The 33rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis Film Festival offers gems

The 33rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival continues through Sunday, November 17. Here's a brief sampling of dozens deserving attention. This second week of the Fest, programs of shorts take center stage, both documentary and narrative compilations. All qualify for Academy Award competition.

Wednesday, November 13 and Saturday, November 16 two Masterclasses educate filmmakers: the first on producing, the second on outreach. Through case studies and professional experiences, panelists share their expertise. Thursday night, November 14, iconic Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar's first English language film, "The Room Next Door" screens at the Hi-Pointe. Not available for viewing ahead of time, the film enjoys a stellar cast. The two principal characters are Julianne Moore as Ingrid and Tilda Swinton as Martha, old friends who reunite after years of separation. It won this year's Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice International Film Festival. Friday evening, November 15, continuing to celebrate Almodóvar, his 1999 "All About My Mother" will enjoy an archival screening at the Chase Park Plaza Cinema.

Saturday, November 16, lodged in historical trauma, director Tim Fehlbaum’s “September 5” dramatizes the 1972 Munich Olympics' terrorist killing of Israeli athletes and coaches, told entirely from the vantage point of the ABC Sports control room. One-time St. Louisan and Washington University graduate Peter Sarsgaard plays ABC executive producer Roone Arledge in a suspenseful unfolding of the tragic Black September attack. Over fifty years later, the painful shock and intense horror of this terrorism has not diminished.

The Festival ends Sunday, November 17, with a closing night awards party. Throughout the Fest, all films not in English have English subtitles and screen at various venues. They include the Hi-Pointe, Chase Park Plaza, and B&B West Olive cinemas; Washington, Lindenwood, and Webster Universities; the Contemporary Art Museum, and the Julia Davis and Central St. Louis Public Libraries. There's so much to choose from in locations and films. You may visit the SLIFF website for details of venues, times, film trailers, and descriptions at: www.cinemastlouis.org