Once Films
Cinematographer
Cheerleaders for St. Louis since their inception, Once Films is a documentary-style commercial production company that champions the stories of both leaders and underdogs, locals, eccentrics, community-centric groups, passion-driven people, characters, companies large and small, nonprofits, and just about anyone willing to take a risk and forge their own path. With a studio in the heart of Midtown, their work exists at the crossroads of original content and advertising, blending the best of both worlds. Discover more at oncefilms.com.
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Contributions
From bocce to red sauce, dig into
the enduring legacy of St. Louis’
Little Italy
How The Hill, a beloved St. Louis neighborhood shaped by Italian immigrants, uses its past to build a culture still centered around faith, food, and family.
2025 Year In Review: 40+ Inspiring
St. Louis Stories
From nationally beloved arts institutions and culinary stars to community leaders helping to rebuild after the tornado, take a look back at this year’s STLMade stories.
Put Down Roots
Michael and Tara Gallina’s Take Root Hospitality serves seasonally inspired and regionally sourced eats at three lauded spots in the St. Louis area, including Vicia.
Center Stage
For over 100 years, The Muny has been a jewel of U.S. musical theater and a vibrant cultural institution for generations of St. Louisans.
Ready to Roll
Arch Rival, St. Louis’ oldest roller derby league, celebrates 20 years of skating, competition, and belonging.
2024 Year In Review: 40+ Inspiring St. Louis Stories
From world-class artists and innovative entrepreneurs to culinary creatives and community trailblazers, take a look back at this year’s STLMade stories.
Paths Forward
Great Rivers Greenway is working to connect the region, one project and pathway at a time.
A Cornerstone of Culture
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis celebrates 20 years of art and growth in the Grand Center Arts District.
Opera for All – Part Two
With its first-of-its-kind New Works Collective, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis brings representation and previously unsung stories to the stage.
Opera for All – Part One
A national and international jewel, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis brings world-class opera to the metro in welcoming and accessible ways.
2023 Year In Review: 25+ Inspiring
St. Louis Stories
From community transformers and restaurateurs to inspiring artists and innovative startup founders, take a look back at this year’s STLMade stories.
Friendship, Faith and Futures
Pastors Ken and Beverly Jenkins opened community development hub R&R Marketplace in Dellwood with the aim to change lives.
One of a Kind
From the depths of the caves to its 10-story slide, City Museum continues to find new ways to delight and surprise visitors from around the world.
2022 Year In Review
Take a look back at this year's STLMade stories.
Planting Roots
Noboleis Vineyards and Root Food + Wine draw St. Louisans to the natural beauty of Augusta.
Fine Print
At Central Print, Marie Oberkirsch passes on the art of traditional letterpress printmaking to future generations, while using the craft to build community with her neighbors in Old…
Float On
From the Boathouse to the Mississippi, Big Muddy Adventures offers St. Louisans a chance to connect with the region's waterways.
Notes of Community
Soul artist turned community facilitator Brian Owens helps lift up young creatives in St. Louis.
Hive Mind – Part Two
A team of local scientists work together on how to improve produce yields in urban orchards and community gardens.
Hive Mind – Part One
With the goal of helping community gardens produce more fresh food, scientists from six different St. Louis institutions are collaborating to research pollination in urban orchards.
Historical
Perspective
With unique bus and walking tours throughout the metro area, Amanda Clark helps people see St. Louis differently.
Turning the Tables
David Stine crafts one-of-a-kind wood furniture for restaurants and homes around the country, all made from fallen trees on his fourth-generation family farm in Dow, Illinois.
2021 Year In Review
Take a look back at this year's STLMade stories.
Empowering
Women
In Fox Park, nonprofit Rung for Women helps women take their personal and professional lives to the next level.
Reclaimed
Treasure
With Refab, Eric Schwarz gives new life to St. Louis' past by repurposing the pieces of its architectural history.
A Home for Art
In Gravois Park, St. Louis Art Place Initiative has completed the first of 20 units of single family housing at subsidized prices for artists, aiming to enrich the…
Homegrown
Market
Local farmers and entrepreneurs build their businesses and a strong community through the support of St. Louisans at the Tower Grove Farmers Market.
Building the Future
Dream Builders 4 Equity aims not only to transform Hyde Park in the next five years, but also to serve as a model for closing the racial wealth…
The Courage to Dream
Dream Builders 4 Equity empowers young St. Louisans to achieve their goals.
Dreaming Big
Michael Woods and Neal Richardson knew a new approach was needed for real estate investment to make lasting change in disinvested neighborhoods. They created Dream Builders 4 Equity…
What’s Possible
Marian Middle School students find inspiration for their future in the history-making election of the first Black female vice president, Kamala Harris.
Preserving the Past, Shaping the Future
Michael Allen pushes back against the traditional view of preservation, and wants St. Louisans to embrace and appreciate all parts of the region - including those that have…
Starting Up
St. Louisans on why they chose to start their businesses here — and why they’ve flourished.
Into Existence
Nationally-recognized artist and St. Louis native Aaron Fowler shows his work in St. Louis for the first time in a unique yearlong collaboration with the Luminary Arts.
In Full Bloom
At Oliver’s Coffee + Flower Bar in Maplewood, Olivia Ridgel's focus on creativity and inclusion have blossomed into a magical, uplifting space for fellowship and community.
Full Circle
Okunsola M. Amadou is improving health outcomes for Black women with a wraparound model of care at Missouri's first equal access midwifery clinic.
Brewing Community
St. Louis brewers find new ways to connect with beer lovers and continue their businesses during the pandemic.
Novel Tees
In St. Peters, Shirt Kong is Screenprinting T-Shirts to Support Small Businesses throughout the Metro Area.
‘Round and ‘Round
For 50 years, Mathew and Niah Foggy have built community while circling the roller rink at Skate King.
Home(Town) Brew
Here in one of the nation's top beer cities, St. Louis brewers are shaping the industry's future.
Making a Mark
In creating custom wood pieces through Mwanzi Co., Jermain Todd is taking the St. Louis maker movement around the globe.
Call of the Wild
For Kari Musgrave, honing her veterinary skills at the world-class Saint Louis Zoo is a dream come true.
Urban Oasis
Theo Smith thought he’d become an urban planner, but Kennedy Forest in Forest Park beckoned.
Sweet Dreams
La Patisserie Chouquette co-owner and executive pastry chef Simone Faure has become the maven of macarons in St. Louis.
Masters of Light
Just as their great-great grandfather did, Aaron Frei and his siblings are coloring St. Louis with hand-crafted stained glass.
Cool Rider
Sump Motorcycle owner and mechanic Mike Henneberry just might love your bike even more than you do.
Planting Seeds
Angi Taylor found meaningful work in St. Louis’s growing agriculture industry.
Barrelling Along
Creating barrel-aged beard oils helped Jeremy Allen Stanton rediscover his fire.
Family Matters
Angie Smart is an accomplished violinist with the St. Louis Symphony – a career her son Theo Bockhorst might want, too.
