St. Louis is hosting the 28th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival, a 10-day festival which includes hundreds of films. Screenings run from November 7 through November 17 at various locations throughout the St. Louis area.

The TalentPlus staff previewed the list of 389 films and compiled the following list of films that peaked our interest.



Marriage Story
The fest opens with one of the year’s most critically lauded films, “Marriage Story,” a dramedy from Oscar-nominated writer-director Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale,” “Frances Ha”) that offers an incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together.

Showing Thursday, November 7 at 8:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre

Waves
Set against the vibrant landscape of South Florida, and featuring an ensemble of award-winning actors and breakouts alike, “Waves” traces the epic emotional journey of a suburban African-American family — led by a well-intentioned but domineering father (magnificently played by St. Louis’ own Sterling K. Brown) — as they navigate love, forgiveness, and coming together in the aftermath of a loss.

Showing Friday, November 8 at 8:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre

My Name is Pedro
“My Name Is Pedro” explores what public education meant to South Bronx Latino maverick educator Pedro Santana — and what he, in turn, means to public education. Infectious in his optimism, Santana becomes one of the most influential public-school teachers and administrators in the New York system after turning around his troubled Bronx middle school.

Showing Saturday, November 9 at 1:50pm at Plaza Frontenac Cinema

Just Mercy
A powerful and thought-provoking true story, "Just Mercy" follows young civil-rights attorney Bryan Stevenson (“Black Panther’s” Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan might have had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Oscar winner Brie Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Oscar winner Jamie Foxx) who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie.

Showing Saturday, November 9 at 6:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre

The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion
“The Remix” tells the story of how hip-hop changed fashion, leading to the stratospheric rise of street wear around the world. The film takes viewers on a journey of African-American creativity, profiling four key figures at the nexus of hip-hop and fashion.

Showing Sunday, November 10 at 6:00pm at Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium

The Song of Names
In this musically rich film by François Girard, director of “The Red Violin,” Tim Roth and Clive Owen star in an emotional detective story spread over two continents and a half-century. Following the adult Martin (Roth) in the 1980s as he attempts to find long-lost friend Davidl (Owen), a prodigiously talented Jewish violinist who vanished mysteriously in 1951, the film deftly toggles between events in several eras.

Showing Wednesday, November 13 at 8:00pm at Plaza Frontenac Cinema

Kifaru
A distressing account of extinction in real time, “Kifaru” follows the lives of two young Kenyan recruits who join Ol Pejeta Conservancy's rhino-caretaker unit, a small group of rangers that care for and protect Sudan, the last male northern white rhinoceros — or kifaru, in Swahili.

Showing Thursday, November 14 at 5:00pm at the Tivoli Theathre

The Ghost Who Walks
Shot in St. Louis by former St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase award-winner Cody Stokes, “The Ghost Who Walks” is a breathlessly paced ride through the hidden underbelly of the city. After five years in prison, Nolan (Garland Scott) is given his freedom, but his release required that he rat on his former boss — a betrayal that carries a death sentence.

• TalentPlus Actors: The following TP actors are featured in the film: Sean Brasfield, Peter Mayer, Damion Scandrick, the late Linda Kennedy, Choyce Johnson, Bill Finkbiner, and GiGi Koster.

Showing Friday, November 15 at 9:30pm at the Tivoli Theatre

The Report
In “The Report” — a thriller based on actual events — idealistic staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver) is tasked by his boss, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening), with leading an investigation of the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program, which was created in the aftermath of 9/11. Jones’ relentless pursuit of the truth leads to findings that uncover the lengths to which the nation’s top intelligence agency went to destroy evidence, subvert the law, and hide a shocking secret from the American public.

Showing Sunday, November 17 at 6:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre





Note: All film summaries and information above were adapted from the St. Louis International Film Festival website. They did a wonderful job of providing information for the films. Visit https://www.cinemastlouis.org/festival-home for more information about the festival, including ticket information.