A University of Missouri and B&B Theatres production: STEM Cinema

May 6, 2026
Contact: Cary Littlejohn, carylittlejohn@missouri.edu
Photos courtesy of B&B Theatres and Helton Walker

Helton Walker is no stranger to a movie theater.

“I’ve been going to B&B Theatres my whole life,” Walker, a University of Missouri sophomore School of Journalism student, said of the nation’s largest independent movie theater chain.

But she couldn’t have predicted that Mizzou would provide her with the opportunity to screen her own cinematic creations in those very same theaters.

When B&B Theatres wanted to offer a family-oriented, budget-friendly slate of films, it needed a hook, a way to promote the films and encourage families to bring their children to the movies.

The solution was ingenious: add an educational component to older films that already have a science-forward premise — basically, short films featuring experts on movie topics that would run at the beginning of a screening.

Paul Farnsworth, the executive director of communications and content at B&B Theatres, knew Mizzou was the most logical go-to for such expertise.

“There’s no institution in the region more powerful in terms of credibility, access and relevance than the University of Missouri,” Farnsworth said.

From that realization, STEM Cinema was born.

A Mizzou production

STEM Cinema grew out of the stark realities facing movie theaters.

“Nobody wants to relive the pandemic, but in a very real way, we’re still reeling from the implications of that time,” Farnsworth said. “A lot of viewing habits were broken, and I think people fell into new routines of how they consume content and where they spend their time. It’s been a challenging time for the cinema exhibition industry as a whole.”

Farnsworth began to brainstorm more than a year ago, searching for potential problems that B&B Theatres could solve for audiences.

“I’m the parent of three kids, and if there’s a chance that I could take my kids to a movie that has an element of educational value, that would be enticing to me,” Farnsworth said.

He knew Mizzou was the perfect partner for his family-friendly project.

Brian Houston, Mizzou’s associate provost for academic programs, loved the idea and jumped into action.

“These are the kind of opportunities that happen at Mizzou,” Houston said. “When they come along, we take advantage of them. This is what happens here, because of what Mizzou is, because of who our faculty are, because of who our students are.”

He took the list of potential films from Farnsworth and set to work to find professors who could speak to the subject matters.

One of the films was “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” the 2008 adaptation of the Jules Verne classic. Mizzou had the perfect expert.

“Sarah Jacquet, an assistant professor of geological sciences in the College of Arts and Science, teaches a class that’s focused on geology and cinema, and she talks about the film in that class,” Houston said.

Once she agreed to participate, Houston just had to find someone to shoot the video. 

“I reached out to Michael Coleman, who’s a digital storytelling faculty member, and he said he had some high-performing students he could recommend,” Houston said.

That was Helton Walker’s cue.

Lights, camera, action

Walker, a Stamps Scholar in the University of Missouri Honors College, couldn’t believe her good fortune when she was approached about the project. It represented an opportunity too good to pass up.

It also represented a huge step up for Walker in terms of responsibility.

“There was definitely a big learning curve,” she said. “Before the digital storytelling classes, my background was just filming on my iPhone, going out and getting interviews using a Bluetooth mic.”

But thanks to her coursework, she felt prepared to tackle not only the shooting but all the coordination efforts that went along with it.

“Filmmaking is shaped by experiences,” Walker said. “It’s shaped by getting out there and gaining experience with the camera. I think the digital storytelling classes have been so vital in giving me that experience and a safe space to learn and express some creative liberty. Mizzou helped prepare me for this work with B&B.”

But nothing could quite prepare her for watching the finished product in a crowded theater.

“I almost cried,” Walker said. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is mind-blowing.’ But seeing families and groups of kids really made it come full circle for me and reminded me who this video was really for. The thought that they might be learning something they didn’t already know was really meaningful to me.”

Coming attractions

Farnsworth said the reception to the first installment of STEM Cinema was overwhelmingly positive.

“It played three times in each of those theaters, and every showtime had audiences,” he said. “Some of them were full. For us, that's very much a success, and I think it indicates that there's opportunity to grow in the future.”

He attributed its success to the genuine commitment to the material and the process that the Mizzou team brought to the film.

“I think what resonated for our audiences was how obvious it was that this is a person who cares about educating others,” Farnsworth said. “This wasn’t a performer. We didn’t tell her what words to say or what beats to hit. It’s completely generated from her expertise and knowledge. And the same goes for the student contribution: This is somebody who is aspiring to create, and we’re giving them an opportunity to do that. Our audiences loved that.”

Walker has already shot the second installment. It will feature Eric Aldrich, who was recently awarded a William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence, talking about meteorology, to be paired with the animated hit “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.”

As with the first, this installment will be screened in B&B Theatres locations that have at least 11 screens; there are 20 such locations across 12 states, including six locations in Missouri.

With each new addition, Farnsworth sees the connection with audiences only deepening.

“What’s beautiful to me about this is it genuinely feels like a collaboration,” Farnsworth said. “This doesn’t feel like some job we subcontracted out to the University of Missouri. It was such an organic process, and that was thanks to the university jumping in so willingly.” 

Walker, for her part, still can’t quite believe the opportunity Mizzou provided.

 “I think having this opportunity has been a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,” she said. “The connections I’m making, the skills I’m learning, the growth I’m having not just in film but in all kinds of soft skills — it’s really quite extraordinary.”