Five local, visionary filmmakers are bringing bold, original stories to life as part of the St. Louis Film Project (STLFP), an effort led by the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, in partnership with Continuity, and funded through the ARPA for the Arts initiative in support of the region’s growing film industry. From comedy to haunting psychological drama to intimate, personal journeys told through documentaries, these creatives are enhancing St. Louis’ and Missouri’s reputation as a premier destination for exceptional filmmakers and storytellers.
Stay tuned for details on a special St. Louis Film Project event showcasing these incredible projects in March 2026.
Learn more about these five upcoming films below.
Steak Guerillas: The Dr. Arturo M. Taca Story
From the operating rooms of St. Louis to the political battlegrounds of exile, Dr. Arturo M. Taca waged a covert war against Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship. This documentary unveils the extraordinary journey of a Filipino surgeon-turned-revolutionary who helped bring down a regime from halfway across the world.
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Film Synopsis
“Steak Guerrillas” chronicles the powerful journey of Dr. Arturo M. Taca, a Filipino surgeon who fled political turmoil in his homeland only to find himself waging a covert battle against dictatorship from thousands of miles away. This documentary unveils Dr. Taca’s transformation from a respected surgeon in St. Louis to a revolutionary figure in the Filipino democracy movement, exposing the personal sacrifices and relentless courage that drove him to challenge Ferdinand Marcos’ regime.
Through gripping interviews, rare archival footage, and evocative animation, “Steak Guerrillas” brings Dr. Taca’s inspiring story to life.
From smuggling critical information to organizing resistance efforts, his role in the Movement for a Free Philippines was pivotal in rallying opposition to authoritarianism.
This is not only a historical account but a deeply personal narrative that reflects the universal fight for justice, freedom, and the preservation of democracy.
About Being Selected for the St. Louis Film Project
Being selected for the STLFP is an honor that I do not take lightly. Receiving this grant allows me to bring an important story to life, the story of a man who, with his family, had to flee the Philippines and ended up in St. Louis, Missouri. He continued to fight for democracy for his homeland and his people from halfway across the world, risking his life for freedom.
Liz Peterson | Producer
Joel Trinidad Actor, Dr. Arturo M. Taca
A theater professional from the Philippines, Joel’s body of work has granted him Permanent Residency status in the US as an “alien of extraordinary ability and achievement.”
He has performed in over 50 plays and musicals, including the Asian Premieres of AVENUE Q and THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Philippines and Singapore); SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT (La MaMa Theater); and PROOF (opposite Tony and Olivier Award-winner Lea Salonga). On screen, he has acted alongside the likes of Bob Hoskins (in NORIEGA: GOD’S FAVORITE), Connie Nielsen (in THE GREAT RAID), Jeff Fahey (in CRASH POINT), and Christian Kane (in the Amazon series ALMOST PARADISE), among many others.
A prolific writer as well as an actor, Joel has penned a dozen original librettos, most of which have been successfully produced and in his home country (and most of which he directed himself): BREAKUPS & BREAKDOWNS (music by Rony Fortich); AFTER EVER AFTER (story by Nicky Triviño, music by Jon Vera Perez); GUADALUPE: THE MUSICAL (music by Ejay Yatco); and FAIRY TALE RESCUE (music by Reggie Tan and Onyl Torres), to name but a few. He’s also written more than a hundred short plays (many of which have been produced in NYC). His latest musical (created with composer Luke Simnett) is the two-person comedy A TALE OF TWO (based on A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens), which premiered in London in July 2024.
Liz Peterson Producer
Liz Peterson is a dynamic documentary filmmaker and media professional based in St. Louis, Missouri who has led international production and operations with a global perspective.
While based in Vietnam, Liz managed all facets of business operations, partnerships, and marketing for the Best Ever Food Review Show, spearheading its expansion into one of the most successful and profitable food channels on YouTube.
Under her strategic direction, the channel grew from a few hundred thousand followers to an audience of over 10 million, captivating viewers worldwide with immersive cultural and culinary experiences. Liz’s global production leadership took the show to diverse locations, highlighting local food and culture with authenticity and impact.
Previously, she directed marketing and patient experience at The Eye Institute of West Florida, where her initiatives significantly enhanced patient engagement and satisfaction. Her background also includes high-revenue sales and community relations with the St. Louis Cardinals. Liz’s dedication to storytelling, audience growth, and operational excellence make her a formidable force in documentary and digital media production.
Ron Watermon Producer, Director & Writer
Ron Watermon is an Emmy-nominated screenwriter and TV producer. He is also an attorney, author, and the founder of STORYSMART® LLC, a story development film studio that helps clients transform their true stories into films.
With a background that spans Major League Baseball, politics, and media, Ron brings a unique storytelling acumen to his film projects. Ron served as VP of Communications for the St. Louis Cardinals, where he produced Cardinals Insider with Ozzie Smith, a weekly television series that brought the team’s legacy to life, and he created the pioneering serialized shows #TheFrontOffice and #BirdToTheFuture on Instagram.
Ron’s production expertise ensures his projects deliver both cinematic quality and narrative depth. From digital archiving to full-scale documentary filmmaking, Ron leads STORYSMART®’s comprehensive suite of services to empower clients in preserving and sharing their stories on screen. Learn more @ storysmart.net and ronwatermon.com
Carl Reed Animation Producer
Carl Reed has built a career producing award-winning content. As the founder of Composition Media, Carl’s mission is to amplify underrepresented voices and redefine storytelling through groundbreaking, inspiring projects.
Prior to founding Composition Media, Carl co-founded Lion Forge Comics and Lion Forge Animation, serving as president and Chief Creative Officer. Under his leadership, the company grew from fledgling startup into the largest black-owned publisher and animation studio.
His collaborations with industry giants like Disney, HBO MAX, Nickelodeon, and Sony Pictures Animation have resulted in numerous accolades, including the Academy Award-winning short film “Hair Love” and the Emmy-winning “Sesame Street: The Power of We” animated special, among many others.
Paul Schankman Editor & Story Producer
Paul Schankman has been a working broadcast journalist in Missouri and Illinois for more than 40 years. His assignments have taken him across the country, covering Ronald Reagan’s 1981 Presidential Inauguration, the 1999 Super Bowl, multiple national political conventions and a launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Paul was also dispatched immediately to cover the Oklahoma City bombing and reported live from Ground Zero for several days following the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City.
Paul has been honored with 35 Mid-America Emmy Awards for his work with KTVI-TV (FOX), KETC-TV (PBS) and HEC Media. In 2016, he was inducted by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences into its Silver Circle; a recognition given to those deemed to have made significant contributions to broadcasting and media.
Paul is also a recipient of the coveted Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio and Television News Directors Association, as well as honors and prizes from Dartmouth College, Lincoln University, and the International Radio and Television Festival.
Paul’s work has also been recognized by the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists, American Women in Radio and Television and The Associated Press.
Additionally, Paul was given the Southern Illinois University Alumni Achievement award and has been inducted into the Parkway Schools Hall of Fame. Paul left KTVI-TV in 2016 to launch Paul Schankman Productions, which specializes in producing news features and documentaries.
In 2019, his feature-length documentary, “A New Leaf; Reimagining Henry Shaw’s Museum” won best direction and best editing at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase. His documentary, “House of Thunder,” was released in 2020.
Dave Rutherford Cinematographer | Director of Photography
Dave is an accomplished cinematographer with more than three decades of experience in shooting films around the world. Dave has worked on dozens of feature films and documentaries, as well as working with all the major television news agencies and media companies. Dave is an entrepreneur who owns his own production company in St. Louis, often specializing in high-end Steadicam photography and capturing cinematic drone footage for film and television productions.
Jacob Beats Up Nate
A feature film about an accomplished sci-fi author Jacob Mann, who is being inducted into his high school hall of fame. All is well until Jacob realizes that his childhood bully, Nate, is also being honored. Jacob embarks on a journey to do something he wishes he could have done 20 years ago: beat up Nate.
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Film Synopsis
Jacob Beats Up Nate is a heartfelt and humorous exploration of redemption, identity, and unresolved childhood trauma set against the backdrop of St. Louis. The film follows Jacob Mann, an award-winning author returning home for his high school Hall of Fame induction, only to find himself confronting long-buried emotions tied to his old classmate, Nate. Through a mix of humor and introspection, Jacob Beats Up Nate delves into the complexities of personal growth, the weight of past experiences, and the deep emotional ties we have to the places that shaped us. By filming in St. Louis, the project not only brings an authentic regional story to life but also supports the city’s artistic and economic landscape.
About Being Selected for the St. Louis Film Project
Being selected for the STLFP grant is an incredible honor that reaffirms the power of storytelling rooted in authenticity and homegrown experiences. This grant will enable us to bring Jacob Beats Up Nate to life in the very city that shaped its story—creating opportunities for local talent, investing in St. Louis’ creative economy, and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard. More than just financial support, this grant is a validation of our commitment to independent filmmaking and the power of telling stories that reflect our personal journeys and shared histories.
Darryl Frierson | Producer
J Lee Writer/Director
J Lee is a writer/director/actor from St. Louis, Missouri, who starred as Lt. Commander John LaMarr on The Orville: New Horizons. His first film, aTypical Wednesday, starred Lee, Seth Green, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Michael Ealy, Tracie Thoms, Kelen Coleman, Michael Mosely, and Cooper Friedman.
Darryl Frierson Producer
Darryl Frierson is an entrepreneur, content creator, producer, and the Director of Demand Generation at GAINSystems. Growing up on the Northside of St. Louis, he balanced the challenges of his environment with the opportunities afforded by private education, culminating in his graduation from Saint Louis University High and Iowa State University.
Darryl’s professional journey began with FreeTime LLC, a promotional company that organized some of the most memorable events in St. Louis. His passion for storytelling and journalism inspired the creation of his acclaimed blog, From Ashy to Classy, which was featured in Black Enterprise Magazine. This foundation transitioned seamlessly into podcasting, where he launched Straight Outta LoCash in 2011, followed by other niche shows like The Lando Calrissian Experience. Darryl co-founded the SOLC Network in 2020, an innovative podcast network hosting and producing diverse shows, including The Scenario, I Only Listen to 90s Music, Politics as Usual, and more. Through SOLC, he blends humor, thought-provoking discussions, and creative storytelling to captivate audiences.
Balancing his corporate expertise with his creative passions, Darryl embodies the essence of a modern-day innovator, building a through storytelling and excelling in the marketing world.
Octarine
Octarine is a haunting psychological thriller exploring fandom’s intoxicating allure in the digital age.
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Film Synopsis
Fang, a reclusive fan consumed by their obsession with pop star Eileen Rye, turns to chaos magick in a desperate attempt to bridge the gap between them. Reality begins to warp, tinged with octarine—the mystical color of magic—blurring the lines between dreams and delusions. When the app FanConnect promises an intimate connection with Eileen, Fang’s fixation intensifies. Convinced their rituals have manifested a chance to meet her, Fang seizes an opportunity at a fan event, where the boundaries between fantasy and reality shatters, plunging them into a chilling confrontation.
About Being Selected for the St. Louis Film Project
Being a part of the St. Louis Film Project means joining a creative movement rooted in community, storytelling, and regional pride. It’s more than just making movies—it’s about building something together that reflects the voices, landscapes, and talent of our city. In an industry often centered on coasts, this project proves that powerful, meaningful filmmaking can thrive in the Midwest. It’s a chance to contribute to a growing network of artists, crew, and supporters who believe in the value of local stories and the strength of collaboration.
Kiley Enno | Writer/Producer
Kiley Enno Writer/Producer
Kiley is a St. Louis City-based producer and writer with nearly a decade of hands-on production experience. From indie shorts to commercial projects, she’s been at the helm of local and far-flung projects, constantly pushing creative boundaries. Kiley and Dustie have honed their collaborative process.
Dustie Carter Writer/Director
Rice farmer turned filmmaker Dustie thrives on discovering offbeat stories that lie just outside the norm. Inspired from a young age by creating skate and stunt videos, he charted a path that eventually led him to direct commercials. Now, he is exploring broader opportunities within the filmmaking community. Kiley and Dustie’s past projects have entered the film festival circuit, earning several awards along the way. Dustie has found a home in the St. Louis film scene, where he continuously seeks ways to push its boundaries and help it flourish.
The Seven Ages of Olajuwon
Told on stage and with 16 years of intimate footage, we chronicle a gifted Black performer’s struggles as he stares down a defining journey towards purpose when met with impossible expectations, risks to his livelihood, and injustice after undercover FBI agents lure him into a terrorist plot.
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Film Synopsis
The Seven Ages of Olajuwon is an intimate, coming-of-age story told through 16+ years of footage of Olajuwon Akeem Ozreal Raheem Lamar Xavier Davis, a gifted young artist and performer from St. Louis City, as he navigates the defining stages of his life. Named for his stillborn twin, Olajuwon’s seven names symbolize the weight of expectations placed upon him throughout his life. He excels in academics, becomes a young father, and shines as a musician and actor in award-winning performances. But as his optimism turns to disenfranchisement, his journey takes a sharp turn when his activism in Ferguson, Missouri, draws the FBI’s attention. At the age of 21, he is ensnared in a terrorist plot and sentenced to seven years in federal prison under a controversial and racially charged designation – “Black Identity Extremist.”
Through trials of identity, family, and systemic injustice, Olajuwon emerges determined to rebuild his life. Post-incarceration, he wrestles with fractured relationships, his role as a father, and the pressure to inspire others while seeking his sense of purpose. From childhood dreams to adult reckonings, The Seven Ages of Olajuwon captures the resilience of a young man coming into his own, offering a poignant exploration of growth, redemption, and the power of storytelling to reclaim one’s narrative. The Seven Ages of Olajuwon is supported by the Berlinale Pro Initiative and Film Independent.
About Being Selected for the St. Louis Film Project
When I travel the world as a director and filmmaker, I’m always asked, “Why do you live in St. Louis?” St. Louis City has been my home for over two decades, and in that time, its relationship to filmmaking and cinema has been complicated. As I’ve been able to evolve my work and engage in the global dialogue that is cinema, it’s extremely exciting for the STLFP to align its support with my project and career at such a critical moment. I believe this significant step forward to engage filmmakers and help them elevate their work can and will have a lasting effect.
Bobby Herrera | Filmmaker
Bobby Herrera Filmmaker
Bobby Herrera is a St. Louis-based Latino independent narrative and documentary filmmaker. He is a Berlinale Talent and Doc Station participant, Sundance Feature Film Fellow, an SFFILM Westridge Grant Winner, and, most recently, an Antigravity Academy Fellow and Film Independent Documentary Story Lab Fellow. Herrera shot, directed, and edited the feature-length documentary, THE GRAY SEASONS, which premiered in festivals in 2011 and earned global distribution to platforms and cable networks. His no-budget indie feature narrative, PALACIOS, premiered in 2017 and was picked up for distribution by Freestyle Digital Media. Herrera executive-produced and directed the doc/reality show, HANGIN’ WITH LOS HENRYS, which garnered over 35 million views on YouTube.
Herrera is currently developing his feature narrative, PINK CASA, with Antigravity Academy and the support of Sundance Institute and SFFILM. He is also creating his next feature documentary, THE SEVEN AGES OF OLAJUWON, with the support of Film Independent and the Berlinale Pro Initiative. Herrera was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, and studied art, literature, and philosophy at Baylor University and architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. He also produces and directs content for clients, as well as commercials and fine art projects.
InkBlot Narratives Production Partners
InkBlot Narratives is a documentary production studio co-founded by veteran nonfiction producers Aaron Bowden and Erik Becker. With decades of combined experience in investigative storytelling, multi-platform production and premium non-fiction narrative work, InkBlot Narratives brings a deep commitment to truth-seeking, cinematic texture and an audience-first sensibility to every project.
Damon Davis Producer
Damon is a post-disciplinary, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and artist whose work is featured in the permanent collections of prominent institutions, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Damon is a fellow of Firelight Media, Sundance Labs, TED, and the Kennedy Center. He is the co-director of the critically acclaimed documentary “Whose Streets?” (2017) and executive producer of The Holly (2022).
Kirsten Johnson Executive Producer
Kirsten is a highly acclaimed documentary filmmaker. Her camerawork appears in, among others, Academy Award-winner Citizen Four (2014), Academy-nominated The Invisible War (2012), and Cannes-winner Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004). Her debut film, Cameraperson (2016), which was named to the New York Times’ “Top Ten Films of 2016,” was also shortlisted for the Academy Award. Her film Dick Johnson is Dead (2020) premiered at Sundance 2020 and was shortlisted for the Oscars. She recently EP’d the highly acclaimed A Photographic Memory (2024). Her next project is a scripted feature film based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Susan Sontag.
Unlocked
Sentenced to life for crimes committed as teenagers, a group in Missouri’s death row prison teaches themselves to code without access to the internet. When their tenacious leaders, Jessica and Chris, are released after over 25 years of incarceration, they use their coding skills to launch a movement against the exploitative prison education space, profoundly reimagining the future of justice in America.
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Film Synopsis
A group in a Missouri death row prison teach themselves to code without access to the internet. When their leaders, Jessica and Chris, are released after over 25 years of incarceration, they use their coding skills to launch a reform movement within the prison education space, reimagining the future of justice in America.
About Being Selected for the St. Louis Film Project
In a shifting film landscape and at a time of great sociopolitical uncertainty, finding support for documentaries is both more important and more difficult than ever. We are thrilled to have found support here at home and look forward to this partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and Continuity STL.
Luke Terrell | Director
Luke Terrell Director
Originally from Chicago and now based in St. Louis, Luke’s work in documentary has focused on stories connected to disability and incarceration. His feature debut, Gabe, about his friend with muscular dystrophy, won Best Documentary at the St. Louis International Film Festival and FirstGlance Los Angeles, and Best Director at the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase. His most recently produced feature, Your Friend, Memphis, was supported by the International Documentary Association, Kartemquin Films, Film Independent, Docs in Progress, the Derek Freese Documentary Fund, and the Big Sky Pitch Competition, and premiered at SXSW 2022. Both features were sold by Submarine Entertainment. He produced the short, Groundhog Town, which premiered at the 2022 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and was acquired by The New Yorker. Luke has filmed in prisons for the documentary Gumbo Coalition, directed by Oscar-winner Barbara Kopple, and Robert T. Herrera’s The Seven Ages of Olajuwon, which was selected for Berlinale Talents and Doc Station in 2024. He does extensive work with the Midwest non-profits Starkloff Disability Institute (focused on meaningful employment for people with disabilities) and the MacArthur Justice Center (representing people abused by the criminal legal system).
