Posted 7:55 p.m. Sun. Nov. 16 - Max Cole brings her signature bands of feather-like vertical strokes in a collection of subtle paintings at Schmidt Contemporary Art. (Photo of "Snow" Courtesy of Schmidt Contemporary Art)

Posted 11 p.m. Sun., Nov. 16 - The pick of the night remains 'Vanaja,' as Nick Otten notes why 'Wendy & Lucy' and 'A Good Day to be Black and Sexy' just aren't as good.

Updated 2:58p.m. Sun., Nov. 16 -  "Kassim the Dream," which plays in prime time at the Tivol, is as strong and complex a documentary as its subject: a young man, kidnapped and tortured as a child and forced to be a soldier, he uses his boxing skills to escape Uganda, but not his nightmares.And nightmares could be the stuff of "The Objective."

Posted 5 a.m., Monday, Nov. 17 - If you think you're not getting as much from Nick this week, check out the Film Festival coverage because he's been adding several reviews there. And one of the movies he saw at a film club showing - I've Loved You So Long - is likely to be a big draw on the final day of the festival.

Greg Severin on behalf of Legal Legal Services of Eastern Missouri tells us that the organization has received a $10,000 grant from MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger for food stamp advocacy and community education efforts.   

Rabbi Daniel Plotkin presented the check to Daniel K. Glazier, Executive Director and General Counsel for Legal Services, on behalf of MAZON on Friday, Oct. 24, at B’nai El Congregation in Town and Country. 

“I want to thank MAZON for its generous grant,” said Glazier.  “The funds we received from MAZON will allow us to continue the fight against hunger through our Health and Welfare Unit. I also want to thank Rabbi Plotkin and the B’nai El Congregation for inviting me to their Congregation to accept this grant.” 

Legal Service’s Health and Welfare unit addresses low-income health care issues and problems related to state-administered public assistance programs. The unit provides a lifeline for low-income individuals in need of health care, income support, food assistance, and critical work supports.  

Founded in 1985, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national non-profit agency that allocates donations from the Jewish community to prevent and alleviate hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds. Each year, MAZON grants over $4 million to more than 300 carefully screened hunger-relief agencies, including emergency food providers, food banks, multi-service organizations and advocacy groups that seek long-term solutions to the hunger problem. 

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is an independent, non-profit organization that has provided legal assistance in civil cases to the low-income community for more than 50 years. In 2007, the organization represented over 7,100 clients in 21 counties.

Posted, 12:20, Friday, Nov. 14 - Missouri Poet Laureate Walter Bargen has a full schedule of appearances, including as guest critic at a workshop Sunday by the St. Louis Poetry Center. What he seldom has time to do these days is write poetry. (Photo by Robert Lowes)

Posted 11:45 a.m., Fri., Nov. 14 - Gloria Taylor learned about poverty and started the Community Women Against Hardship center in midtown St. Louis to help families with basic needs. Jerome Scrooge Harris had a vision of passing his jazz knowledge to a new generation. He joined with Taylor and works to inspire budding musicians. (Photo by Roscoe Crenshaw)

Posted 6 p.m. Sat. Nov. 22 - From the intensity of art to the intensity of soccer, two films open up worlds that speak in their own languages to select audiences or vast audiences.

Posted, 4:15 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12 - Tim Liddy's trompe L'oeil paintings of vintage board game boxes would have been a kitsch-fest in less skilled hands. But the "Stratagem" show at the William Shearburn Gallery is culturally revealing and stimulating.