Psycho Films, Local Filmmakers Premier Their Movie Welcome to Shirley at the Tivoli

Psycho Films, an independent film company located in the St. Louis area, is putting their name on the map nationally with the premier of their fourth feature film, Welcome to Shirley. After more than one year of hard work, the young filmmakers at Psycho Films enjoyed a night of celebration as their movie premiered to more than 600 people in St. Louis Tuesday night at the Tivoli Theater in the Loop.

The premier show sold out four days before the night of the premier. An additional time was added earlier in the evening to accommodate those who wanted to see the film, but missed out on tickets for the red carpet event. Several premiers are planned over the next few weeks in cities nationwide, including Columbia, Missouri, Los Angeles, California and New York City, New York.

Psycho Films began when front man, 2010 Ladue high school graduate, Joe Weil, along with a few friends came up with the name and began making movies while they were in middle school.

“We always kept it (the name) even the short crappy films we did in 8th grade were under that title,” said Weil, currently a film student at the University of Southern California.

“We wanted to be true to our identity and where we came from. That is sort of the roots of us with this name we came up with when we were in Middle School. We have built a reputation under it. And now we are proud to say that people in the St. Louis arts community know who Psycho Films is. We are sought after to work with and that is very special for us,” said Weil.

Psycho Film’s latest project, Welcome to Shirley, is a quirky film about the eccentric Bannerham family brought back together because of the death of their Patriarch and town bowling hero. The film explores an honest, yet comedic look at the flaws of family, the vulnerabilities in relationships, and life in a small town. It addresses bereavement and unresolved family issues while trying to keep it all together.

Welcome to Shirley is a collaboration between several people but at the core is Joe Weil, Director, Jake Torchin, Associate Producer, Blake Lawrence, Executive producer and Paul Brick, Screenwriter.

“We are all kind of cogs in a machine. We all do a part. Each one does what he does best. That result is a huge collaborated project that so many people specialized on,” said Torchin.

St. Louis moviegoers have one more opportunity to view Welcome to Shirley at a special matinee Monday morning at 11:00 a.m. at the Tivoli Theater in the Loop.

Tomorrow, come back for an in depth look at a conversation with the filmmakers of Welcome to Shirley.