – Samuele Baiamonte, Who’s Paisley?

Best Cinematography – Brant Hadfield, The Wagon

Best Screenplay – Debi Bradshaw, Hot Cake

Best Supporting Actor – Frank Mosley, The Ghost Who Walks

Best Actor – Garland Scott, The Ghost Who Walks

Best Supporting Actress – Dasha Nekrasova, The Ghost Who Walks

Best Actress – Sarah Rochelle, Hot Cake

Best Direction – Holly Voges, Casualties

Best Animated Film – Robert Cox, Sodapop

Best Comedy – Gary Lobstein, Catlove

Best Drama – Dustin Carter, Rabbit’s Foot

Best Horror – Micah Deeken, The Boogie Man