From metro-east to San Francisco, filmmaker brings 15th film to showcase

On a family trip to Hollywood as a youngster, Ashley Seering’s eyes were opened to the possibility of a career in filmmaking. Today, she is helping others realize their dreams after keeping hers alive as well.

The Mascoutah native will screen her 15th film in the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, which is being held July 17-19 and July 24-26 at the Hi-Pointe Theatre, 1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis.

Her 2025 documentary short, “A Lovely Uncontrollable Thing,” will be screened as part of a program at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 26. She profiles Pennsylvania artist and metalsmith Victoria Moore, one of the few women working with Damascus steel forging.

“I am always honored to be included in the Showcase and proud to be a part of this St. Louis community, ever since I graduated from SIUE in 2014. They gave me my whole career. They helped forge my paths,” she said.

The documentary explores craftsmanship, creativity and perseverance through an intimate portrait of an artist mastering a demanding and historically male-dominated craft. The 11-minute film shows the artist transforming raw materials by hand.

“She also redefines happiness and success on her terms, proving that a meaningful life is built one piece at a time,” Seering said.

While teaching at Penn State, Seering said she connected with Moore during a pickup basketball game.

“I thought she was incredibly interesting. She told me about the Damascus steel, and I thought she’d make a great subject. We became friends, and then I moved away. I went back to shoot the film last year,” she said.

The film is currently on its festival run and has received numerous honors, including the Juror’s Choice Award at the Centre Film Festival and Best Beyond Texas Film at the Heatwave Media & Film Festival.

Seering, 34, lives in San Francisco and teaches filmmaking at San Jose State University, where she is an assistant professor in the Department of Film, Theatre and Dance.

“I teach all aspects of film production,” she said. “I help them understand the realities of the business.”

Growing up in Mascoutah, Seering said she didn’t know anyone making movies or interested in pursuing it as a career. While touring Warner Brothers Studios with her family, she said something awakened in her.

“Suddenly, it felt real, accessible, that people make a living at this. It really sparked my interest. I had a creative itch to scratch,” she said.

At Mascoutah Community High School, she was also interested in journalism, writing for the school paper. She graduated in 2010 and went on to study mass communications at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She worked on The Alestle, the campus newspaper.

She said that background fueled her passion for documentary filmmaking. “I was just as passionate about films as I was the news,” she said.

While at SIUE, she founded Night Owl Productions and produced a series of documentary shorts that examined local communities and social issues: “Everything Will Be Forgotten” (2013), “Renewed” (2015), “Sanctuary” (2017) and “Such and Such” (2018).

Her largest project to date, “The Heroin Project,” explored the opioid epidemic in Madison County, Illinois. The 2015 feature documentary, made with Cory Booker, examined the effects of addiction on individuals, families, health care providers, law enforcement and the broader community. The film is currently used as an educational tool in schools and treatment facilities in Madison County and elsewhere.

Relocating to the West Coast in 2018, she earned a master’s degree in film and TV production, concentrating on nonfiction directing, at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles in 2021.

During her graduate studies, she directed “Valley Relics” (2019) and “Postcards” (2021), both of which explored themes of memory, history and place.

Seering’s first film after graduate school, “Pride of Texas” (2023), is a documentary short about the Texas Gay Rodeo Association. The film highlights a vibrant LGBTQ+ community that blends tradition, identity and advocacy through the sport of rodeo.

Screening at nearly two dozen film festivals, including QFest St. Louis, “Pride of Texas” earned a Lone Star Emmy nomination and a Broadcast Education Association Best of Competition Award.

While documentary filmmaking remains the foundation of her work, Seering has also explored animated, narrative and experimental forms. Films such as “American Void” (2017), “hiraeth” (2018), “Assemblage” (2019) and the animated short “Last Bite” (2020) allowed her to experiment with different storytelling approaches.

To view a trailer of “A Lovely Uncontrollable Thing,” visit: https://vimeo.com/1128356566?fl=pl&fe=sh

St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase

Presented by Cinema St. Louis, the 2026 Showcase features 69 films across 14 curated programs — each written, directed, edited or produced by local St. Louis filmmakers or artists with strong ties to the community.

Now in its 26th year, this year’s theme, “A SHARED LIGHT,” reflects the collective spirit that continues to fuel St. Louis filmmakers and their work.

This year’s annual festival includes “Red Brick Blue Tarp,” a documentary about rebuilding following last year’s devastating tornado, and “Chasing Summer,” a romantic comedy filmed in St. Louis last summer.

Of the 69 films selected, 26 are student works from local colleges, 15 mark the debut of first-time directors, and 25 were created by artists under 30.

“Together, they offer a vibrant, varied glimpse into the energy and vision shaping today’s local film scene,” said Cinema St. Louis Festival Director Emmett Williams.

“Year after year, St. Louis artists push boundaries and capture the true heart of our film community. We thrive because we build together, cultivating an environment rich in mentorship, collaboration, and mutual support. This Showcase proves that when we share our light, we show the world exactly who we are,” Williams said.

The festival wraps with the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hi-Pointe, followed by the film “Gangland,” starring Lou Diamond Phillips and produced by St. Louis filmmaker Cole Payne. Phillips plays a weathered tribal police officer tracking a vengeful ex-con.

Cinema St. Louis will present jury prizes, including the $1,000 Essy Award for best showcase film, and announce which selections will screen at the 35th annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival this November.

For more information, visit Purchase Tickets and Passes at: https://festivals.cinemastlouis.org/showcase2026/