The annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase ended Thursday night with a party at Blueberry Hill–but you could also call it a graduation ceremony. Several of the local directors learned that their movies were being promoted up the chain of prestige to the St. Louis International  Film Festival in November.

The lucky locals and their films are:

Documentaries:

American Pioneers by Bruce Marren
How It Is With Phooie by Mike Steinberg
St. Benedict’s Rule by Jay Kanzler
That All May Be One by Karen Kearns

Short Subjects:

i! by Nate Callaghan
101 Damnations by Daniel Allen
The Basement Room by Doveed Linder
Capdance by Sean Keough
Dog Park by Jennifer Stolzer
The Doubtful Martyr by James Martin
Everlasting Memory by Kaitlyn Paradis
Flapjacked by Matt Murphy & Chad Harris
Movie of Your Life by Chris Lawing
My Uncle Arnie by Jay Kanzler
Sorry to Miss the Affair by Aaron Crozier
Spotlight Subside by Lindsey Sundboom
Sugar by Alex Beh
The Ugly Turkey by David Essman
Veneer by Peter Bolte

Features:

Advertising for the Mob by Scott Wibbenmeyer
Mosquito Kingdom by Brad Hodge & Derek Elz
Say Goodnight by David VonAllmen
Shadowland by Wyatt Weed
Sockville by James Gregson
Streetballers by Matt Krentz
Texas Snow by Aaron Coffman

The latter group represents the real breakthrough of this year’s showcase. Scores of local directors are now cranking out feature-length movies instead of shorts, and at the November filmfest, some of those long-form films will be competing against the best that Hollywood has to offer.

As for the competition among the locals, here are the prize winners chosen by the St. Louis Film Critics, a roundtable of professional movie mavens from the metro area.

Best Documentary Feature: How It Is With Phooie
Best Documentary Short: The War Within
Best Comedy Feature: Advertising For The Mob
Best Comedy Short: Flapjacked
Best Dramatic Feature: Streetballers
Best Dramatic Short: Capdance
Best Animated Film: Dog Park
Best Children’s Film: Sockville
Best Experimental Film: Anna
Best Fantasy or Sci-Fi Film: Shadowland
Most Creative Film: Movie Of Your Life
Best Director: Wyatt Weed for Shadowland
Best Editing: Graham Metzger for Sugar
Best Cinematography: Derek Elz for Mosquito Kingdom
Best Score: Tim Maupin for A Small World
Best Special Effects: Chris Lawing for Movie Of Your Life
Best Script: Robert Nolan Clark, Rick McGougan & Randy Hall for Capdance
Best Art Direction: Sara Jean Cough & Kate Stransky for Persephone
Best Supporting Actor: Ben Nordstrom in Advertising For The Mob
Best Supporting Actress: Jossalyn Theil in Advertising For the Mob
Best Actor: Rick McGougan in Capdance
Best Actress: Caitlin McIntosh in ShadowlandAlthough the critics spread the wealth, I want to single out a few of the films that I personally liked.

I especially enjoyed Mike Steinberg’s “How It is with Phooie,” a bittersweet documentary about his obsessive-compulsive deejay dad.

The noirish “Mosquito Kingdom” was a particularly effective use of new imaging technologies.

Matt Krentz’s many years of hard work (and Sundance study) paid off in the sports drama “Streetballers.” Below is the trailer.

And finally, check out “Movie of Your Life,” the elegant music video for jazz-pop vocalist Spencer Day by LA-based Chris Lawing, which seamlessly incorporates images from several classic films, including “Citizen Kane,” “Casablanca” and “The Graduate.”

After seeing what these directors were able to do a tight budget, I have one word for the graduates of his year’s showcase: Video.