The first Saturday of the St. Louis International Film Festival is always a busy day, and Nov. 14 may be the biggest day in the 18-year history of the festival, with presumptive Oscar nominees “Up in the Air” and “Precious” screening at 7 p.m. at the Tivoli and Hi-Pointe respectively.

But “Up in the Air” is sold out, and “Precious” is likely to be, so if you want to catch the festival buzz, consider some alternatives.

At 11 a.m. at the Tivoli, there’s a free screening of “For the Love of Movies,” a documentary about film criticism, followed by a panel discussion at 12:30 featuring yours truly.

At 1 p.m. at Webster University, there’s a documentary about wide-screen cinema called “The Gigantic World of Epics,’ followed by the three-hour spaghetti western, “Once Upon a Time in the West,” starring Henry Fonda in a rare villain role.

At 1 p.m. at the Tivoli is one of my favorite films of the fest, a documentary called “Branson.” Yes, the Ozark musical mecca is an easy target, and the film may confirm your prejudices about the wholesome fare that’s served on the Strip. We meet the cast of a ’60s-greatest-hits show that plays at a mall, and a husband-and-wife-magic act who moved from New York because God told them to. But the star of the movie is the kind of character that Branson needs more of: Jackson Cash, an ex-con who rolls into town as a Johnny Cash impersonator, sells CDs out the car where he sleeps–and soon has a hit show and his picture on billboards. But like the Man in Black, Jackson Cash can’t stay out of trouble, even after born-again televangelist Jim Bakker tries to cast out the demons. You can find out how he walks the line when Jackson Cash performs live after the screening. Here’s a taste:

At 3:30 at the Tvoli is another documentary about a colorful character, “Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie.” It’s about beatnik poet Hugh Romney, who moved to San Francisco in the ’60s and morphed in Wavy Gravy, the court jester of the Woodstock Nation. He and the members of his Hog Farm commune provided security for the Woodstock music festival–he called his low-key peacekeepers “The Please Force”–and served breakfast in bed for 400,000.  Wavy Gravy is still going strong at 73, operating a camp for kids and spreading his message of mirth and diversity.

The St. Louis International Film Festival continues through Nov, 22 at the Tivoli, the Hi-Pointe, Plaza Frontenac and Webster University, with special events at the St. Louis Art Museum and Washington University. Tickets for most film festival screenings are $10 and are available at the particular venue’s box office or in advance at the Tivoli. Visit the filmfest web site at cinemastlouis.org for more info.