SLIFF 2011 CINEMA FOR STUDENTS
2011 St. Louis International Film Festival Cinema for Students Sidebar
Free Film Screenings for St. Louis-Area Students (Grades 1-12)
Sponsored by ZhuZhu Pets and the St. Louis Rams
“Movies can and do have a tremendous influence in shaping young lives.”
– Walt Disney
Cinema St. Louis and the 20th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) present their eighth year of free educational film programming, Cinema for Students (CFS). Screenings are scheduled Monday, Nov. 14, through Friday, Nov. 18, at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA), Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Tivoli Theatre, and Sheldon Concert Hall.
In addition, for the first time, CFS offers In-School Presentations of select films, including a trio of documentaries not available at the venues, during the same time frame, Nov. 14-18.
CFS offers a diverse selection of films for grades 1-12, allowing students and educators to explore world cinema as a supplement to their current subjects of study. The films can enhance and expand each student’s education by providing exposure to various aspects of science, history, language, music, theater, literature, and culture. Most programs are accompanied by the filmmakers or the documentary subjects.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Screenings are held at the following locations:
- COCA, 524 Trinity Ave. in University City
- Plaza Frontenac Cinema, 210 Plaza Frontenac in Frontenac
- Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd. in St. Louis City
- Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Blvd. in University City
To make reservations or inquire about in-school presentations, contact Brian Spath:
Cinema St. Louis
3547 Olive St.
St. Louis, MO 63103
314.289.4153 (phone)
314.289.4159 (fax)
DOWNLOAD - Letter to Educators
DOWNLOAD - 2011 Cinema for Students Films & Schedule
DOWNLOAD - Reservation form
PROGRAMS
The Interrupters
Steve James, U.S., 2011, 125 min., in English
Monday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m., Sheldon
Also available for in-school presentation.
Appropriate for grades 10-12; film includes strong language
“The Interrupters” tells the moving and surprising stories of three Violence Interrupters who try to protect their Chicago communities from the violence they once employed. Made by acclaimed director Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”) and bestselling author Alex Kotlowitz, the film is an unusually intimate look at the stubborn persistence of violence in our cities. The film’s subjects work for an innovative organization, CeaseFire, which believes that the spread of violence mimics the spread of infectious diseases, and so the treatment should be similar: go after the most infected and stop the infection at its source. The singular mission of the “Violence Interrupters” is to intervene in conflicts before they explode into violence.
With director Steve James and one of the Violence Interrupters.
My So-Called Enemy
Lisa Gossels, U.S., 2010, 89 min., in English, Hebrew, and Arabic with English subtitles
Monday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m., COCA
Also available for in-school presentation.
Appropriate for grades 9-12
In July 2002, 22 Palestinian and Israeli teenage girls came to the U.S. to participate in a women's leadership program called Building Bridges for Peace. “My So-Called Enemy” is a coming-of-age story about six of the participants and how they reconcile their transformative experience in the program with the realities of life back home in the Middle East over the next seven years. What unfolds is an emotionally charged film about the human consequences of all conflicts as seen through the eyes of a half-dozen young women who are thoughtful, intelligent and articulate beyond their years.
With director Lisa Gossels.
Weston Woods Animation Sampler
90 min., in English
Monday, Nov. 14, Noon, Plaza Frontenac
Also available for in-school presentation.
Appropriate for grades 1-4
Since 1953, the Weston Woods studio has been producing award-winning animated adaptations of the world’s best children’s literature. Part of Scholastic Books (publisher of “Harry Potter”), Weston Woods has a vast library of extraordinary cartoons that make use of the finest actors and musicians available. This program features 14 of Weston Wood’s films, including adaptations of Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” and the Caldecott Medal-winning “The Man Who Walked Between the Towers.”
Voltron Force! Behind the Scenes of the Animated Series
90 min., in English
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m., COCA
Also available for in-school presentation (including a version for grades 9-12).
Appropriate for grades 4-8
The St. Louis-based producers of Nicktoon’s hit animated series “Voltron Force!” reveal the step-by-step process of how a cartoon moves from script to screen. The World Events Productions team will show how this international effort is coordinated, starting with creation of the “show bible” and continuing through voice casting and storyboards to rough animation. This interactive presentation will feature an exclusive screening of a never-before-seen episode of “Voltron Force!”
With producer Jeremy Corray.
Aurelie LaFlamme’s Diary
Christian Laurence, Canada, 2010, 108 min., in French with English subtitles
Tuesday, Nov. 15, Noon, Plaza Frontenac
Appropriate for grades 7-12
This delightful and colorful coming-of-age charmer from Canada is based on a popular series of books for teens written by India Desjardins. Aurelie Laflamme feels alone in the world, especially since her father’s death five years ago. She wonders whether her father was perhaps an alien who left Earth to return to his own planet. In that case, Aurelie would be an alien, too, and that would explain many things: Why she feels different from others, especially her mother; why she can't string two words together without making a mistake; and why boys really get on her nerves. Through the pages of her diary, Aurelie confides her joys and sorrows, successes and failures, loves and friendships, and tries to find her place in the world.
The Bully Project
Lee Hirsch, U.S., 2011, 99 min., in English
Wednesday, Nov. 16, Noon, Tivoli
Appropriate for grades 10-12; film includes strong language
At a point in time when bullying in America has reached epidemic proportions, Emmy-winning director Lee Hirsch invites viewers to spend a year in the lives of five students who contend with public torment and humiliation on a daily basis. By following the young victims from the classrooms to their living rooms, we are given an intimate glimpse into the effects bullying has on their families and the students’ developing sense of self-worth. Meanwhile, parents, administrators, and other students struggle to find a workable solution to the problem.
With director Lee Hirsch and/or one of the film’s subjects.
Hermano
Marcel Rasquin, Venezuela, 2010, 97 min., in Spanish with English subtitles
Wednesday, Nov. 16, Noon, Plaza Frontenac
Appropriate for grades 10-12; film includes strong language
Raised as brothers, the gregarious, swaggering Julio and the wiry, focused Daniel have remained virtually inseparable ever since the newborn Daniel was found abandoned in a trash heap in their La Ceniza slum. Intense teammates and competitors on the soccer field, Julio is the team’s captain, a born leader, and Daniel is an exceptional striker. The opportunity of their lives arrives when a football scout invites them to try out for the city’s top professional team, but a tragic act of violence threatens to tear them apart and prevent them from achieving their dreams.
To Be Heard
Amy Sultan, Roland Legiardi-Laura, Edwin Martinez & Deborah Shaffer, U.S., 2010, 87 min., in English
Thursday, Nov. 17, Noon, Tivoli
Also available for in-school presentation.
Appropriate for grades 9-12; film includes strong language
Shot over four years, “To Be Heard” is the story of a trio of high-school students who find their way into a poetry workshop that teaches the kind of verse that changes lives and comes from the inside out. The film’s three Bronx teens tell their stories of friendship, love, and struggle, and in the process they show how a radical poetry class can ignite change. As writing and reciting become vehicles for their expressions of love, friendship, frustration, and hope, the three youngsters emerge as accomplished, self-aware artists who use their creativity to alter their difficult circumstances.
With co-director/subject Roland Legiardi-Laura.
Eleanor’s Secret
Dominique Monféry, France, 2009, 80 min., in English
Thursday, Nov. 17, Noon, Plaza Frontenac
Appropriate for grades 3-6
In this sumptuously animated movie from Academy Award®-nominated director Dominique Monféry (“Destino”), a magic library transforms a boy’s life. Nat has fond memories of his eccentric Aunt Eleanor reading to him from her enormous collection of storybooks, but he’s frustrated by his inability to read them himself. So he is less than thrilled when he learns that his aunt has left him the keys to her attic library as a gift. Just as Nat’s parents are selling the collection, Nat discovers that the library is magical – the famous characters of history’s most popular fairytales come to life! Now he must find a way to get back the books and learn to read an ancient spell to keep the characters alive for children in the future.
Circus Dreams
Signe Taylor, U.S., 2011, 80 min., in English
Friday, Nov. 18, 10 a.m., Sheldon
Also available for in-school presentation.
Appropriate for grades 6-12
This always entertaining and often moving documentary tells the story of a dynamic group of 12- to 18-year-olds performing in Cirkus Smirkus, which is the country’s only traveling youth circus. The movie provides an intimate look at the circus world, revealing the intense work ethic, cooperative culture, and magically mobile nature of circus life. By delving into the young performers’ obsession with these ancient arts, the documentary also explores, in a revealing and authentic way, how it feels to be an American teenager today. As an added treat, Circus Smirkus alum (and native St. Louisan) Book Kennison will provide some live juggling.
With director Signe Taylor and subject Book Kennison.
Snowmen
Robert Kirbyson, U.S., 2010, 96 min., in English
Friday, Nov. 18, Noon, Plaza Frontenac
Also available for in-school presentation.
Appropriate for Grades 4-8
“Snowmen” is a humorous and heartfelt coming-of-age story about three unlikely heroes and the winter that changed their lives forever. Josh (Bobby Coleman) is a quiet kid who is in remission following cancer treatment. A surprising discovery in the snow catapults Josh and two of his friends into the local news spotlight, and they hatch a plan to be remembered forever by setting a Guinness World Records® title. Along the way, the trio battles schoolyard bullies, unites their small community, and discovers that although fame may be fleeting, true friendship lasts forever. The film also stars Ray Liotta (“GoodFellas”) and Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future”).
With director Robert Kirbyson.
IN-SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS
Many of the films described on the preceding pages are also available as in-school presentations: Circus Dreams, The Interrupters, My So-Called Enemy, Snowmen, To Be Heard, Voltron Force: Behind the Scenes of the Animated Series, and Weston Woods Animation Sampler. Depending on the date requested, filmmakers may be available to accompany the screening for Q&As.
We’re also offering a trio of documentaries that are available exclusively as in-school presentations from Nov. 14-18. Schools need to be able to screen the films from DVDs, preferably with a digital projector. Contact Brian Spath at the Cinema St. Louis office (314-289-4153 or brian@cinemastlouis.org) or Cheri Hutchings (314-973-0322, 618-398-1635 or chutchings@charter.net) for more information and to inquire whether the film you’re interested in is available on the date requested.
Give a Damn?
Dan Parris, U.S., 2011, 92 min.
Appropriate for Grades 9-12
In this moving but surprisingly lively documentary, three friends from St. Louis – a pair of idealist activists and a skeptic who is uncertain about his responsibility to care about the poor – immerse themselves in poverty by traveling through the U.S., Europe, and Africa while living on $1.25 a day. Their journey takes an especially harrowing turn when they survive a plane crash in Africa and must fight to finish what they started. Along the way, the trio encounters an array of inspiring activists, whose stories are interwoven with the tale of the filmmakers’ eventful travels.
With the film’s director/subject.
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
Chad Friedrichs, U.S., 2011, 79 min.
Appropriate for Grades 9-12
Destroyed in a dramatic and highly publicized implosion, St. Louis’ Pruitt-Igoe public-housing complex has become a widespread symbol of failure among architects, politicians, and policymakers. “The Pruitt-Igoe Myth” explores the social, economic, and legislative issues that led to the decline of conventional public housing in America and traces the personal and poignant narratives of several of the project’s residents. In the process, the film provides important insight into St. Louis’ history, the evolution of the civil-rights movement, and the charged racial climate of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s.
With one of the film’s producers or subjects.
YERT: Your Environmental Road Trip
Ben Evans, U.S., 2011, 102 min.
Appropriate for Grades 9-12
“YERT: Your Environmental Road Trip” is a celebration of the American spirit in the face of adversity – a thought-provoking, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious documentary about the creative individuals, groups, and businesses that are tackling the greatest environmental threats in history. Called into action by the ever-increasing threats of planetary catastrophe (from climate change to toxic pollution, from water scarcity to habitat destruction), the film’s subjects – Mark Dixon, Ben Evans, and Julie Dingman Evans – upend their lives, pool their collective life savings, and set off on an unprecedented 50-state, year-long journey of discovery to personalize sustainability and to answer a critical question: Can the world be saved?