When most film fans think about film criticism, there are likely a few cultural hubs that spring to mind: New York, Chicago, L.A., Paris, etc. However, like a lot of “flyover country,” St. Louis has a decades-strong film criticism community that’s quietly become even stronger as the pandemic subsides and audiences return to the big-screen. As the Internet overshadows print publications and critics find new mediums to work within, how has this community adapted? Are there challenges unique to “regional” critics? As St. Louis’ filmmakers struggle and thrive, what role do their critical cohorts play? Join some of the key St. Louis film critics to get answers to these questions and the inside scoop on what it’s like to make work out of watching and talking movies. Moderated by Joshua Ray.

The Showcase will offer a series of three master classes on various aspects of filmmaking.The master classes are sponsored by the Chellappa-Vedavalli Foundation.

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Joshua Ray, moderator
Joshua Ray is a St. Louis film critic and programmer. He is a co-founder and editor for The Take-Up website and serves as its podcast’s host and producer. His reviews can also be seen on KMOV-4 News at 4. Currently, he programs for the Cinema St. Louis events St. Louis International Festival and QFest St. Louis, as well as the Counter Program series at the Arkadin Cinema & Bar. Joshua has spoken at numerous St. Louis film events held at Webster University, Washington University, the St. Louis Public Library, and more.

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Elliott Collins
Elliott Collins is the host of  "Movie Files" and a member of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. He loves watching and discussing the latest movies and great television shows on a daily basis. He tries his best to provide his audience with insightful thoughts and opinions but he also loves having fun conversations with people who love movies and shows just as much as he does.

 

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Cliff Froehlich
Cliff Froehlich is the retired executive director of Cinema St. Louis. Before CSL, Froehlich worked in journalism, beginning in 1983 as a freelance film critic for The Riverfront Times, where he served in a variety of editorial positions, including executive editor. He also worked as the arts-and-entertainment editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and managing editor of St. Louis Magazine. Froehlich continues to freelance, writing film reviews for the RFT and occasional essays for Washington U.’s The Common Reader. Since 1984, he has taught courses in film history as an adjunct faculty member at Webster University.

 

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Eileen G'Sell
Eileen G'Sell received an MA in English and Film studies at the University of Rochester and an MFA in poetry at Washington University in St. Louis. A poet and culture critic with regular contributions to The Riverfront Times, Hyperallergic, Reverse Shot, MUBI Notebook, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon, VICE, and other outlets, she has served as film critic for The Hopkins Review since 2021. In 2018, she published her first full-length volume of poetry, Life After Rugby, with Gold Wake Press. In 2019 and 2023, she was nominated for the national Rabkin Foundation award in arts journalism. She teaches at Washington University.

 

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Diane Carson
Diane Carson is professor emerita at St. Louis Community College-
Meramec where she taught film studies and production for over three
decades. She contributes weekly film reviews to KDHX (88.1 FM) and theAlliance of Women Film Journalists and is Past-President of the University Film and Video Association. She co-directed two documentaries: Other People’s Footage: Copyright & Fair Use and Other People’s Footage: Fair Use in Scripted Films. She has published articles in recent anthologies on Preston Sturges, John Barrymore, and Clint Eastwood, and co-written/co-edited books on acting, John Sayles, and food in film.