Ninth annual Stronger Than Fiction Film Festival returns to the Missouri Theatre on May 17
The Missouri School of Journalism will present the ninth annual Stronger Than Fiction Film Festival on Saturday, May 17, at the historic Missouri Theatre, showcasing 10 original short documentary films produced by students in the School’s Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism program. Admission is free and open to the public, with no ticket required. All the films will also be available to watch online from May 18 to May 25 at methodmfilms.com
“This festival is the culmination of more than a year of rigorous storytelling, reporting and filmmaking by our students,” said David Kurpius, dean of the Missouri School of Journalism. “These capstone projects reflect not only their technical skill, but also their deep curiosity and commitment to finding the truth through nonfiction storytelling.”
The festival features two screening blocks, beginning at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., each followed by a Q&A session—with an additional Q&A midway through the first block. The evening will conclude with an awards presentation, honoring four standout films selected by a distinguished jury of documentary industry professionals: Eric Hynes, Jessica Kingdon, and Simon Kilmurry. The winning films will go on to screen at the 2026 First Look Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York.
The subject matter of each film is the personal choice of its director, approved by a panel of documentary experts and developed under the guidance of visiting artists, faculty and peers. Students were granted substantial editorial and creative control over their projects, supported by a collaborative environment that encouraged bold storytelling.
“The Stronger than Fiction festival speaks to the talent and hard work of these students that they continue to raise the bar when it comes to the quality and professionalism of their films,” said Sebastián Martínez Valdivia, supervising producer at the Murray Center. “Their creative vision embodies the freedom and promise of the documentary form as a mode of expression, human connection, and self-discovery.”
To learn more about the Documentary Journalism program, visit methodmfilms.com
Student film award winners
Congratulations to the following films and student filmmakers who won awards May 17 at the 2025 Stronger Than Fiction Film Festival at the Missouri Theatre:
- Best Film: “The Long Game” (Benjamin Zweig)
- Best Director: Molly Fox for “What Can You Hear?”
- Special Jury Award for Editing: “Pass Time” (Jj Measer)
- Stacey Woelfel Award for Innovative Journalism: “Burn Control” (Thomas Gleason)
Updated: May 19, 2025