Welcome To The Webster Film Series

The Webster University Film Series began in 1979 as an offshoot of a student run organization known as The Webster Film Society. Designed for the presentation of, primarily, non-commercial film made by artists working outside the mainstream, the series developed a following throughout the St. Louis Community. Without the competition of home video or other “Art House” options, foreign films, which were rarely seen in the area, and the repertory screenings of classic cinema and independent film attracted an audience eager to face the great possibilities that reside beyond the standard definition of ‘a movie’ – an endeavor by an artist whose purpose is not selling popcorn

With retrospectives, special programs and regular weekly screenings in our year round schedule, the series has grown into one of the Midwest’s premiere venues for new and classic, American and international cinema. Over the past quarter century the series has presented thousands of films and welcomed hundreds of artists, musicians and professionals working in contemporary cinema, many of whom are at the vanguard of the art form. In recent years, we have hosted esteemed animators Faith and Emily Hubley, video artists Steina Vasulka, Sarah Jane Lapp and Jay Rosenblatt, documentarians D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Albert Maysles, Ken Burns, and Ross McElwee. In 2004 the series welcomed American cinema icon John ?the Pope of Trash? Waters, and indy rock band Yo La Tengo.

Other guests of the series have included Evan Adams, The Alloy Orchestra, Alan Berliner, Les Blank, Charles Burnett, John Canemaker, Jem Cohen, Doug Hawes-Davis, Zeinabu Davis, Thierry Frémaux, George Hickenlooper, Al Hirshfeld, Brett Ingram, Chuck Jones, Stan Kann, Anne Makepeace, Guy Maddin, Leonard Maltin, Tim Blake Nelson, The New Music Circle, Bill Plympton, Randy Redroad, Kathy Rose, Greta Schiller, Bruce Sinofsky, Ellen Spiro, Will Vinton, Morrie Warshawski, Debra Zimmerman and many others. Vists from these artists, coupled with the exhibition of films have brought our audience an opportunity to experience the rich diversity and varied perspective of cinema.