If you want to hear more, check out Mountain Animation‘s new album, Lava Letter, in it’s entirety on the group’s bandcamp page. And don’t miss the first Folk to Folk video featuring a boisterous street performance by Yes, Ma’am.

Things started off at 9:00 AM with an extra chilly edition of our True Life Run. Seventy or so brave souls faced down the cold and competed, with Mike Burden finishing victorious.

The True Life Run is a benefit for our True Life Fund. Which Way is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington, this year’s True Life Fund film, played to a near capacity crowd at the 1,700 seat Jesse Hall in an especially moving screening. Before the film pastor Dave Cover of sponsor The Crossing explained his church’s interest in “film as a window into the human condition”. Afterwards Sebastian Junger received a standing ovation for his film about his fallen comrade.

As David mentioned at the show, this is the first time the subject of the True Life Film is no longer with us. The Fund will be benefiting two causes, The Milton Margais School for the Blind, an institution that played an important role in Tim’s life and work, and Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleagues, a charity created by Junger to offer freelance war reporters free medical training. Junger explained why started RISC, “I realized that if I had been with him, I couldn’t have saved his life, cause I didn’t know what to do either”.  You can donate to the True Life Fund online.

Saturday’s events included our annual soiree at PS Gallery, the Filmmaker Fete.

And Speed Levitch’s whimsical tour of the town, The Speculative Stroll.

photo by Andrew Richmond

The 2013 edition of Gimme Truth!, the world’s only (known) documentary game show, was the first to feature a panel of all returning judges, reigning champion Heidi Ewing (Detropia, Jesus Camp), Bill Ross (Tchoupitoulas, 45365) and Sergio Oksman (Notes on the Other, A Story for the Modlins). Between tequila shots, the trio watched ten 2-minute shorts and tried determine if they were 100% True or 100% False. Hosted by Johnny St. John, Gimme Truth! is big part of what makes True/False True/False.

photo by Catherine Meagher

T/F’s Chelsea Myers interviewed Lucy Walker, the director of one of Saturday’s big hits, The Crash Reel, for this short video. In it Walker discusses the multi-source documentary.

As always, our secret weapon, the T/F busking army, was out in full force. The day concluded the So Many Dynamos headlining our Mojo’s A-Go-Go showcase. Earlier, Snya So Pro warmed up a crowd at The Blue Note.

Our #truefalse hashtag continues to collect outbursts of enthusiasm. Here are a few examples:

Crash Reel had me tearing up so many times. Such a great film. Congrats to Lucy Walker and team! #truefalse
-Dan Lindsay  @dan_lindsay

Wow! The Last Station. Intimate look at the last days of life with fantastic cinematography. And the sounds too, so wonderful. #truefalse
-Brandon Hoops @courtsidehoops

I’ve got that cold clammy hand feeling of just having seen one of the best docs in years; THE ACT OF KILLING. #truefalse
-Tom Roston @DocSoupMan

“Cutie and the Boxer” is a revelation. A near-perfect film. #truefalse
-Aarik Danielsen @aarikdanielsen

“Which Way Is the Front Line from Here?”: The life of a journalist who successfully humanized war and people involved. #truefalse
-Katie Yaeger @KatieYaeger

When Jeremy Scahill spoke after Dirty Wars, I just wanted to get up and shout “AMEN” to everything he said. #truefalse
-Beatriz Costa-Lima ?@Bcostalima

Cutie and the Boxer was a unique love story, romantic but also painfully messy. And to meet the protagonists! What a day. #truefalse
-Luke Damiani @lukeandrewd

Can you believe it? Only one day left. We’ll see you tomorrow!

photo by Scott Patrick Myers

Later at the Missouri Theater, Manhunt, Greg Barker’s gripping detective story about the search for Osama Bin Laden, played to a packed house.

Paul Rucker wowed the crowd with his experimental cello playing before a screening of Sleepless Nights at Little Ragtag.

At Campfire Stories filmmakers basked in an intimate glow and shared tales of what could have been. One standout entry was from Emma Davie of I am Breathing, who explained her unusual collaboration with the film’s subject. Across the street from Shakespeare’s The Great Wall outdoor film installation featured a far-ranging shorts program. And T/F Friday always comes to a close with @CTION, the year’s hottest party at Tonic nightclub, with MNDR spinning for the crowd.

photo by Catherine Meagher

We have a few interesting clips to share from our post film Q and As. Andy Wolff of The Captain and His Pirate explains the how and the why of his conversations with a Somali pirate.

And Emma Davie of I Am Breathing explains the difficulty of documenting intense human suffering.

If you’re looking to hear more from our filmmakers or scout films to Q for during the rest of the weekend, KBIA has an excellent eight part series called True/False Conversations. In it they chat with the filmmakers and subjects of The Moo Man, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, Cutie and the Boxer, Computer Chess, Expedition to the End of the World, I Am Breathing, After Tiller and Twenty Feet From Stardom. You can listen to the audio or read the text of a transcript.

Finally, our #truefalse hashtag continues to collect reactions from around the fest. Here are a few.

The Crash Reel was absolutely exhilarating and heart-breaking all at once. #truefalse
-Taylor Glascock @tayloremrey

THE MOO MAN: sweet, and laugh out loud funny. Shared a mimosa with the farmer at #sundance – he’s just as charming in real life. #truefalse
-Andrew Droz Palermo @DrozPalermo

Lindsay Martin’s MY FAVORITE PICTURE OF YOU – slayed me – perfectly paired with STORIES WE TELL #truefalse
-jonkelland @DocCritic

@StoriesDoc played to 1700 at Jesse tonight. Amazing. Lovely film. All the best to you and your family right now @SarahEPolley. #truefalse
-Beth Kopine Canipe @BKCanipe

the power of #truefalse, i get soft-hearted and teary-eyed as @davidkinofist earnestly thanks sponsors for their support before shows
-jonkelland @DocCritic

It’s not #truefalse without Toughcats!
-Aarik Danielsen @aarikdanielsen

Just finished Dirty Wars. Prophetic line from early in the film: “If children are terrorists, we are terrorists.” #truefalse
-guavalicious @guavalicious

Good night and see you tomorrow!

photo by Sarah Hoffman

Before the film newly christened Oscar winner Malik Bendjelloul, director of Searching for Sugar Man (T/F 2012), took to the stage and introduced My Favorite Picture of You, a new short by 2012′s Oscar winner, Dan Lindsay.

photo by Scott Patrick Myers

True/False 2013 also launched on four other screens and at two concerts. The Blue Note opened with the shocking expose Dirty Wars, while at little Ragtag the Neither/Nor series with critic Eric Hynes continued with the underappreciated classic The Fall. The Blue Fugue’s “True/Folk” showcase was followed by an all experimental lineup at Cafe Berlin. Meantime in Alley A visiting artist Yulia Pinkusevich finished assembling her “Stilted” installation.

photo by Scott Patrick Myers

The conversation on our #truefalse hashtag still hasn’t slowed down. A few examples:

Finally saw THE FALL. A radical hymn to the potential of nonfiction. A film from the past that was the future. #truefalse cc: @eshynes
-Robert Greene @prewarcinema

We are excited to premiere James Miska’s new music video for “The Coldest Summer”, directed Chelsea Myers of True/False and Tiny Attic Productions. James has played T/F several times as a member of Bramble and has now relocated to Columbia. You can see James Miska & Lake Mary perform tomorrow night at 7 at The Blue Fugue as part of the True/Folk Happy Hour Showcase.

The good news is that Busman’s Holiday, the two-brother folk pop band from Bloomington, Indiana, will be returning for their second True/False. You can check out their music over at their bandcamp page and watch the video below, where the duo performs their song “Alone”.

This year’s concerts take place at classic T/F venues such as Mojo’s, the Blue Fugue, Cafe Berlin and Eastside Tavern. But we’ve also added afternoon shows at two of downtown Columbia’s hippest hangouts, Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream and Maude Vintage.

Things kick-off one night early on Wednesday, February 27 at Eastside Tavern. The rockin’ late-night bill features Cloud Dog, Rip Rap and the psychedelic Wooden Indian Burial Ground from Portland, Oregon.

For something a little more laid back, swing by the Blue Fugue on Thursday for “Tree/Folk”. This show boasts an impressive collection of singer-songwriters: Jack Grelle and the Johnson Family, James Miska & Lake Mary and Ruth Acuff whose beautiful voice you can hear below performing “Wind Chime”.

Meanwhile over at Cafe Berlin you can enjoy an experimental line-up: Flux Bikes, Paul Rucker,  Dark Blue Dark Green and the enigmatic Syna So Pro.

Friday, things really get hoppin’. At two in the afternoon you can pick up a scoop at Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream and catch Meeyoo and La Operación Jarocha performing traditional Mexican and American folk tunes. That night at Cafe Berlin The Flood Brothers, Yva Las Vegass, Jerusalem and the Starbaskets and The Hooten Hallers are going to bring down the house, while over at Mojo’s you can see Hawk and a Hacksaw and returning T/F favorites David Wax Museum.

Late that night, the eclectic thirty-plus-piece marching band Mucca Pazza will perform a show free for all passholders at The Blue Note. They’re sure to be riding high after leading our rambunctious March March parade earlier that day.

On Saturday things get underway early again. This time the two p.m. show is at Maude Vintage. It’s an instrumental world music showcase featuring Hema, Prahlad and Nathaniel Braddock. That night the Blue Fugue has another folky bill, bringing together Cindy Woolf & Mark Bilyeu, Les Trois Coups and the soaring melodies of Lizzie Wright Super Spaceship.

Over at Cafe Berlin you can catch Mountain Animation, Yes Ma’am, Run On Sentence and T/F mainstays from Portland, Maine, Toughcats.

True/False Saturday always comes to a fitting end at Mojo’s A-Go-Go, and 2013 is no exception. This year’s edition features Husk, (the side project of the Powell brother’s of The Believers), local psychedelic rockers Hott Lunch and So Many Dynamos. The later are St. Louis based indie rockers who recently celebrated ten years as a band.

Finally, on Sunday, T/F 2013 comes to a bittersweet end with Buskers Last Stand. If you happen to be attending the closing night film at Jesse Hall, there’ll be a procession of buskers leading fest-goers back downtown, so we can all meet up in the lobby of the Missouri Theater and bring the festival to a close together.

Be sure to head on over to the concerts page for a complete listing with start times and ticket information and the musicians page to read up on the bands and listen to more music. And we’ll see you at the shows!

In a fortuitous turn of events, T/F co-director Paul Sturtz stumbled upon Les Trois Coups on a Paris street and persuaded them to bring their busking services to Columbia.  This merry band of Frenchmen quickly took the fest by storm with their dramatic, energetic performances in theaters and on street corners. Now they are crossing the sea again for their second True/False. You can preview a few of the group’s songs on their MySpace page, and watch a characteristically spirited performance of their song “Le Pause” in the video below.

Dubb Nubb are sisters and fest regulars who have relocated from St. Louis to Columbia. They play a special kind of folk, frequently taking as their subject matter the places they have lived and the memories these places evoke. This strong sense of place is on display below in their video for “These Great Lands”. You can connect with Dubb Nubb on Facebook and explore several of their albums at Bandcamp.

Listening to A Hawk and a Hacksaw one immediately hears their connections with indie favorites Neutral Milk Hotel and Beirut. Jeremy Barnes was previously a drummer for NMH before joining violinist Heather Trost in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  There the duo discovered Zach Condon of Beirut and played on that band’s first album. A Hawk and a Hacksaw offers a new take on traditional Eastern European folk music perfectly suited for festival busking. You can see a sample in the video below, and find more on the band’s official homepage.

Ever wish you could hear your favorite songs sung by a pitch-perfect choir instead of listening to the same, tired version on the radio? Your wish is about to come true when Anonymous Choir joins this year’s fest with choral covers that will warm the soul with nostalgia and inspire us all to join a church choir. Be sure to visit the group’s Bandcamp page to hear them perform an entire album of stirring Leonard Cohen covers.

The Flood Brothers, a self described two man thump machine, are sure to set feet tapping around town. Based in Columbia, Gabe Meyer and Jacob Best perform songs grounded in Memphis rock n’ roll and North Mississippi blues. You can listen to The Flood Brothers on their page at ReverbNation. Also, our friends at CAT TV captured a full hour set from the duo this past summer as part of CAT’s Notes from the Underground series.

Check back for even more music soon, and see you at the Fest!

Run On Sentence, the ever evolving project of Portland, Oregon based performer Dustin Hamman, has been a part True/False since 2009 and will continue the streak in 2013. You can learn more and hear samples of their endearing style of Gypsy-folk on the project’s homepage. And Corey Ransberg captured Run On Sentence performing the triumphant “I Will Run to You” in the music nook of the 2012 T/F Box Office.

New to T/F this year is Hooten Hallers, a local, whiskey-soaked, hillbilly rock act featuring John Randall and Andy Rehm. You can explore a few choice tracks on the duo’s page at Reverb Nation and check out a scorching performance of their song “Leave Me Alone” in the video below.

Back at T/F this year is Jerusalem and the Starbaskets, the cowboy space rock group currently shifting its headquarters from Columbia to Memphis. You can listen to them at Bandcamp and check out this dreamlike music video for their track “Sister Sorceress”.

Dark Blue Dark Green is an experimental electronic adventure undertaken by brothers Ben and Jack Falby. More info on this Columbia based project can be gleaned from the band’s homepage. Also, you can check out this performance of “Your Lack of Shame” at Mojo’s.

Finally, we are thrilled to announce that Yva Las Vegass, a Venezuelan-born, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, will be bringing her fiery passion to this year’s Fest. Yva’s legendary street performances once landed her a spot in the short lived Sweet 75 alongside former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic. Her utterly unique sound is sure to make a lasting impact at this year’s fest. Below you can watch a 12 minute set Yva performed for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and see for yourself what all the excitement is about.

We’ll share more music info in the weeks to come. Check back soon and, if you haven’t already, pick up your passes to T/F 2013 today.