First Sight: 2023 Award-Winning Shorts from the Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism

Introduced by filmmaker Robert Greene 

Jury award–winning undergraduate student films from the Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism, originally presented at the Stronger Than Fiction Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri. Jurors: RaMell Ross, Chloe Gbai, Eric Hynes. Total running time: 90 mins. All New York premieres

Carrie in Control 
Dir. Barb Kuensting. 2022, 27 mins. Faced with unaccepting parents and the trauma from a tumultuous childhood in the Catholic Church, 22-year-old Carrie is at an identity crossroads. When her exotic dancing days end abruptly, she dedicates more time to the ranch animals that have always given her comfort and hope. But when they’re suddenly put at risk, she’s compelled to fight on their behalf. Winner, Stacey Woelfel Award for Innovative Journalism  

The Fifty-Five Million Dollar Junkyard 
Dir. Wesley Ward. 2022, 15 mins. It costs $55 million to protect the town of Valley Park, Missouri from seasonal flooding. But what in the town is worth protecting? One man recounts his fourteen years as a town resident and two years as a member of its government. Winner, Best Film 

The Best Part 
Dir. Kyndall Hubbard. 2022, 21 mins. A home video interview recorded more than 10 years prior serves as a starting point for the director’s attempt at reviving and preserving her family’s past. A tribute to stories lost to time, highlighting the widespread failure to adequately preserve and acknowledge Black history in the U.S. Winner, Best Director  

Sifa B. 
Dir. Audrey Roloff. 2022, 27 mins. Sifa Bihomora is a Rwandan musician living in Columbia, Missouri, who’s experiencing transformations in her career, home life, and sense of self. Her electric personality, compassion, and ambition are readily apparent through Roloff’s gaze, yet the artist begins to question their dynamic and wonders whether she’s putting the needs of the film before her own. Winner, Special Jury Award for Creative Portraiture  

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.