Filmmaking in St. Louis is gaining steam. That’s in part because Missouri reinstated tax incentives for television and film production. But even before that, a community of creatives had been working to make St. Louis a hub for visual storytelling.
Cami Thomas, a filmmaker and founder of the production company My Friends and I Made This For You, directs and stars in “Keenelan,” a narrative short film that explores how people navigate relationships. The short film screens on Friday as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival.
“It's a film really about love, but not love in the way you might think if you think of a typical love story. It follows a group of friends in St. Louis as they prepare for a really important art showcase, but the only thing on the protagonist's mind is preparing for an inevitable run-in with her ex-girlfriend,” Thomas said.
The film draws inspiration from Thomas’ own experiences — she stars as the main character, Kaya. But as “Keenelan” has screened at festivals across the country, she’s realized how universal its themes are. Thomas said it’s been rewarding to see audiences connect with both the story and the way St. Louis’ civic identity appears onscreen.
“Keenelan” was filmed in St. Louis, with a cast and crew made up almost entirely of people from or based here.
Editor Jazzy Kettenacker said those reactions from audiences outside the region made her feel “seen.”
“It [felt] like a win for the city. Not just for me, not just even for my crew, but seeing people get to know St. Louis,” Kettenacker said. “I would say if someone watches ‘Keenelan’ and they fall in love with the film, then they're also falling in love with St. Louis whether they know that that's what they're doing or not.”
Thomas is excited that her short film will screen as part of the film festival, which is hosted by Cinema St. Louis. She said support from festivals and local organizations are critical to the creative scene in the region.
“With film, the only way to [ideally] experience it is by watching it in a theater setting, the opportunity to get off of social media and not have to see something on a tiny little screen in your hand,” she said. “[We] get to come together with other people who also love film and laugh together and see that you're not the only film lover in the city.”
For more with Cami Thomas and Jazzy Kettenacker, including their thoughts on the growing filmmaking scene in St. Louis, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
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“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Darrious Varner is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
