Continuity & RAC Announce $500K ARPA Grant Recipients for STL Film Project

ST. LOUIS - EntSun -- The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC), in partnership with Continuity, is excited to announce the grant recipients of the St. Louis Film Project funded by a grant from ARPA for the Arts.

Each filmmaker will receive a grant up to $100,000 to produce documentaries and feature films in St. Louis. Projects require 75 percent of the grant funds to be spent in St. Louis City and must be completed by January 2026.

St. Louis Film Project Grant Recipients:

• Luke Terrell – Unlocked
• This is a documentary about a group of Missouri prisoners who teach themselves to code without access to the Internet. When two prisoners are released after 25 years of incarceration, they use their coding skills to create a start-up that will upend the current prison education system.
• Bobby Herrara – The Seven Ages of Olagiwun
• Told on stage and through over 16 years of intimate, powerful footage, this documentary tracks a talented Black performer as he navigates the challenges of unrealistic expectations and injustice.
• Chris Lawing – Greg's Going to Rehab
• Greg's Going to Rehab is a 1980s coming-of-age feature film that focuses on a 16-year-old metalhead who struggles with drug addiction, navigates 80s culture, and commits to recovery.
• Liz Peterson – A Steak Guerilla in St. Louis
• A compelling documentary chronicling Dr. Arturo Montemayor Taca's journey from a respected surgeon to a revolutionary leader in the Filipino Democracy Movement.
• Darryl Frierson – 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.

The St. Louis Film Project is part of the ARPA for the Arts Tourism Recovery grants and is modeled after the successful St. Louis Mural Project. It aims to foster a vibrant local film and media arts scene by investing $500,000 in local creators and bringing together film/TV and content enthusiasts, industry professionals, and the public for screenings, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.

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All submissions were reviewed and scored by a selection committee made up of RAC staff, RAC commissioners, Continuity staff, and a panel of leading professionals from the film and media arts industry.

In addition to grants and film screenings, the St. Louis Film Project will host various events designed to promote awardees, facilitate industry access, and elevate St. Louis as a hub for creative storytelling.

RAC and Continuity will host a film showcase event in March 2026 to allow the public to enjoy each of these projects.

Visit https://www.continuitystl.org/ for more info.