Webster Film Series
@wufilmseries.bsky.social
The Webster University Film Series, St. Louis' cinematic alternative since 1979. www.webster.edu/film-series
Good thing we've held onto this poster all this time...
(Returning to the Webster Film Series December 9 and 11!)
(Returning to the Webster Film Series December 9 and 11!)
November 14, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Good thing we've held onto this poster all this time...
(Returning to the Webster Film Series December 9 and 11!)
(Returning to the Webster Film Series December 9 and 11!)
November calendar! Watch out for irregular, nonconsecutive runs this month:
11/8, 14-15: SLIFF
11/9, 13, 16, & 27: Orwell: 2+2=5 (from Raoul Peck, director of I am Not Your Negro and distributor Neon) (and yes, 11/27 is Thanksgiving)
11/22-23, 25, & 28: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
11/8, 14-15: SLIFF
11/9, 13, 16, & 27: Orwell: 2+2=5 (from Raoul Peck, director of I am Not Your Negro and distributor Neon) (and yes, 11/27 is Thanksgiving)
11/22-23, 25, & 28: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
November 3, 2025 at 8:14 PM
November calendar! Watch out for irregular, nonconsecutive runs this month:
11/8, 14-15: SLIFF
11/9, 13, 16, & 27: Orwell: 2+2=5 (from Raoul Peck, director of I am Not Your Negro and distributor Neon) (and yes, 11/27 is Thanksgiving)
11/22-23, 25, & 28: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
11/8, 14-15: SLIFF
11/9, 13, 16, & 27: Orwell: 2+2=5 (from Raoul Peck, director of I am Not Your Negro and distributor Neon) (and yes, 11/27 is Thanksgiving)
11/22-23, 25, & 28: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
TONIGHT is a special Halloween show of Jim Hosking's 2016 horror/anticomedy whatsit THE GREASY STRANGLER, showing at 7:00pm! Please do not come in costume, especially if your costume involves slathering yourself with grease.
October 31, 2025 at 4:15 PM
TONIGHT is a special Halloween show of Jim Hosking's 2016 horror/anticomedy whatsit THE GREASY STRANGLER, showing at 7:00pm! Please do not come in costume, especially if your costume involves slathering yourself with grease.
TONIGHT is our one-night-only show of Chan-wook Park's underseen 2009 effort, THIRST, wherein Parasite patriarch Song Kang-ho plays a Catholic priest on the wrong end of a medical experiment and comes out the other side a horny vampire, resulting in a crisis of faith. Showtime 7:00pm, no trailers.
October 23, 2025 at 4:24 PM
TONIGHT is our one-night-only show of Chan-wook Park's underseen 2009 effort, THIRST, wherein Parasite patriarch Song Kang-ho plays a Catholic priest on the wrong end of a medical experiment and comes out the other side a horny vampire, resulting in a crisis of faith. Showtime 7:00pm, no trailers.
TONIGHT, tomorrow, + Sunday we're showing Hal Hartley's first new feature in a decade, WHERE TO LAND, in its St. Louis premiere & exclusive run! Showtime 7:00pm each night. Here Hartley reteams with some he helped make stars--Bill Sage, Edie Falco, Robert John Burke--for a quick and delightful film.
October 17, 2025 at 4:28 PM
TONIGHT, tomorrow, + Sunday we're showing Hal Hartley's first new feature in a decade, WHERE TO LAND, in its St. Louis premiere & exclusive run! Showtime 7:00pm each night. Here Hartley reteams with some he helped make stars--Bill Sage, Edie Falco, Robert John Burke--for a quick and delightful film.
TONIGHT our mini Hal Hartley retro continues with his 1997 Cannes best screenplay prizewinner HENRY FOOL, starring James Urbaniak, Thomas Jay Ryan, and Parker Posey!
Showtime 7:00pm. Henry Fool is arguably Hartley's highest esteemed and most beloved film these days. Where to Land starts tomorrow!
Showtime 7:00pm. Henry Fool is arguably Hartley's highest esteemed and most beloved film these days. Where to Land starts tomorrow!
October 16, 2025 at 4:16 PM
TONIGHT our mini Hal Hartley retro continues with his 1997 Cannes best screenplay prizewinner HENRY FOOL, starring James Urbaniak, Thomas Jay Ryan, and Parker Posey!
Showtime 7:00pm. Henry Fool is arguably Hartley's highest esteemed and most beloved film these days. Where to Land starts tomorrow!
Showtime 7:00pm. Henry Fool is arguably Hartley's highest esteemed and most beloved film these days. Where to Land starts tomorrow!
TONIGHT our brief Hal Hartley retro continues with his sophomore feature, 1990's TRUST, at 7:00pm! Reteaming with The Unbelievable Truth star Adrienne Shelly, between those two films we see Hartley beat down a path later followed by Anderson, Baumbach, Stillman, etc. OOP on physical! Hard to stream!
October 14, 2025 at 4:07 PM
TONIGHT our brief Hal Hartley retro continues with his sophomore feature, 1990's TRUST, at 7:00pm! Reteaming with The Unbelievable Truth star Adrienne Shelly, between those two films we see Hartley beat down a path later followed by Anderson, Baumbach, Stillman, etc. OOP on physical! Hard to stream!
TONIGHT at 7:00pm is THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH, the first of three Hal Hartley classics we're running before we premiere his new one next week. Unbelievable is a key text in the 90s American independent cinema boom (despite being from 1989...) and unavailable to legally stream. Don't miss your chance!
October 9, 2025 at 4:19 PM
TONIGHT at 7:00pm is THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH, the first of three Hal Hartley classics we're running before we premiere his new one next week. Unbelievable is a key text in the 90s American independent cinema boom (despite being from 1989...) and unavailable to legally stream. Don't miss your chance!
October calendar!
FIRST RUN:
10/4-5 + 7: Riefenstahl
10/10-12: Happyend
10/24-26: My Undesirable Friends
HAL HARTLEY:
10/9: The Unbelievable Truth
10/14: Trust
10/16: Henry Fool
FIRST RUN HAL HARTLEY:
10/17-19: Where to Land
SCARY (?):
10/23: Thirst (Chan-wook Park)
10/31: The Greasy Strangler
FIRST RUN:
10/4-5 + 7: Riefenstahl
10/10-12: Happyend
10/24-26: My Undesirable Friends
HAL HARTLEY:
10/9: The Unbelievable Truth
10/14: Trust
10/16: Henry Fool
FIRST RUN HAL HARTLEY:
10/17-19: Where to Land
SCARY (?):
10/23: Thirst (Chan-wook Park)
10/31: The Greasy Strangler
October 2, 2025 at 3:52 PM
October calendar!
FIRST RUN:
10/4-5 + 7: Riefenstahl
10/10-12: Happyend
10/24-26: My Undesirable Friends
HAL HARTLEY:
10/9: The Unbelievable Truth
10/14: Trust
10/16: Henry Fool
FIRST RUN HAL HARTLEY:
10/17-19: Where to Land
SCARY (?):
10/23: Thirst (Chan-wook Park)
10/31: The Greasy Strangler
FIRST RUN:
10/4-5 + 7: Riefenstahl
10/10-12: Happyend
10/24-26: My Undesirable Friends
HAL HARTLEY:
10/9: The Unbelievable Truth
10/14: Trust
10/16: Henry Fool
FIRST RUN HAL HARTLEY:
10/17-19: Where to Land
SCARY (?):
10/23: Thirst (Chan-wook Park)
10/31: The Greasy Strangler
September calendar!
9/5-7: Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass (Quay Bros)
9/11-12: Diciannove (Luca G. produces)
9/13-14: Abiding Nowhere (Tsai Ming-liang; pay what you wish admission)
9/18 + 27-28: By the Stream (Hong Sangsoo)
9/19-21: Stranger Eyes (Singaporean surveillance thriller)
9/5-7: Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass (Quay Bros)
9/11-12: Diciannove (Luca G. produces)
9/13-14: Abiding Nowhere (Tsai Ming-liang; pay what you wish admission)
9/18 + 27-28: By the Stream (Hong Sangsoo)
9/19-21: Stranger Eyes (Singaporean surveillance thriller)
September 2, 2025 at 7:40 PM
September calendar!
9/5-7: Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass (Quay Bros)
9/11-12: Diciannove (Luca G. produces)
9/13-14: Abiding Nowhere (Tsai Ming-liang; pay what you wish admission)
9/18 + 27-28: By the Stream (Hong Sangsoo)
9/19-21: Stranger Eyes (Singaporean surveillance thriller)
9/5-7: Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass (Quay Bros)
9/11-12: Diciannove (Luca G. produces)
9/13-14: Abiding Nowhere (Tsai Ming-liang; pay what you wish admission)
9/18 + 27-28: By the Stream (Hong Sangsoo)
9/19-21: Stranger Eyes (Singaporean surveillance thriller)
TONIGHT brings Michelangelo Frammartino's gorgeous debut, IL DONO, at 7:30pm! Frammartino has made just three features in his 20+ year career; this one, Le Quattro Volte, and Il Buco. He has a unique approach to slow cinema and is a singular voice. In Italian, left deliberately unsubtitled.
August 28, 2025 at 5:26 PM
TONIGHT brings Michelangelo Frammartino's gorgeous debut, IL DONO, at 7:30pm! Frammartino has made just three features in his 20+ year career; this one, Le Quattro Volte, and Il Buco. He has a unique approach to slow cinema and is a singular voice. In Italian, left deliberately unsubtitled.
TONIGHT is our one-off show of Marva Nabili's THE SEALED SOIL, the earliest surviving feature film directed by an Iranian woman! Newly restored in 4K to boot. Shot on 16mm, it had to be smuggled out of the country for developing and editing. Showtime 7:30 p.m.
August 21, 2025 at 4:25 PM
TONIGHT is our one-off show of Marva Nabili's THE SEALED SOIL, the earliest surviving feature film directed by an Iranian woman! Newly restored in 4K to boot. Shot on 16mm, it had to be smuggled out of the country for developing and editing. Showtime 7:30 p.m.
TONIGHT (& tomorrow & Sunday) we're running the new doc DROP DEAD CITY at 7:30pm each night! A wonkish but entertaining look at NYC's 1975 financial crisis and how they got out of it, Variety praises how the film “charts how those pivotal months of 1975 unfolded like a thriller."
August 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM
TONIGHT (& tomorrow & Sunday) we're running the new doc DROP DEAD CITY at 7:30pm each night! A wonkish but entertaining look at NYC's 1975 financial crisis and how they got out of it, Variety praises how the film “charts how those pivotal months of 1975 unfolded like a thriller."
August!
1-3: Drop Dead City (NYC doc)
8-10: Jem Cohen's Little, Big, & Far
15-17: King Hu's The Fate of Lee Khan w/ Hsu Feng, Angela Mao
21: The Sealed Soil
22-24: Souleymane's Story
26: En el Séptimo Día / On the Seventh Day
28: Il Dono
29-31: Taxi zum Klo (new 4K restoration!)
1-3: Drop Dead City (NYC doc)
8-10: Jem Cohen's Little, Big, & Far
15-17: King Hu's The Fate of Lee Khan w/ Hsu Feng, Angela Mao
21: The Sealed Soil
22-24: Souleymane's Story
26: En el Séptimo Día / On the Seventh Day
28: Il Dono
29-31: Taxi zum Klo (new 4K restoration!)
July 31, 2025 at 9:14 PM
August!
1-3: Drop Dead City (NYC doc)
8-10: Jem Cohen's Little, Big, & Far
15-17: King Hu's The Fate of Lee Khan w/ Hsu Feng, Angela Mao
21: The Sealed Soil
22-24: Souleymane's Story
26: En el Séptimo Día / On the Seventh Day
28: Il Dono
29-31: Taxi zum Klo (new 4K restoration!)
1-3: Drop Dead City (NYC doc)
8-10: Jem Cohen's Little, Big, & Far
15-17: King Hu's The Fate of Lee Khan w/ Hsu Feng, Angela Mao
21: The Sealed Soil
22-24: Souleymane's Story
26: En el Séptimo Día / On the Seventh Day
28: Il Dono
29-31: Taxi zum Klo (new 4K restoration!)
TONIGHT (& tomorrow & Sunday) we're showing French master Albert Serra's first foray into documentary filmmaking, the bullfighting doc AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE, at 7:30pm each night! Regardless your feelings about bullfighting, pro or con, you're likely to find this film to be incredible.
July 25, 2025 at 4:22 PM
TONIGHT (& tomorrow & Sunday) we're showing French master Albert Serra's first foray into documentary filmmaking, the bullfighting doc AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE, at 7:30pm each night! Regardless your feelings about bullfighting, pro or con, you're likely to find this film to be incredible.
TONIGHT is the one-night-only show of David Lynch's debut as an actor, 1988's ZELLY & ME, where he plays the romantic interest of Isabella Rossellini's character. (Lynch and Rossellini were dating irl at the time.) Currently unstreamable and rarely screened. Showtime 7:30pm sharp; no trailers.
July 17, 2025 at 4:03 PM
TONIGHT is the one-night-only show of David Lynch's debut as an actor, 1988's ZELLY & ME, where he plays the romantic interest of Isabella Rossellini's character. (Lynch and Rossellini were dating irl at the time.) Currently unstreamable and rarely screened. Showtime 7:30pm sharp; no trailers.
TONIGHT (& tomorrow & Sunday) we're showing the new 4K restoration of Tsui Hark's 1984 slapstick gem SHANGHAI BLUES at 7:30pm each night! Shanghai Blues stars Kenny Bee, Sylvia Chang, and Sally Yeh--legends of Hong Kong cinema all--and Hark is the guy behind Peking Opera Blues, OUaTiC, tons more.
July 11, 2025 at 4:15 PM
TONIGHT (& tomorrow & Sunday) we're showing the new 4K restoration of Tsui Hark's 1984 slapstick gem SHANGHAI BLUES at 7:30pm each night! Shanghai Blues stars Kenny Bee, Sylvia Chang, and Sally Yeh--legends of Hong Kong cinema all--and Hark is the guy behind Peking Opera Blues, OUaTiC, tons more.
TONIGHT we're running Wes Craven's original 1996 SCREAM from laserdisc in Winifred Moore at 7:30pm! Usual admission prices apply. Laserdiscs of course being the first home video format to come in optical disc form, and Scream was one of the best-selling and most beloved of the format.
July 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
TONIGHT we're running Wes Craven's original 1996 SCREAM from laserdisc in Winifred Moore at 7:30pm! Usual admission prices apply. Laserdiscs of course being the first home video format to come in optical disc form, and Scream was one of the best-selling and most beloved of the format.
The original Ghostface Killer is on the loose! TONIGHT (4th of July), tomorrow, and Sunday we're playing the 1979 kung fu basher THE MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING at 7:00pm each night. Subbed Friday and Sunday, dubbed Saturday only. New digital restoration thanks to RZA. Note early start time.
July 4, 2025 at 3:21 PM
The original Ghostface Killer is on the loose! TONIGHT (4th of July), tomorrow, and Sunday we're playing the 1979 kung fu basher THE MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING at 7:00pm each night. Subbed Friday and Sunday, dubbed Saturday only. New digital restoration thanks to RZA. Note early start time.
TONIGHT (& tomorrow & Sunday) we're showing Jia Zhangke's newest, CAUGHT BY THE TIDES, at 7:30pm each night! Jia is a favorite filmmaker around here--we just wrapped up a mini retrospective on him this past Tuesday--and CbtT is one of his most acclaimed yet.
June 6, 2025 at 4:06 PM
TONIGHT (& tomorrow & Sunday) we're showing Jia Zhangke's newest, CAUGHT BY THE TIDES, at 7:30pm each night! Jia is a favorite filmmaker around here--we just wrapped up a mini retrospective on him this past Tuesday--and CbtT is one of his most acclaimed yet.
TONIGHT is MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART, our final Jia Zhangke retrospective show before Friday's opening of his new one, Caught by the Tides! MMD was a 2015 Cannes entrant but has somehow never played on the big screen in St. Louis before now. Showtime 7:30pm.
June 3, 2025 at 3:56 PM
TONIGHT is MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART, our final Jia Zhangke retrospective show before Friday's opening of his new one, Caught by the Tides! MMD was a 2015 Cannes entrant but has somehow never played on the big screen in St. Louis before now. Showtime 7:30pm.
June lineup:
6/1: April
6/3: Mountains May Depart (2015 Jia, shamefully belated St. Louis theatrical premiere)
6/6-8: Caught by the Tides (new Jia Zhangke!)
6/21-22: Most People Die on Sundays (Argentinian LGBTQ Jewish comedy/drama)
6/27-29: Dogtooth (new 4K restoration)
6/1: April
6/3: Mountains May Depart (2015 Jia, shamefully belated St. Louis theatrical premiere)
6/6-8: Caught by the Tides (new Jia Zhangke!)
6/21-22: Most People Die on Sundays (Argentinian LGBTQ Jewish comedy/drama)
6/27-29: Dogtooth (new 4K restoration)
June 2, 2025 at 5:15 PM
June lineup:
6/1: April
6/3: Mountains May Depart (2015 Jia, shamefully belated St. Louis theatrical premiere)
6/6-8: Caught by the Tides (new Jia Zhangke!)
6/21-22: Most People Die on Sundays (Argentinian LGBTQ Jewish comedy/drama)
6/27-29: Dogtooth (new 4K restoration)
6/1: April
6/3: Mountains May Depart (2015 Jia, shamefully belated St. Louis theatrical premiere)
6/6-8: Caught by the Tides (new Jia Zhangke!)
6/21-22: Most People Die on Sundays (Argentinian LGBTQ Jewish comedy/drama)
6/27-29: Dogtooth (new 4K restoration)
TONIGHT (& tomorrow & Sunday) we're running one of our most anticipated titles of 2025, Dea Kulumbegashvili's sophomore effort APRIL, at 7:30pm each night! Dea is the Georgian director of 2020's Beginning, surely the best debut feature of the past 5 years. An incredible level of talent & ambition!
May 30, 2025 at 4:00 PM
TONIGHT (& tomorrow & Sunday) we're running one of our most anticipated titles of 2025, Dea Kulumbegashvili's sophomore effort APRIL, at 7:30pm each night! Dea is the Georgian director of 2020's Beginning, surely the best debut feature of the past 5 years. An incredible level of talent & ambition!
TONIGHT is the final film of our months-long, 17-film Frederick Wiseman retrospective, PUBLIC HOUSING! Showtime on this one is an early-for-us 6:30pm and the film will be running without trailers, so expect it on the screen promptly at 6:30. No intermission, either, as is Wiseman's preference.
May 29, 2025 at 4:10 PM
TONIGHT is the final film of our months-long, 17-film Frederick Wiseman retrospective, PUBLIC HOUSING! Showtime on this one is an early-for-us 6:30pm and the film will be running without trailers, so expect it on the screen promptly at 6:30. No intermission, either, as is Wiseman's preference.
TONIGHT we return to our brief Jia Zhangke retrospective with a screening of his 2004 film THE WORLD at 7:30pm! This was the first film he made with state approval & it remains one of his best. Also note that we did a late add of Mountains May Depart to this Jia retro, now playing a week from today.
May 27, 2025 at 3:34 PM
TONIGHT we return to our brief Jia Zhangke retrospective with a screening of his 2004 film THE WORLD at 7:30pm! This was the first film he made with state approval & it remains one of his best. Also note that we did a late add of Mountains May Depart to this Jia retro, now playing a week from today.