The Plaza 8 will begin its first-run series of independent films with the documentaries "Nelly Don: A Stitch In Time" and "Black Hand Strawman: The History of Organized Crime in Kansas City" this weekend.

Both "Nelly Don" and "Black Hand Strawman" were made by Kansas City film director Terence O'Malley. "Nelly Don," released in Kansas City in 2006, chronicles the success story of the documentary's title character, who came to prominence in the early 1900s in Kansas City as one of the most successful dressmakers of the 20th century. O'Malley points out that Don even had a factory in St. Joseph from the early 1940s through the 1960s. Added with the St. Joe connection, he says Don's story is extremely compelling given all the obstacles she faced.

"It has a wonderful protagonist who accomplished so much in an area when women's rights have not been nearly extended as they are today," he says. "The story of Nelly Don is something that Hollywood should wake up to."

"Black Hand Strawman," on the other hand, is jam packed with historical information on the work and influence of the Kansas City mafia, which O'Malley said had "national ramifications" in its heyday. The film features a little bit of everything, including brutal crime scene photos of famous murders.

David Allison, manager of the Plaza 8, is looking forward to seeing "Black Hand Strawman," and he thinks the public's fascination with organized crime could make this documentary pretty marketable.

"I think that's going to appeal to a lot of people, younger and older," Allison says. "I'm excited to see how it does because I want to continue doing this stuff."

The screenings of "Nelly Don" and "Black Hand Strawman" will be the start of Plaza 8's showing of first-run movies. The theater primarily specializes in second-run films at lower prices, but they plan to showcase more independent cinema periodically throughout the year with a slightly increased cost of $5 and continuing to show the films as long as the public shows interest. Butch Rigby, owner of Film Row Company, the company that owns the Screenland and Plaza 8 theaters, says both films have been doing tremendous business at both Screenland locations in Kansas City, where they continue to be played.

Granted, that's Kansas City. St. Joseph isn't exactly art cinema central, but Rigby feels these films have a chance of finding a Joetown audience.

"It's a hard sell bringing a new type of film, especially documentaries, to any audience," Rigby says. "It's really a fascinating thing that is beyond the art market. I feel this is something everybody is going to enjoy."