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