World Premiere of Experimental Short Film Collection Coming to Joplin’s Royale Cinema Lounge

The Royale Cinema Lounge will be hosting the World Premiere of 6 SHORT FILMS FROM THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE in Joplin, Missouri, on the evening of January 16, 2026.

6 SHORT FILMS FROM THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE is an alternative award-winning short film collection that has been made over the last 20 years from the real-life Mother/Son filmmaking team of Opal Dockery and Jack Truman. They have screened at hundreds of film festivals around the world, ranging from the horror comedy Killer Grannies to the environmental documentary The Acceptable Sin.

Truman, Dockery and Diane Humphrey, star of Killer Grannies, will be in attendance for a Q&A. The event is free and open to the public and tickets are available here.

"Anybody can make a movie", says Truman in press materials. "I'm living proof. There is an audience for alternative, true independent filmmaking. Since the World Premiere of our first film in 2006 at the Slamdance Film Festival, we've been making films for years. There is a cult following, and an audience globally for this work. I'm so proud to have an independent movie theater in our backyard host the World Premiere of this collection".

Truman is an award-winning filmmaker whose films have screened at over 700 film festivals around the world. A 40-year veteran in the entertainment business, he recently received his MFA in Theatre at Minnesota State University, and is the Founder of the Holly Weird Film Festival in Los Angeles, California. Currently, his latest award-winning short film, Killer Grannies, starring Dockery, is playing at film festivals around the world.

Truman's real-life Mother Opal Dockery, stars in the new collection of short films. A frequent collaborator with Truman, Dockery has been in many of his short films over the years. This collection shows a wide range of short films, ranging from comedy to documentary and mockumentary. Burlesque legend Chesty Morgan is featured in the short film Chesty & Opal.

6 SHORT FILMS FROM THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE:

Killer Grannies

Hollywood Gals

Chesty & Opal

Woody the Redneck

Payday Loan