Pace University to Premiere “Stories Come Together” at Jacob Burns Film Center

Pace University’s award-winning student documentary team, PaceDocs, will premiere their latest film, Stories Come Together, at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 11, 2026, at the Jacob Burns Film Center.

The film explores the lasting impact of the PaceDocs program through interviews with more than 30 alumni and faculty. Created over the course of a single semester, the documentary highlights how the program has shaped generations of storytellers through immersive, hands-on filmmaking experiences.

Stories Come Together also serves as a tribute to the legacy of Professor Emeritus Maria Luskay, EdD, whose leadership helped shape the PaceDocs program for more than two decades.

“Over the years, this course has always been about more than filmmaking. It is about building a community of storytellers who learn from each other and carry those experiences forward,” said Luskay, former professor of the Producing the Documentary course and past director of the graduate program in Communications and Digital Media. “Seeing this new generation reflect on that legacy is incredibly meaningful.”

As part of the production process, the 2026 PaceDocs team traveled throughout the Northeast during spring break, conducting interviews with key figures including Dr. Luskay and Andy Revkin, an environmental journalist, musician, former New York Times writer, and former Pace University professor who co-instructed the course. From managing equipment and coordinating travel logistics to logging footage and shaping the film under a tight deadline, students experienced the full scope of documentary production.

“This film captures the spirit of PaceDocs through collaboration,” said Lou Guarneri, clinical associate professor of media and communication arts in Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and head of the Producing the Documentary course. “Alumni who took Producing the Documentary not only helped us tell the story but also mentored current students. It all comes back to the heart of PaceDocs: the human connection. Our students honor what came before them while continuing to push the work forward in new and exciting ways.”

The documentary is the focus of the popular class, “Producing the Documentary”, which is part of the. Dyson College of Arts and Sciences at Pace University’s highly regarded film program The course requires students to complete a full-length documentary within 14 weeks while developing skills in research, storytelling, cinematography, sound, and editing.

Over its 24-year history, PaceDocs has produced 23 documentaries across 14 countries, earning more than 30 awards. Stories Come Together continues this proud tradition of producing high-quality, meaningful, and award-winning films. By immersing themselves in every aspect of the filmmaking process, from idea to screen, students emerge as storytellers, reflecting the connection, legacy, and storytelling that define the program.

In recent years, Pace filmmakers have created documentaries around the globe, exploring topics such as the musical traditions of the Azores and the cultural legacy of the Viola da Terra (Viola da Terra: Harmony of the Azores, 2025), the craft of barrel making in Spain (The Cooper, 2024), which received multiple international awards; the farm-to-table food movement in France (2023); how oysters depend on the ebb and flow of tides (2022); the importance of bees as pollinators in our food supply (2021); the eruption of Kīlauea in Hawaii (2019); the endurance of the people of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria (2018); Cuba at a cultural crossroads (2016); reviving Curacao’s coral reefs (2015); as well as many other poignant films.

“Once again, Dyson College’s student filmmakers have produced another compelling documentary,” said Tresmaine R. Grimes, PhD, dean of Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education. “This year’s film highlights the lasting legacy of the program and the connections it has fostered, demonstrating how storytelling can bring communities together and preserve meaningful experiences.”

The screening will be followed by a live Q&A session with the student filmmakers. Tickets for the reception and screening are available, though space is limited. (Use code PACEDOCS26 for free tickets.)