Stacey Woelfel

American Alien

American Alien is an observational film chronicling the journey of the filmmaker to become an American citizen. Fearing that he will be targeted by the aggressive deportation campaign of the Trump administration and be separated from his loved ones, the filmmaker attempts to go through the process of naturalization, hitting one roadblock after another. With the added obstacle of a worldwide pandemic, can he reach his goal in time and gain a sense of security for himself and the people he loves?

Procession

Six men who were sexually abused by Catholic clergy as boys find empowerment by creating short films inspired by their trauma.

Erin, Verified

In most aspects of her life, Erin Jones is a normal person. She’s 27 years old, she works a retail job and she lives in Chicago with her three roommates. That, and she also has more than two million followers on the popular video-sharing app TikTok. Erin, Verified is an open, honest look at the effect pseudo-fame and parasocial relationships have on people in the age of social media.

The Forward Momentum Of Madellyn Knightley

Madellyn's past experiences with drugs and an invasive species of poppy flowers overtake the town. Her high school graduation freezes in time.

Roxana

Roxana follows a young mother’s return to the juvenile detention center she was once incarcerated in, now as a trained somatic therapist. Through an intimate look into the lives of incarcerated youth, we will see the consequences of childhood trauma.

Nai Nai

Nai Nai follows the story of a Chinese immigrant grandmother, Chu-Ming Wu. Known as “Nai Nai,” Chu-Ming has always been a woman of control. But her grasp of reality and the control of her own mind is slipping away. Told through the lens of her grandson, the film focuses on the joyful, heartbreaking and intimate moments in the last chapters of her life.

Ulisses

A poetic observational documentary that follows the lives of a community of “jangadeiros” —fishermen typical to the dune-lined Northeastern Coast of Brazil.

Rockpile

A retired teacher investigates the shadowy history of his rural Missouri community, including the origins of a looming structure known as the Rockpile.

SEND

A crew of teenage boys attempts to satisfy and perform in a world of high expectations as they prepare mentally and physically for competition. Shot through the lens of an older sister, this intimate nonfiction portrait observes the interplay of the boys with their carefully-controlled world.

A Conversation Between Parents

A year after Thadd and Shannon gave birth to their son, A Conversation Between Parents highlights a climactic conversation in their lives -- as both young parents grasp at the last threads of their ideal family. On an afternoon off of work, the couple sits on their couch, while their son sleeps in his crib, and the family grapples with their limited options one last time. Dietrich’s camera ties the couple’s painful conversation together with flashbacks of both parents’ precious memories of their first year with Jasper, attempting to find a way to articulate their struggles in the last conversation they have together as a couple.

Last of the Last Days

This personal and experimental film juxtaposes scenes of home video recordings with letters from the director’s mother sent 20 years later. The director’s decision to leave the family’s faith results in an ultimatum from her mother, a devout Jehovah’s Witness: either return to Jehovah or never see her again. As the choices are revealed, the film discovers what has been lost and questions why subsequent generations often repeat the past.

Lost Paradise

This nonfiction meditative drama follows a learned man to the heart of Kansas as he enters the Survival Condo Project, an Atlas “F” missile silo turned luxury condominium. Built to house a nuclear warhead from 1961 to 1965, the site now serves as a survival bunker for the ultra-wealthy. Imagining life as the last man on earth, the man contemplates doomsday and the enduring spirit of humanity.

Concerned Student 1950

A series of racist acts prompts three Mizzou students to pick up cameras and take us inside the student movement that brought down their college president. From the hunger strike, to victory, to the fear of violent reprisals, we live with the students who started a campus revolt.