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Shorts

The Shorts Programs shine a spotlight on the city’s vibrant and diverse filmmaking community, celebrating bold voices and fresh perspectives across generations. These dynamic collections features short films created by storytellers of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences—each one offering a unique lens on life in St. Louis and beyond. From emerging teen filmmakers to seasoned artists, these programs showcase the depth of talent that thrives in our region and affirms our commitment to uplifting inclusive stories that reflect the richness of our city’s creative spirit.

Shorts

A Bird in the Field

Film A Bird in the Field Directed by Marielle Morrow When an ornithologist's funding gets cut, her nurturing of abandoned bird eggs leads to a transformation as her…
Shorts

A Mark on the Wall

Film A Mark on the Wall Directed by David Allen Moore Exploration of a Vernacular Photograph
Shorts

Bellywash

Film Bellywash Directed by Isabella Josephine Leon Inspired by a true story about an 18th century ornamental hermit and a young girls fantastical perspective on…
Shorts

Big Betty’s Birthday

Film Big Betty’s Birthday Directed by Ryan Wells Kindel and Hadley's cat Jasper gets jealous of their other cat Betty on her big birthday. He tries…
Shorts

Byway

Film Byway Directed by June Kyu Park A struggling first-generation Korean American boy tries to abandon his abusive father in a remote town, only to…
Shorts

Ceaseless Current

Film Ceaseless Current Directed by Clara Nipper An uptight college student living life by the book gets his wish to have more time in the…
Shorts

CHICHI

Film CHICHI Directed by Jorge Martinez A young raising musician tells her story, embracing her culture Zimbabwe, growing far from home in the United…
Shorts

Constantinos

Film Constantinos Directed by Téo Gibbs Constantinos is a portrait of a 95-year-old Greek man reflecting on the great loves of his life: his...
Shorts

Crossing

Film Crossing Directed by Vicky Chen An aide to Death struggles to help her first soul cross over to the afterlife.
Shorts

Ctl+Alt+Despair

Film Ctl+Alt+Despair Directed by Bridget Griggs This is a claymation/stop-motion about the collective creative nightmare of working an office job.
Shorts

Disposal

Film Disposal Directed by Scott Wisdom On the night of his planned proposal, a desperate man must recover an engagement ring from the garbage…
Shorts

Disposed to Suffer

Film Disposed to Suffer Directed by Brooke Matejka, Josh Matejka A reflection on American violence.
Shorts

Divine Intervention

Film Divine Intervention Directed by John Limoges Late one night, a man and a woman are each sitting alone at a bar. Evelyn notices Joe…
Shorts

Do I Live Here?

Film Do I Live Here? Directed by Justin Allen Do I Live Here is a poignant short film that follows a young man called Guy, who seems...
Shorts

Doc In A Day – Rustic Roots

Film Doc In A Day – Rustic Roots For the first time ever, Cinema St. Louis is collaborating on a project that teaches young students the...
Shorts

Documentary Shorts 1

Program Documentary Shorts 1 The Documentary Shorts program at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase offers a powerful cross-section of real-life stories, each...
Shorts

Documentary Shorts 2

Program Documentary Shorts 2 The Documentary Shorts program at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase offers a powerful cross-section of real-life stories, each...
Shorts

Exhibition

Film Exhibition Directed by Tea' Vincent Exhibition follows an artist going through his first death, the loss of passion. Critics scrutinize the artist, suffocating…
Shorts

Grave Expectations

Film Grave Expectations Directed by Larry Ziegelman Jacob has kept his childhood trauma a secret from his wife until today, when he surprises her with…
Shorts

Horror Shorts

Program Horror Shorts The Horror Shorts program at this year’s St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase delivers a chilling variety of scares, styles,...
Shorts

I Bear Witness: The Untold Stories of American Race Riots

Film I Bear Witness: The Untold Stories of American Race Riots Directed by Drew Brown, Tiffany B Lee Selected for the St. Louis Public Library Film Festival. Selected for the 2025 Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase.…
Shorts

Intruder

Film Intruder Directed by Camille Casmier Intruder is a ten minute short film inspired by true events. It follows Sam, a white 20-something, as…
Shorts

It Happened In August

Film It Happened In August Directed by Artima Sakulkoo A quiet immigrant drama about love, grief, and rediscovering art after loss.



It Happened In August is a romantic…
Shorts

It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad (blank)

Film It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad (blank) Directed by Kevin Kitchell Candace struggles to “fill in the blanks” throughout her life, but with the help of her inspiring life...
Shorts

Lillian’s Oven

Film Lillian’s Oven Directed by Kristina Monllos

But when she passes, Frank’s overwhelmed by grief. If he can’t cook with Lillian, he won’t cook at…
Shorts

Love You, Bye

Film Love You, Bye Directed by Gabriel Paul A love letter to my late father.
Shorts

Merely Meerkats: Gus Goes Out

Film Merely Meerkats: Gus Goes Out Directed by Ryan Wells An incredible journey lies ahead of Gus the anti-social meerkat as he is forced to leave his mom's…
Shorts

Mississippi River Princess

Film Mississippi River Princess Directed by Camille Casmier A short, narrative film cataloguing the journey of two sisters from their homes in Saint Louis and Chicago,…
Shorts

Mondele

Film Mondele Directed by Daniel Kayamba Mondele" is a coming-of-age short film that follows the journey of a mother and son, Mary and Nathan.…
Shorts

My Name is Pop-Pop

Film My Name is Pop-Pop Directed by Sasha Kudon My grandfather, Marc Silverman, was a frontline soldier in the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1971. In 1970,…
Shorts

My Ozarks Episode 12: Ms. Peoples

Film My Ozarks Episode 12: Ms. Peoples Directed by Zachary Scott Clark This episode, part of the My Ozarks series from Ozark Vitality, follows Ms. Christine Peoples as she works…
Shorts

My Ozarks Episode 13: Kevin

Film My Ozarks Episode 13: Kevin Directed by J.T. Ibanez This episode, part of the My Ozarks series from Ozark Vitality, introduces memorial artist Kevin Hale from Farmington,…
Shorts

Mystic Springs

Film Mystic Springs Directed by Paul Vo Le After a grisly mass suicide tied to the enigmatic Eke Church, Detective Bradley Kilgore—a hardened and cynical investigator…
Shorts

Narrative Shorts 1

Program Narrative Shorts 1 This year’s Narrative Shorts program at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase highlights the breadth and depth of local...
Shorts

Narrative Shorts 2

Program Narrative Shorts 2 This year’s Narrative Shorts program at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase highlights the breadth and depth of local...
Shorts

Narrative Shorts 3

Program Narrative Shorts 3 This year’s Narrative Shorts program at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase highlights the breadth and depth of local...
Shorts

Never Hike Alone

Film Never Hike Alone Directed by Alison Kertz, Beth Gallagher In her true crime podcast “Never Hike Alone,” Liz investigates and reports on women who have gone missing…
Shorts

Night Train Last Stop

Film Night Train Last Stop Directed by Gina Margillo Eight-two year old mensch, Ted Grossman, has been wooing Miami audiences with his velvet voice, on Sunday evenings…
Shorts

NONSTOP

Film NONSTOP Directed by Andy Compton, Zach Xanders Desperate to score cocaine for a bachelor party, two old friends travel to meet with a hard-partying acquaintance…
Shorts

Not All Men

Film Not All Men Directed by Adrian Todd Zuniga A couple on the brink of divorce escape to a luxury Airbnb in hopes of salvaging their marriage,…
Shorts

OPEN THE DOOR

Film OPEN THE DOOR Directed by Stephen Vita Tronicek A young woman. A spirit. A music box that ends your life when it finishes playing. A choice.
Shorts

Operation Wolf Foster

Film Operation Wolf Foster Directed by Justin Grubb Once nearly extinct, the critically endangered Mexican wolf is making a comeback - thanks to a bold conservation…
Shorts

Out of the Shadows

Film Out of the Shadows Directed by Chris Files Out of the Shadows examines the mental health crisis in rural America through the eyes of the farmers…
Shorts

Outside The Lines – Animation and Experimental Shorts

Program Outside The Lines – Animation and Experimental Shorts The Animation & Experimental program is a visually inventive and boundary-pushing collection of work from St. Louis creators...
Shorts

Palette

Film Palette Directed by Vicky Chen A painter suffering from the throes of perfectionism is unable to sell her work, until she develops a…
Shorts

Play

Film Play Directed by juan T Ibanez Intoxicating experience of a psychotic serial killer preying from the confines of a dirty motel room
Shorts

Red Robin

Film Red Robin Directed by Genevieve Kochanowicz Red Robin is a Dance film project about change and "taking flight" It is about growing and discovering…
Shorts

Reintegration

Film Reintegration Directed by Jorge Martinez A widowed father hospitalized at a psychiatric center thrives to get better so he can reconnect with his…
Shorts

Remembering Mill Creek: When We Were There

Film Remembering Mill Creek: When We Were There Directed by Khalid Abdulqaadir Nearly seventy years later, the children who once lived in the segregated community of Mill Creek Valley in…
Shorts

Reverse

Film Reverse Directed by Kaustav Mukherjee Every year, the female divine power Durga is worshipped for her triumph over all evil, yet reality paints…
Shorts

Sarah Stays at Home

Film Sarah Stays at Home Directed by Joshua Rodriguez A young agoraphobic woman uncovers a mystery involving her once-predictable neighbors.
Shorts

Shadow

Film Shadow Directed by Erin Greenwell Grief is soothed by the neighborhood stray cat, Shadow
Shorts

SketchBound

Film SketchBound A fun, feel-good short film, SketchBound follows a lonely middle schooler who is struggling at a new school,…
Shorts

Smallpox Island

Film Smallpox Island Directed by Josh Matejka Three people in Alton, Illinois, reckon with the legacy and impact of a tragic historical site with roots…
Shorts

St. Louis’ Playground

Film St. Louis’ Playground Directed by Drew A Walters This documentary covers the rich history of the Meramec River in St. Louis, the rise and fall of…
Shorts

Stories Told, Secrets Kept

Film Stories Told, Secrets Kept Directed by Patty Fong Many Chinese family immigration stories are entwined within the United States exclusion era. Some of the laws almost…
Shorts

Strike Night

Film Strike Night Directed by Sam Sowerby The film follows the struggle of three bowling alley employees on their last shift of summer when they…
Shorts

Stuck

Film Stuck Directed by Andrew Frechette While cleaning out their grandparents' old house the Sterling siblings discover an old amulet and the power it…
Shorts

Student Showcase

Program Student Showcase The Student Showcase highlights the next generation of St. Louis filmmakers with a standout selection of work from...
Shorts

Sweet Potato Pie

Film Sweet Potato Pie Directed by Adia Buford Between memory and hope, a mother and daughter reckon with who they were — and who they are…
Shorts

Switch

Film Switch A strange life full of switches and rhythm keeps us trapped in a loop.
Shorts

Tales From the Suburbs: The Solicitor

Film Tales From the Suburbs: The Solicitor Directed by Jonathan Arneson A young man admires a cactus on his way home, much to the attention of something lurking in…
Shorts

The Chuckles Factory

Film The Chuckles Factory Directed by Ana Cristina Tavarez An unemployed clown is struggling to get a job in the clown industry
Shorts

The Day Dean Davis Dies

Film The Day Dean Davis Dies Directed by Lucas Howland A man living his normal, boring life suddenly discovers that an entity is narrating his every action--and it's…
Shorts

The Haunted Belldown School

Film The Haunted Belldown School Directed by Trevor Juenger A thrilling horror with three homeschooled children who discover the haunted Belldown School, where they encounter ghostly children…
Shorts

The Hunted

Film The Hunted Directed by Josh Herum A suspense thriller set in the world of doomsday preppers. John, a devoted follower, joins Gary, a conspiracy…
Shorts

The Middle

Film The Middle Directed by Owen Michael Gibbs Michael trips and falls down the stairs, leading him to spiral into an existential crisis.
Shorts

The Misconduct of Mr. Arnold

Film The Misconduct of Mr. Arnold Directed by Muqing Niu Ryan, an ordinary theatergoer, is thrust into the stage spotlight when he is coerced into the role of…
Shorts

The Sadness I Carry

Film The Sadness I Carry Directed by Ana Cristina Tavarez A widowed mother struggling to reconnect with her children and facing financial hardship, plans a Christmas Eve dinner…
Shorts

The Salad

Film The Salad Directed by Paul C Hibbard A woman’s simple attempt to make a salad spirals into chaos, thanks to her dysfunctional family.
Shorts

The Secret of Physics

Film The Secret of Physics Directed by Shaun Gavin Dr. Neil Quarkman, a theoretical astrophysicist, discovers a novel method of scientific inquiry and circumvents the scientific method…
Shorts

The Spinning Wheel

Film The Spinning Wheel Directed by Davy Stoces A strange bug-like creature spins a human’s negative thoughts into golden thread–until its spinning wheel breaks.
Shorts

Threads of Us

Film Threads of Us Directed by Kaitlyn Mae O'Donnell Becca, a young woman in her twenties, goes through a near-death experience in which her subconscious guides her...
Shorts

Thrillsville

Film Thrillsville Directed by Cory Byers A look at a nostalgia store in downtown Edwardsville, IL.
Shorts

Troubleshooting

Film Troubleshooting Directed by Charlie Queen Vinnie, a low-level mafia goon, struggles to finish a “hit” in the remote desert due to a series...
Shorts

Voyeur

Film Voyeur Directed by Isaac S Martin Lucy begins to receive packages with chilling implications.
Shorts

Wet Hands

Film Wet Hands Directed by Larry Fidelis Claudin An actors relationship begins to unravel when he thinks he’s being stalked by a fan.
Shorts

You Got Something On Your Shirt

Film You Got Something On Your Shirt Directed by Tanner Richard Craft After David falls for a classic trick at a party, he decides to trick someone else with it...…
Shorts

Zermi’s Paradox

Film Zermi’s Paradox Directed by Wyatt Kurtz The story of a little space cadet named Zermi, and his attempt to convince his superior officers that...