We are very excited to share with you the complete list of films for True/False 2013!
Posted February 6, 2013
Updates
Announcing the Films of True/False 2013!
2013 True Life Fund Film is ‘Which Way is the Front Line From Here?’
We are proud to announce in 2013 the True Life Fund will recognize Sebastian Junger’s Which Way is the Front Line From Here? The LIfe & Time of Tim Hetherington. The film traces the career of journalist Tim Hetherington, who died covering the Libyan civil war in 2011. Money raised by the True Life Fund will go to Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleagues (RISC) and the Milton Margai School for the Blind in Sierra Leone.
Which Way is the Front Line? is particularly touching because of the emotional, directorial salute by Junger, a close friend and colleague of Hetherington. In 2010, the two co-directed the Oscar-nominated documentary Restrepo (T/F 2010) about a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
Shortly after the release of Restrepo, Hetherington was hit by a shrapnel from a mortar blast in Misrata, Libya and bled out while being transported to the hospital. As a result of Hetherington’s death, Junger established RISC and continues as its director. RISC’s mission is to promote the safety of freelance journalists in combat zones by training journalists to treat life-threatening injuries on the battlefield. True Life Fund proceeds will be earmarked to provide free trainings. The Milton Margai School for the Blind, an important site for Tim both personally and professionally, has been designated as a charity that the Hetherington family supports.
Which Way is the Front Line From Here? is the seventh True/Life Film, and the sixth presented in partnership with The Crossing, a local church who will once again sponsor the True Life Fund in 2013. Returning for the second year, The Bertha Foundation will again provide matching funds.
Posted February 5, 2013
The 2013 True Vision Award Goes to Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Verena Paravel
We are thrilled to announce that the 2013 True Vision Award will go to Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel, co-directors of Leviathan and instructors at Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab.
Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab turns academic anthropological theory into irreducible, immersive cinema, discovering a captivating beauty in the interconnected web of human and animal life. In Sweetgrass (2009) Lucien Castaing-Tayler recorded modern day cowboys conducting one last sheep drive across the stunning and hazardous Absaroka-Beartooth mountains of Montana.
And in Verena Paravel and J. P. Sniadecki’s Foreign Parts (T/F 2011) we enter an otherworldy economy of wrecks and refuse in the ill-fated Willets Point industrial zone.
Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel’s Leviathan, as well as Lucien’s previous feature Sweetgrass, will be playing at True/False this year. Leviathan is a revelatory, immersive work of nonfiction that, at times, feels more horror film than documentary. It takes place on board (and, breathtakingly, overboard) a commercial fishing vessel off the coast of Massachusetts (not coincidentally, the same waters that would inspire Melville to write Moby Dick). Shot with an armload of waterproof, lightweight cameras, the action is vertiginous and dynamic, even when the ship is quiet. This is Sensory Ethnography fully realized – a work of art that lives in the “real” and conveys more than just recorded experience.
Castaing-Taylor and Paravel are leading a revolution in observational cinema and True/False is honored to present them with the 2013 True Vision Award.
The True Vision Award, the only award given at True/False, is presented annually to a filmmaker (or filmmaking team) whose work shows a dedication to the creative advancement of nonfiction filmmaking. It is designed and cast in bronze by mid-Missouri sculptor Larry Young. This year’s award is sponsored by Timothy D. McGarrity, MD.
Posted
Chilean Hybrid ‘No’ Coming to T/F
No takes us to Chile, 1988. After 15 years in power, the regime of General Augusto Pinochet faces a constitutionally mandated “yes” or “no” referendum on its continued rule. Hotshot adman Rene Saavedra, portrayed in a subtle and powerful performance by Gael Garcia Bernal, takes charge of the seemingly futile “No” campaign. Saavedra constructs a series of late night television commercials, challenging a brutal dictatorship with catchy jingles and rainbow graphics.
No is Chilean director Pablo Larraín’s the third consecutive film dealing with life under Pinochet’s junta. This time, Larraín filmed entirely with reconstructed 80′s style U-matic video cameras. This allows No‘s fictional segments to blend seamlessly with archival footage of the actual “No” advertising campaign in a uniform retro aesthetic.
No captured the Directors’ Fortnight top prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and is Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. More importantly for us though, this work explores new territory in the ever expanding no man’s land between documentary and fiction. We are very excited to have it as a part of True/False 2013.
Posted January 29, 2013
DocuMemories #8: Sisters in Law
Our nine month look back at True/False past continues this Monday, January 28th with Sisters in Law (T/F 2006) at Ragtag Cinema.
Sisters in Law closely and carefully observes attorney Vera Ngassa and judge Beatrice Ntuba as they secure justice for victims of rape and domestic assault in their native Cameroon. Through manifest intellect and unwavering determination in and out of the courtroom, the two women alter both legal precedents and social attitudes before our eyes. The intense trial scenes where victims confront the accused directly put to shame the familiar TV legal dramas.
Judge Ntuba explains her important work in detail in this excellent interview with NPR.
This film is captured, with phenomenal access, by acclaimed British documentarian Kim Longinotto and her co-director Florence Ayisi. Longinotto returned to T/F in 2008 with Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go and in 2009 to receive our True Vision Award and present her films Gaea Girls and Rough Aunties. Her intimate style of observational filmmaking forgoes any bells and whistles, instead giving us direct access to real life heroes engaged in small revolutions around the world. Longinotto explained her filmmaking methodology and philosophy in the interview below at the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival in Bristol, UK.
Don’t miss your chance to experience Sisters in Law on the big screen, either again or for the first time.
Tickets to DocuMemories are:
$8.50 for the general public.
$5 for Ragtag members and all T/F volunteers; if you’ve ever volunteered for T/F 2003-2012, dig out your volunteer pass and present it at the box office to receive the member discounted admission price of $5 for all films in the series (you must present your pass, sorry but there are thousands of you out there and we need some way to recognize your contribution to receive the discount)
FREE for current Guffman members and T/F 2013 Super Circle Passholders.
FREE on a space available basis for Ragtag, Uprise, 9th Street Video and T/F 2012-2013 Core Staff employees.
Posted January 25, 2013
Stories We Tell is coming to T/F 2013
We are thrilled to announce the first selection of the 2013 True/False Film Fest. Stories We Tell is the documentary debut of filmmaker Sarah Polley, the accomplished actress and director of the fiction films Away From Her and Take This Waltz. A powerfully personal film, Stories We Tell utilizes a blend of Super-8 home movies, interviews and dramatic recreations to probe a secret and painful family history with surprising candor and humor.
Posted January 21, 2013
T/F 2013 Music Preview #2
As the weeks leading up to the fest continue to fly by, we’re sharing some of the musical acts who will soon be breathing life into our town. You can check out the first part of the T/F 2013 music preview here.
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!
Posted January 20, 2013
“The Collective Architecture of the Impossible” Is Upon Us!
Designer Erik Buckham returns again to celebrate 10 years of festival-making, a year after his triumphant “Influencing Machine” poster. Erik’s cobbled-together city is a tribute to unlikely pursuits all over the world, including T/F’s grassroots army which designs our venues and installations. It’s also a tip of the hat to our visiting filmmakers, musicians and artists who bring fine work and good mojo to Columbia.
Posted January 15, 2013
T/F 2013 Music Preview #1
With only 47 days left until the 10th edition of the True/False Film Fest, the energy and excitement is beginning to gather and percolate around Columbia. One important reason for this growing anticipation is the outstanding collection of musicians the Fest always brings to our town. Buskers create the atmosphere at each and every T/F screening, as well as filling our concerts, parties and streets with intoxicating sounds. The 2013 lineup features a mix of returning favorites and fresh faces, local heroes and globe trotting pilgrims. We’ll be sharing these bands and performers with you over the next few weeks so you’ll have a chance to preview their music and ready your soul for the big weekend.
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.
Posted January 12, 2013
True/False Five Favorites Lists
The tenth True/False Film Fest is now less than two months away. In preparation, we asked you about your favorite films from the first nine years of True/False. You can find the first collection of personalized lists below, featuring a wide variety of picks. If you still want to contribute, write us at daniel.r.steffen@gmail.com and let us know your five favorites, along with a brief description of yourself and your favorite memory of the fest. You can find a complete list of films we’ve played here.
Leola Davis
27yr old California transplant. Baby tamer by day, punk rock hooligan by night. My interests include: YA novels, Music, fermented foods, and cats.
1) The Black Power Mixtape
2) Cat Dancers
3) Girls Rock!
4) Shut Up Little Man!
5) Man on Wire
One of my favorite memories of True/False would have to be during the 2008 year when Mucca Pazza burst into the Friday night action party and played a set in the middle of the stage. That took the party to a whole new level. They are to this date one of my favorite bands to come and play T/F!
Cory McCarter
I work at Ragtag Cinema. I like sewing, flicks, bikes ‘n’ stuff.
In no particular order:
It Felt Like a Kiss
Doc Ellis and the LSD No No
Disorder
Monkey Business
Waltz with Bashir
Memory: It’s a secret.
Chris Metzler
What I do: I’m a Missouri native transplanted to California. I also happen to be a documentary filmmaker who likes to explore offbeat subjects and just plain “weird” issues of contemporary America, plus I enjoy swimming in salty bodies of water and all things made of paper.
I attended T/F both as a presenting filmmaker with my doc, Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea, and then came back to the festival later on as a ringleader and Q&A wrangler.
1) I Like Killing Flies
2) LSD A Go Go
3) Audience of One
4) Joy Division
5) Street Fight
Favorite memory of the Fest: Long lasting friendships with fellow filmmakers and filmgoers of course tops the list, but heck that’s not a memory that’s an ongoing experience. So my favorite memory is a tie. The smell of Ragtag popcorn still stirs my nose. But watching a great documentary with a brown bag lunch in a former livestock sale barn via the Reel Gone Round-up was a fun experience that can’t be topped.
Jamie Gonçalves
True/False Programming Asst., Gimme Truth and Great Wall.
1) Family Instinct
2) Running Stumbled
3) Waltz with Bashir
4) The Oath
5) Hula and Natan
Favorite memory: The first Q&A for Secret Screening Purple 2012 where the filmmakers dressed in disguises as to hide their ‘secret’ identities.
Sarah Haas
Film Festival Staff: True/False, Silverdocs, Citizen Jane, St. Louis International Film Festival.
1) The Interrupters
2) Last Train Home
3) No Impact Man
4) Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present
5) Waste Land
Phillip Overeem
I teach British literature and literacy seminar, as well as sponsor The Academy of Rock, the T/F Film Fest Youth Brigade, and KWPE 98.3 FM, as well as coach Science Olympiad at Hickman High School. I have taught for almost 30 years in order to finance my record collection.
In no particular order
:¡Vivan Las Antipodas!
The Black Power Mix Tape 1967-1975
Last Train Home
The Red Chapel
Blood Trail
Favorite memory of the Fest:Being part of the first T/F Hi Def Academy in 2012, a program T/F opened up for high school kids, and being interviewed with super-student Eli Byerly Duke by Voice of America (China) right after we walked out of AI WEI WEI: NEVER SORRY.
Annette Van
Annette teaches, sometimes successfully, at Central Methodist U.
1) Meaning of Robots
2) Disorder
3) Tie: The Interrupters and Gasland and Project Nim
4) The Invention of Dr. Nakamats
5) The Imposter
Favorite T/F Memory: Not a memory, but an activity . . . eavesdropping.
Nathan Truesdell
In no particular order:
Manda Bala
It Felt Like A Kiss
The Red Chapel
Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan: Supermasochist
Notes on the Other
Marty Nau
I completed MU undergrad in 2005, then graduated from MU med school in 2010. I’m now a psychiatry resident at NYU, interested in severe and persistent mental illness.
1) The King of Kong
2) I Think We’re Alone Now
3) Doc Ellis and the LSD No No
4) The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
5) We Live in Public
Favorite memory of the Fest: stumbling in at the last minute for King of Kong at the Forrest Theater via Q ticket, taking the last remaining seats in the dark, then when it’s time for the Q&A, realizing I was sitting next to Steve Wiebe the whole time.
Mimi Dolnick
I prefer documentaries that tell a story, as opposed to docs that are more abstract. Some movies, docs or fiction, are visually beautiful, but I am bored if I cannot get into the story and characters. I am a part time artist so this may be surprising. I also have worked in social service for many years.
1) Searching for Sugarman
2) Project Nim
3) Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
4) Hula and Natan
5) Only the Young
I have a lot of nice memories of True/False and loved the overall festive atmosphere. Gimme Truth was super fun.
Jon Kelland
In chicago, of fargo, by way of minneapolis - pizza lover, doc enthusiast, unaccomplished filmmaker, youth worker, natural foods peddler [thanks, nick].
1) Secret Screening Purple
2) Disorder
3) Only the Young
4) Trash Out
5) Utopia in Four Movements
Favorite memory of the Fest: Not sure i’d say i have a favorite moment, just love the entirety of the fest: the buzz throughout town, talking to folks in various lines, the (almost universally) awesome energy of staff and volunteers, excitedly waiting for films to begin listening to (usually) great acts, and then having the opportunity to discuss the films with filmmakers and audience. special props to uprise/ragtag! It’s absurd how good this thing is.
Alfredo Mubarah
I had my first T/F experience this year. I have been in T/F fever ever since! I am passionate about arts and design, which landed me on my real estate career – I love architecture. And I love different lifestyles. So, it is no surprise that my number 1 film is The Queen of Versailles, a perfect combination of architecture (term loosely used here) and lifestyle (even more loosely here).
1) The Queen of Versailles
2) Undefeated
3) V/H/S
4) Me at the Zoo
5) Comic-Con Episode IV: a Fan’s Hope
Favorite memory of the Fest: I was so happy to be at the opening reception and then screening of Undefeated. That was one of my favorite moments at 2012 True False. I seriously am counting the days until the next one.
Emily Rosen
In no particular order:
It Felt Like A Kiss
War Against the Weak
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then
Searching For Sugar Man
Pam Norum Weagley
In no particular order:
My Mother’s Garden
Buck
Waking Sleeping Beuaty
Restrepo
Pressure Cooker
Barbie Reid
Big River Man
In the Shadow of the Moon
Buck
Wasteland
Searching for Sugarman
Kimberli Ahrens
Searching for Sugarman
Bully
How to Survive a Plague
Shut Up Little Man
Undefeated
Karen Kunkel Pasley
In no particular order:
Searching for Sugar Man
Those Who Remain
Vivan las Antipodas!
At the Edge of Russia
Last Train Home
Posted January 4, 2013
