The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase 2021 announced awards and the films invited to the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) with Monument, directed by Josh Johnson and Tim Maupin taking the Essy Award for Best Showcase Film. In the film, set in a world that can no longer sustain trees, a family takes a day trip to behold one of the last few preserved in a glass dome.

The Showcase, an annual presentation of the Cinema St. Louis (CSL), screens works that were shot in the St. Louis region or were written, directed, or produced by St. Louis-area residents or by filmmakers with strong local ties who are now working elsewhere.

Because of the continuing Covid-19 health crisis, the Showcase again was presented virtually in 2021, with films available to view on demand from July 16-25. The event featured 15 film programs and four free master classes focused on key aspects of filmmaking.

CSL announced five audience awards, 29 jury awards – including the Essy Award, a $500 prize to the Best Showcase Film – and 24 Showcase films that will move on to SLIFF and the fest’s free Cinema for Students program in November.

JURIED AWARDS

Essy Award for Best Showcase Film

Monument, directed by Josh Johnson & Tim Maupin

Narrative Film Awards

Best Costumes: Ghostbusters: South-Side (A Fan Film), Patrick Lawrence

Best Makeup/Hairstyling: Once a Hero, John Harris

Best Use of Music: Monument, song “A Small Balloon and a Great Mountain,” written by Matt Kidd and performed by Slow Meadow

Best Sound: Sleepwalker, Tom Pini

Best Production Design/Art Direction: Ghostbusters: South-Side (A Fan Film), Patrick Lawrence & Christopher James Jordan

Best Special/Visual Effects: Monument, Josh Johnson

Best Editing: Ghostbusters: South-Side (A Fan Film), Patrick Lawrence

Best Cinematography: Sleepwalker, Ben Manhanke

Best Screenplay: Face Mask, Todd Spence & Zak White

Best Actor: Brett Jones, Once a Hero

Best Actress: Angie Slaughter, Once a Hero

Best Direction: Alexandria Ferguson, Castle Hill

Best Animated Film: Lake Loch Pond Monster, directed by Carolina Diz & Brittany Zeinstra

Best Comedy: Face Mask, directed by Daniel Allen & Adam Huber

Best Drama: Monument, directed by Josh Johnson & Tim Maupin

Best Narrative Less Than 20 min.: Monument, directed by Josh Johnson & Tim Maupin

Best Narrative More Than 20 min.: Once a Hero, directed by Tim Reischauer

Spirit of St. Louis: Hella Drove the Movie, directed by Yc Bey

Documentary & Experimental Film Awards

Best Animated Documentary/Experimental Film: Cave, directed by Dan Rule

Best Use of Music: Cave, Dan Rule

Best Sound: every.single.one (karuna), Cherie Sampson

Best Editing: ZIG ZAG Handclaps in Alternity, Van McElwee

Best Cinematography: Babes in the Woods, Leanna Kaiser

Best Direction of a Documentary Film: Hammond’s Books, directed by Joshua Mullins

Best Direction of an Experimental Film: Woolgathering, directed by Emma Bright & Bethany Clemens

Best Experimental Film: Babes in the Woods, directed by Leanna Kaiser

Best Documentary Less Than 20 Min.: Hammond’s Books, directed by Joshua Mullins

Best Documentary More Than 20 Min.: House of Thunder, directed by Paul Schankman

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

Best Narrative Short: Ghostbusters: South-Side (A Fan Film), directed by Patrick Lawrence

Best Documentary Short: Black Girl, Bleu, directed by Sharee Silerio

Best Experimental Short: Coffee Breath, directed by Eric Miranda

Best Narrative Feature: Once a Hero, directed by Tim Reischauer

Best Documentary Feature: The Final 19, directed by Tim Breitbach

SLIFF/CINEMA FOR STUDENTS INVITEES

Cinema for Students

The Balancing Act, directed by Jessica Hentoff

House of Thunder, directed by Paul Schankman

Indians, Outlaws, Marshals and the Hangin’ Judge, directed by Larry Foley

Keen vs. Keen, directed by Jeff Heinle

SLIFF

Babes in the Woods, directed by Leanna Kaiser

By the Sea, directed by Zlatko Cosic

Castle Hill, directed by Alexandria Ferguson

Cave, directed by Dan Rule

DesMotivaciones, directed by Sabrina Urban

Ephemeral, directed by Kelly Jimenez

every.single.one (karuna), directed by Cherie Sampson

Face Mask, directed by Daniel Allen & Adam Huber

The Final 19, directed by Tim Breitbach

Ghostbusters: South-Side (A Fan Film), directed by Patrick Lawrence

Hammond’s Books, directed by Joshua Mullins

I Am Kinloch, directed by Daniel E. Williams

Lake Loch Pond Monster, directed by Carolina Diaz & Brittany Zeinstra

Maxi, directed by Zia Nizami

Monument, directed by Josh Johnson & Tim Maupin

Once a Hero, directed by Tim Reischauer

Postcards, directed by Ashley Seering

Sleepwalker, directed by Ben Manhanke

Woolgathering, directed by Emma Bright & Bethany Clemens

ZIG ZAG Handclaps in Alternity, directed by Van McElwee