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Chicago – “Grave Expectations,” a short directed by Chicago-based filmmaker Larry Ziegelman, has been on an extended festival run.The quirky, funny literary-style story is a charming and cathartic thesis regarding the hanging onto childhood traumas, especially at the hands of a bully.

’Grave Expectations,’ Directed by Larry Ziegelman

Photo credit: Ugly Pugsley Pictures

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Married partners Jacob and Shira (Dave Honigman and Tiffany Bedwell) are celebrating their tenth anniversary with a night out … but Jacob wants it at a cemetery. It seems that his childhood bully has died, and he wants to get proof that it actually happened, and seek a bit of vengeance for the past. Along the way he relates to Shira the stories of his trauma, and in a sense releases the demons that have plagued him well into adulthood.

The screenplay, co-written by Ziegelman and Jason Silberberg, from a short story by Silberberg, is paced beautifully,...

Chicago – The comic book admiration society has been the fastest growing sub-culture in the last 25 years. Once thought a remnant of childhood is now a flourishing industry in show business, comic book shops and conventions. “Geek Lounge,” a TV series created by producer/director/writer Larry Ziegelman, explores the comic book/pop culture generation, and is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Click here for the details.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

Set like the series “Cheers” in a bar, “Geek Lounge” is where pop culture enthusiasts – both guys and gals – come together to exchanges notes on their favorite obsession. The series has a nice light touch with banter and a surprising depth, choosing to focus on the relationships combined with the obscure objects of their geek desires. The denizens of the lounge are likable and funny, and have the anxieties that most relationship seekers have … are they good enough to pass muster with their fellow travelers,...

Chicago – It’s time to laugh, and the Midwest Independent Film Festival has just the ticket. The 2018 Comedy Short Film Showcase – an annual event – screens on Tuesday May 1st, 2018. at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema in Chicago. The ten films include sneak previews and premieres, in film and TV shorts. For more information, including ticket purchasing and the list of short films, click here.

2018 Comedy Short Film Showcase

Photo credit: MidwestFilm.com

Among the ten shorts are a couple of web series episodes that were profiled on HollywoodChicago.com (click the highlighted links). Larry Ziegelman’s ”Geek Lounge” will get its Midwest Festival Premiere, right after their triumphant screening at the Manhattan Film Festival. As Larry told Hc, “I loved that there could be a Geek Lounge with geek-type arguments. Imagine it’s like a Quentin Tarantino film, but the whole thing is the pop culture and geek references. That...

Chicago – Getting to the next step of any new creative project is the goal, and creator/director Larry Ziegelman has done it. One year after premiering his new web series, “Geek Lounge,” he has completed an entire season, and is ready for the festivals. The idea behind Geek Lounge was to combine the nerd culture of “Silicon Valley” with the back-and-forth bar banter of “Cheers.” He will screen the entire series on Tuesday, April 17th, 2018, at the Den Theatre in Chicago, Free and open to the public. Click here for details and ticket information.

Larry Ziegelman is a veteran short film director who began that pursuit in 2007 with “Check Please.” In 2013, he broke through with a film festival favorite, “Little Man of Steel,” a riff on Superman and Lois Lane’s relationship. His twin brother Terry also works in the industry, and has collaborated with Larry on the shorts “Boom Boom” and “9 to 5 Feet Under.

Chicago – The idea was to combine the TV series nerd culture of “Silicon Valley” with the back-and-forth bar banter of “Cheers,” and creator/director Larry Ziegelman came up with a natural composite entitled “Geek Lounge.” The web series will have a sneak preview screening and party at the Holiday Club in Chicago, 7pm on April 19th, 2017 (details below).

Larry Ziegelman is a veteran short film director who began that pursuit in 2007 with “Check Please.” In 2013, he broke through with a film festival favorite, “Little Man of Steel,” a riff on Superman and Lois Lane’s relationship. His twin brother Terry also works in the industry, and has collaborated with Larry on the shorts “Boom Boom” and “9 to 5 Feet Under.” Ziegelman describes “Geek Lounge” – his first web TV series – as a show that follows the lives of a group of friends as they sit around, sipping watered-down beers, and arguing over...

And the winner is……..St. Louis!

With this years St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, we’ve again proven that our city is packed with ridiculously talented filmmakers, actors, and other artisans.

The St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis natives or films with strong local ties. The various film programs that screened at the Tivoli from July 14-18, 2013 serve as the Showcase’s centerpiece. The programs ranged from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Many programs included post-screening Q&As with filmmakers. Filmmakers of all ages within a 120 mile radius of St. Louis were strongly encouraged to submit their works, or at the very least attend the event to celebrate the amazingly talented St.

Day six of the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival is upon us!

Sliff’s main venues are the the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium and the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Il

The entire schedule for the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival be found Here.

http://cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2012

Here is what will be screening at The 21st Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival today, Tuesday, November 13th

Band Of Sisters

Band Of Sisters plays at 5:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre

nspired by Vatican II (a 1962-65 council of Catholic bishops) and the great social movements of the 1960s and .70s, U.S. nuns left their convents, found their mission with the poor, and grew in their spirituality . often to the chagrin of the Vatican hierarchy. Against this backdrop, .Band...

Shorts Program # 5: Experimental plays as part of the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase Wednesday July 11th at 9:30pm at The Tivoli Theater, 6350 Delmar Blvd.

Spectacles by Tyler DePerro runs 9 minutes is about a struggling actor who gets inspiration for success from a pair of 3D glasses given to him by his grandfather, who is a retired film actor himself. This is a typically polished and ambitious effort from the talented Mr. DePerro, a recent Webster U grad.

Fitting by Larry Ziegelman runs 13 minutes and is about two women who wind up in the same bridal-gown fitting room . one with a bridesmaid.s dress and one with a wedding gown. Well-acted with a twist, but should have played with the Drama or Relationship shorts. The only thing funny about it is that it was directed by a man.

Messed Up Dance Song by Sean Keough & Richard Radmus is described as “Seven characters,...

The annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase is a great way to support the many local filmmakers who practice their art in our area. Cinema St. Louis, our city’s non-profit cinema-related event planning group, will present The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase July 8-12. This is the 12th annual presentation, which serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis natives or films with strong local ties. The 16 film programs that screen at the Tivoli from July 8-12 serve as the Showcase’s centerpiece. The programs range from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Many programs include post-screening Q&As with filmmaker. It all ends with a closing-Night Awards Party Thursday July 12th sponsored by Stella Artois from 8 p.m. to midnight at Blueberry Hill‘s Duck Room,...

Wonder what those limousines were doing in front of the Tivoli last week? It was the10th Annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase and congratulations to everyone who had a hand in the 65 films that were shown. The Cinema St. Louis event was held July 17-22 and focused exclusively on the works, both shorts and features, of St. Louis-based filmmakers, as well as expatriates with strong local connections who have gone on to work in other cities. Attendance was high, the audiences enthusiastic, and it was great to see so much local talent on display. A packed post-fest party was held at the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill Thursday night and awards were presented in various categories. It takes hard work and dedication to complete a film and every one of these St. Louis filmmakers involved is a winner. Here’s a list of what the judges at this year’s St.