March 4, 2026
Contact: Cary Littlejohn, carylittlejohn@missouri.edu
Photo by Mizzou Visual Productions
Through its Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism, the University of Missouri paved the way for Jj Measer, BJ ’25, to realize a dream that once would have seemed unthinkable: working as a filmmaker in New York City, ready to debut a documentary at the True/False Film Fest.
When he arrived at Mizzou from San Diego, California, he was interested in the technical side of video production. Thanks to the broadcast program at Carlsbad High School, he wanted to run a television control room.
“My broadcast journalism teacher told me if I was going to study journalism, Mizzou was the place for me,” Measer said.
At the Missouri School of Journalism, the Murray Center and its filmmaker-in-chief, Robert Greene, opened his eyes to the possibilities of documentary film.
“I never saw filmmaking as a viable pathway to make a career because I didn’t know any filmmakers,” Measer said. “Being able to see Robert thrive as a filmmaker was extremely inspirational to me, and his success gave me the confidence to say, ‘I want to do that.’”
This week, he will take a major step toward that goal, as he’ll become the second Murray Center alumnus to have a capstone project film screen at the festival, which the Los Angeles Times called “the country’s premier documentary venue.”
Made for True/False
Measer received the email invitation to True/False while riding the subway in New York City on his way to the airport to leave town for a film shoot. Less than a week later, he saw his name included in the official festival lineup.
“The first person I called was Robert,” Measer said, speaking to the bond and close working relationship he’d developed with Greene.
His 16-minute short film, “Pass Time,” explores how news and political rhetoric seep quietly into everyday life.
“Jj’s success isn’t just a testament to his talent as a director, cinematographer and editor,” Greene said. “It’s about his resilience, and ability to ride the up and down waves of making a film. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Greene, whose 2021 film “Procession” was shortlisted for an Oscar nomination, embodies the Murray Center’s value to its students. As a professor, he possesses a unique mix of the practical know-how of a working filmmaker and a deep network of industry connections, many of whom Greene has invited to campus.
“A huge reason I dedicated the past two years to everything Murray Center is that I realized what an absolute privilege it was to have these filmmakers coming to Mizzou and the journalism school,” Measer said. “To have Oscar-nominated filmmakers come to talk to my class of 10 students or go to this small dinner and get to know them is an incredible honor.”
Measer made the most of those connections.
He finished his film last spring, and he made sure to share early cuts of it with artists visiting the Murray Center; their opinions carried a lot of weight in the world of documentary films. To his surprise, they agreed that they loved the film and thought it could go far.
Those votes of confidence pushed him to submit to numerous film festivals, and he was convinced success was sure to follow because directors had loved his film and encouraged him. He waited for the acceptances to roll in.
But having films accepted into festivals isn’t easy. Outcomes are about timing and fit as much as quality.
“It just did not happen,” Measer said. “So many people told me what a good movie this was. I kept asking myself, ‘Why is this not sticking?’”
All the while, he never lost sight of the festival he had been thinking about from the beginning.
“I told myself for months, ‘It’s all right, just wait for True/False,’” Measer said. “Every time I got denied from a festival, I knew I was really waiting on True/False. I always knew that I made this film for True/False. This festival is where so much of my inspiration comes from.”
A decade of documentary
Since its founding, the Murray Center has bolstered Missouri’s reputation as a hub for documentary film by bridging two of Columbia’s most recognizable institutions: True/False, which is celebrating its 22nd year of documentary film, and the Missouri School of Journalism, home of the learn-by-doing approach known as the Missouri Method.
Last year, the Murray Center celebrated its 10th anniversary of preparing students for careers as independent documentary filmmakers. Faculty guide them as they build robust portfolios and navigate coursework that focuses equally on theory and the practical application of documentary filmmaking skills.
In addition to turning out alumni whose films populate True/False programs, the Murray Center is also a fixture of True/False programming, thanks to its Based on a True Story conference — three days of master classes and workshops with directors and industry insiders designed to supplement the festival screenings.
In honor of its anniversary, the center’s founder, Jonathan Murray, BJ ’77, gave a $10.3 million gift that is enabling new levels of support for filmmakers. The gift established the Method M Film Fund, from which Murray Center alumni working in top-line roles on documentary film productions can apply for grants totaling up to $200,000.
Measer isn’t resting on his laurels with the success of “Pass Time.” He’s already applied for Method M funding for two new projects.
“It’s becoming harder and harder to find funding for independent nonfiction cinema,” he said. “It’s daunting to be somebody who just entered this field, so having access to this kind of opportunity is unparalleled.”
Though he’s not been gone long, True/False will be a sweet homecoming for Measer, whose filmmaking origin story would not be complete without Columbia, Mizzou and the Murray Center.
“It will be an exciting and busy time, and there will be so many things I want to do, so many people I’ll want to see,” Measer said. “But I want to make sure I take a breath and really smell the roses. I want to remember all of the work I put into this film and fully appreciate my accomplishment.”
Jj Measer’s “Pass Time” will screen as part of the short-film collection Dangerous Curve. The collection will screen at 9 p.m. on Friday and at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the Willy Wilson theater at Ragtag Cinema.
