Faizan Ahmed Khan

@faizanahmed

I'm a filmmaker and visual storyteller originally from Karachi, Pakistan, now based in St. Louis, Missouri. My background spans directing, producing, and editing across commercials, branded content, and narrative shorts. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to work with some amazing teams, collaborating with directors I admire and brands like Pepsi, KFC, and Unilever. I’m currently listed with the Missouri Film Office and love bringing an international perspective to local stories. My work is often shaped by themes like identity, memory, and human connection, whether I’m leading a crew or grabbing a camera myself. To me, filmmaking is more than just telling stories. It’s about capturing emotion in a way that feels honest and lingers with you. That’s what drives me, and that’s what I bring to every project I take on, including this one.

Thomas Dunn Learning Center

@tdlc-stl

Vision: "A region of diverse communities where all people live their best lives." Mission: "Building a sustainable region through education." Values: Education, Support, Community, Creativity Program Areas: Adult Education, Youth Enrichment, Arts & Culture, Community & Civics The Arts & Culure Programs provide free ongoing oportunities like "Open Art Studio", quilting, cooking, book clubs and signings, receptions in the Gallery Walkway or outside Sculpture Garden, clay workshops, summer youth camps, and more. Other offerings may include lectures, drumming, jewelry making, painting, dark room - most are free, others offer equity based pricing. Between TDLC programs and the 40+ partner programs, Thomas Dunn Learnig Center serves approximately 9000 people annually.

Phi

@dx_0777

I am a director. I am a writer. I am an actor. I am a model. I am a plethora of things but ultimately, I am a storyteller. Filmmaking is, at its core, visual storytelling and I have so many stories to tell. My body of work combines filmmaking and original writing/storytelling to explore culturally relevant themes and ideas in engaging, thrilling, and innovative ways. I draw inspiration from anything and everything. A sense of curiosity - the what, why, when, how - about the simplest of things such as a drop of water on a desk to profound concepts such as what makes one happy and the human condition has always piqued my interest. Films and shows of all genres has also creatively inspired me to explore these ideas and challenged me to present them in a manner that others can relate to. Along with being an award winning director, I am also a multi-agency repped model, and thus have had the pleasure of working with and learning from many different directors and their teams. Having been on both sides of the lens, these experiences grants me a unique sensibility of incorporating a fashion forward, stylish aesthetic, and energetically paced method into my films. My hope is that whoever watches my films will be completely immersed, entertained, and at the conclusion of it, ask “When is the next one coming?”

Forsyth School

@forsythschool

Forsyth School fosters a spirit of curiosity and joy, empowering children age 2 through Grade 6 to pursue challenges with confidence. At Forsyth, our talented and caring faculty encourage students to explore and question, enabling them to learn deeply. Each child's unique identity is known, celebrated, and nurtured by our supportive community. The results are profound: children take risks, pursue challenges, and find joy in learning. The "Forsyth experience" is enriched by the school's unique campus, location, and commitment to the natural world. Forsyth's values are the essential beliefs that describe our culture and characterize what we uphold: *We create an environment that encourages children to develop the confidence, courage, and resilience to persevere and embrace challenges in a *continually evolving world. *We celebrate each individual’s unique identity and ensure a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community to which all belong. *We practice kindness and compassion in our interactions with each other, our community, and the natural world. *We believe curiosity is the foundation for inquiry, innovation, and creativity. We encourage questioning in our search for knowledge, understanding, and excellence.

Cora Trout

@coratrout

I am a designer, illustrator, and writer whose work explores interior spaces and the built environment. I make books and paintings that examine the documentary, emotional, and memorial qualities of interiors. I have an unhealthy obsession with historic interiors and chairs, and they are often the subject matter of my paintings and writing. My most recent project is 62-page illustrated book titled Mise en Scène: Illustrating French Interiors, which combines paintings of interior spaces across Île-de-France with short writing passages that provide historical context and commentary. The book features ten different locations—from a formal ancien régime palace on the Place de la Concorde to a 1950s home in the western suburbs of Paris. Even across time periods, a certain gôut français inhabits all of these interiors. The paintings and research for this book were made possible by a two-month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris (September-October 2024). I earned my MFA from Washington University in St. Louis in 2024, and my BA with majors in French and Francophone Studies and Classics from Macalester College in 2016. My illustrated book, Looking Inside: Room Portraits of St. Louis, was the recipient of the Lewis E. Atherton Prize for an outstanding master’s thesis on Missouri history from the State Historical Society of Missouri. My work has also been recognized by American Illustration 42. Prior to joining the faculty at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, I worked as a designer and motion graphics artist in Minneapolis.

St. Louis Independent Comics Expo

@slice

The St. Louis Independent Comics Expo (SLICE) is an exposition of zines, chapbooks, lit mags, poetry, comics, small press authors, indie publishers, and print culture.

Rebecca Begis

@rebeccabegis

My paintings use bold colors and expressive brushstrokes to explore my perception of the past and its connection to my present life. I scour old black-and-white photographs for interesting people, reimagining their likenesses in oil paint. As I build up my paintings, I incorporate imagery drawn from both my life and imagination. My ultimate goal is to keep refining my voice as an artist and mastering my craft.

Theatre Guild of Webster Groves

@theatreguildofwebstergroves

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves has been providing community theatre to the St. Louis area since 1926.

Travis Scholl

@travisschollwriter

Travis Scholl is the author of Walking the Labyrinth. His most recent essays and poems have appeared in ANMLY, Essay Daily, Fourth Genre, and Saint Katherine Review. He holds a PhD in English and creative writing from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and an MDiv from Yale Divinity School. He has taught at Washington University and Concordia Seminary, and works as a mission leader at the nonprofit EverTrue.

Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center - El Sistema STL

@lnacstl

Inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema, our program was founded in 2009 and became one of the first official El Sistema “nucleos” in the U.S. The original El Sistema was created to empower children in poverty through ensemble music education—an approach that has impacted over 4 million youth worldwide. We proudly carry this legacy forward. The Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center Orchestral program is a social-change-through-music program rooted in the belief that access to high-quality music education can transform lives. We provide professional, college-level music training—completely free—to youth in St. Louis, with a focus on communities that have historically been underserved. Through orchestral performance, music theory, private lessons, and ensemble work, students gain discipline, confidence, and community. Our goal isn’t just to increase diversity in classical music—we aim to replace despair with creative engagement and personal growth.