Nonfiction filmmaker Penny Lane (Confessions of a Good Samaritan) and Academy Award-nominated actor John C. Reilly have boarded the short documentary film Stalin Boys as executive producers.
Directed by Ora DeKornfeld and Bianca Giaever, the film follows Malachi, a middle school student in Marathon, Texas, who is obsessed with Joseph Stalin. Yes, THAT Joseph Stalin! When he hears about the Texas History Day competition, he writes a play about the late Soviet dictator and enlists his friends Cayden, Lyric and Jurem to play fearful civilians and loyal henchmen.
“In a school of 11 students in a town of about 400, the boys grapple with a dark chapter of history and confront questions of power and legacy in their own lives,” a synopsis teases.
The film debuted on The New York Times Op-Docs earlier this month and is eligible for the Academy Award for Documentary Short Film category.
Veteran doc director Lane, whose subjects have ranged from Kenny G in Listening to Kenny G to Flaco the owl in Wild Inside, was drawn to what she described as the Little Miss Sunshine-esque blend of whimsy and heart. “I never imagined the words, ‘Screw National History Day!’ could make me laugh so hard and feel as much pain at the same time,” said Lane. “I’d also never thought to ask, ‘What was Stalin’s favorite color?’ but I’m glad to have met Malachi and discover he knows the answer.”
Giaever lauded Lane as “a documentary icon,” adding: “Her work taught us that documentaries can be funny, playful, and absurd, while still tackling difficult topics.”
Reilly will support the filmmakers’ campaign to bring Stalin Boys to classrooms and audiences nationwide.
“I loved this short film,” the star said. “I loved it so much I lent my name to it as an executive producer. It reminded me of my own very imaginative and inspired childhood obsessions as a theater kid. I found the kids to be a wonderful inspiration to us all with their commitment to and enthusiasm for their vision. I also was deeply moved by the teachers who supported and guided them to realizing their visions. It takes caring people like these teachers to shepherd today’s young people if we want a better future for our world.”
Concluded Reilly: “I hope everyone watches this film and remembers that big lives always start small and even tiny dusty towns in the middle of nowhere can produce people who can shape a brighter future for us all.”
DeKornfeld said about Reilly: “John has spent his career playing people who are funny and heartbreaking in the same breath, which is exactly who these boys are. He immediately understood this film is about what’s possible when teachers encourage kids to follow their interests, as weird as they may be. We could not have asked for a better champion to help us get it in front of the audiences who need it most.”
The filmmakers learned about the story while visiting their friend Crawford Hunt, who had been recruited to teach history at the school. They spent a week with the boys and their teachers during rehearsals for the state competition.
Stalin Boys, which you can watch here, premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and won the Audience Award and a Special Jury Award at the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival. In July, the film also won the Academy Award-qualifying Documentary Grand Prize at Indy Shorts. It screens later this month at AFI Fest in Los Angeles.
Stalin Boys was edited by Natalie Ancona, with an original score by Elori Saxl. The Pipsqueak Productions film was produced by Alejandra Vasquez and Amplify Pictures. For Op-Docs, Alexandra Garcia is the executive producer and Yvonne Ashley Kouadjo the producer. The short was supported by Southern Methodist University’s Narrative Now Initiative, Mountainfilm and The Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
DeKornfeld directed the Emmy-nominated short USA v SCOTT, The Grandfather Puzzle and several episodes of the Netflix original series Explained. She is currently in production on a feature documentary about journalistic fixers in Mexico. Giaever is an independent filmmaker, radio journalist and the creator and host of the podcast Constellation Prize. Her upcoming documentary series Free Help premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and will be available next year.