St. Louis, MO —National Endowment for the Arts has approved 1,187 grants totaling $27.3
million in the first round of fiscal year 2020 funding to support arts projects in every state in the
nation, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Included in this announcement is an
Art Works grant of $15,000 to Cinema St. Louis for the 29th Annual St. Louis International Film
Festival (SLIFF).
The Art Works funding category supports projects that focus on public engagement with, and
access to, various forms of excellent art across the nation; the creation of art that meets the
highest standards of excellence; learning in the arts at all stages of life; and the integration of
the arts into the fabric of community life.
“The arts are at the heart of our communities, connecting people through shared experiences
and artistic expression,” said Arts Endowment chairman Mary Anne Carter. “The National
Endowment for the Arts is proud to support projects like the St. Louis International Film
Festival.”
The 29th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival will be held Nov. 5-15, 2020. The
fest will screen more than 300 animated, narrative, and documentary feature and short films,
and will host master classes, special events, and an ambitious Cinema for Students program.
Panels and Q&As with filmmakers and documentary subjects will accompany a third of the
screenings. Programming streams will include the Women in Film Spotlight, Race in America:
The Black Experience, and the Human Rights Spotlight.
The nonprofit Cinema St. Louis (CSL) produces SLIFF, one of the largest and highest-profile
international film festivals in the Midwest. The fest has been lauded in USA Today’s 10Best list.
CSL also annually produces the locally focused St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, the
LGBTQ-centric QFest St. Louis, the Classic French Film Festival, and Golden Anniversaries
(festival of films celebrating their 50th anniversary).
For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
For info on SLIFF and other CSL programs, visit cinemastlouis.org or call 314-289-4150.
