The 10-day 21st annual St. Louis International Film Festival is set to kick off on November 8th and bring with it a surprising blend of music and musically oriented films including “The Sapphires,” an intriguing work from Australia.

Since before movies began to talk, they could sing — or at least unspool to live music. And music has a loud presence at this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival.

The 21st annual festival, which begins Thursday and runs through Nov. 18 at six venues on both sides of the Mississippi, has films about music and music makers, as well as movies accompanied by musicians.

The offerings span a number of programming streams – or sidebars, as the organizers call them — including a Jewish sidebar of nine films.

For Oscar watchers, several movies with hefty budgets and names attached are scheduled, including the opening film, “Silver Linings Playbook” (7:30 p.m. Nov. 8, Tivoli; 6:30 p.m. Nov. 10, Plaza Frontenac).

Read More on stljewishlight.com