True Life Fund

The True Life Fund returns for its sixth year to demonstrate that documentaries can create change by offering tangible assistance to the real-life subjects of a new non-fiction film. And it acknowledges that documentary filmmakers and festivals thrive because of the stories given to us by people often of limited means.

While we can’t yet raise money for the subjects of every film (one day!) we can spotlight one film each year and raise funds to support and honor those who appear in front of the camera. We do this by actively collaborating with filmmakers, whose intimate knowledge of their "characters" enables us to pinpoint needs and most effectively target our efforts.

The 2012 True Life film is Bully, which chronicles a year in the life of five kids and their families who courageously share their stories to inspire change in how society deals with bullying. The film, directed and produced by Sundance and Emmy-award winner Lee Hirsch, goes undercover in American schools to reveal the horrors of bullying and the effects it can have on kids and families. Bully puts a personal face on this systemic problem, which manifests itself in the lives of 13 million children and their families each year. Hirsch tackles the issue head on and prods each of us to think about how we can help eliminate bullying.

This year, The Bertha Foundation, whose mission is to affect positive change in the world through the combined efforts of activist lawyers, storytellers, and social and political entrepreneurs, has pledged to match dollar for dollar up to $15,000 of the funds raised by the True Life Fund. Support for the Fund comes from outreach within the Columbia community and generous donations from True/False attendees. This combined effort seeks to raise more than $30,000 for the subjects of Bully.

The money raised will go to the three main characters of the film, Alex, Kelby and Ja’Meya, who all continue to deal with the adverse effects of bullying. Additionally, portions of the fund will also be donated to the Longs and the Smalleys, two families who are featured in the film and whose sons Tyler Long and Ty Smalley took their own lives after being bullied. The money is a way to thank them all for sharing their stories and inspiring change in all of us.

If you would like to make a donation to the fund now, please do so by clicking on the green button above.

Read the press release.

History

• 2007: Working with We Are Together director Paul Taylor and producer Teddy Leifer, the fund raised $8,500 to buy school supplies for the Children of Agape singing choir of South Africa.
• 2008: With Very Young Girls director David Schisgall and GEMS (Girls Educational & Mentoring Service) founder Rachel Lloyd, the fund raised $9,000 to provide services to girls recovering from the trauma of sexual exploitation.
• 2009: With Burma VJ director Anders Østergaard, we sent over $9,000 to support the intrepid, underground journalists featured in his film Burma VJ to help purchase cameras and other equipment vital to their efforts to document the ongoing revolution in Burma.
• 2010: With Enemies of the People co-directors Thet Sambath and Rob Lemkin, the fund sent $10,000 to help Sambath's efforts to interview former members of the Khmer Rogue in Cambodia.
• 2011: Working closely with The Interrupters director Steve James and the team at Kartemquin, we raised $15,000 to help three real-life Midwestern superheroes Ameena Matthews, Cobe Williams and Eddie Bocanegra of the anti-violence group CeaseFire.