LEVELS OF FEST VOLUNTEERING:
GENERAL VOLUNTEER: 12-18 hours
- T-shirt
- Pass for free admission via the Q
- Access to Volunteer Q at 4 screenings
- Relaxation, coffee, and snacks at The Nest
- Admission to the @CTION Party after midnight
- Admission to the Volunteer Party
- Free admission to all T/F docs at Ragtag Cinema in 2025
JUGGERNAUTS:Â 30-40 hours
All general benefits PLUS:
- 3 Box Office tickets, pick up after 9am on Friday
- 3 transferable Juggernaut vouchers for use in the Silver Circle Bay
- Admission to the @CTION PartyÂ
- Free Music Showcases (as available)
- Juggernaut Screening at Ragtag post-Fest
HOW TO SIGN UP
- Determine your availability: when you can volunteer will dictate what teams will be able to use your help.Â
- Fill out an application: Applications are open November 1 through the Fest!Â
- Once approved, you’ll be placed on a team. Volunteers are approved on a rolling basis.
- Schedules are sent out at varying times by team leaders.
- Attend volunteer check-in to grab your pass and swag.
- Put on a Fest!
Questions? Drop us a line at [email protected]
HEART AWARD
The Heart Award was started in 2018 in recognition of a volunteer who truly embodies the spirit of True/False Volunteerism: a kind and loyal heart, a commitment to chip in wherever needed, and a thoughtful and open mind. Each year, Core nominate volunteers they feel particularly exhibited this spirit of volunteerism and a finalist is chosen from that group. That dedicated volunteer is presented with the award during the Fest.Â
PAST WINNERS:
Robyn Kaufman (2023)
Peggy O’Connor (2022)
Mike Rowson (2021)
Scott Lincoln (2020)
Esther Stroh (2019)Â
David Dunstedter (2018)
TEAMS
See below for an overview of typical Fest volunteer teams. Changes and specifics for the following Fest will be updated before applications open in early November.
Art – As an Art team member, you’ll assist some of our artists in creating physical art installations that will transform spaces throughout the festival footprint. Other duties involve loading, unloading, hanging, mounting and securing the artwork in the exhibition spaces before the festival and deinstalling the artwork after the festival. Must apply early and be available for 40 hrs during the months leading up to the Fest.
Audio Tech – The Audio Tech Crew creates the sonic experience of the festival, so if you take tech seriously and have experience at the helm of a multi-channel soundboard, we’re interested. AUDIO experience is REQUIRED to be part of the tech team, so please list yours in the Skills and Abilities section.
Booze – Be part of the team that serves drinks to filmmakers and festgoers alike! You must have a Missouri bartending license and include a description of your bartending experience to be considered for this team.
Box Office – Provide festival-worthy customer service to passholders and ticket buyers at our bustling Box Office. Must love helping people and answering questions with a smile. Job often includes being on your feet for long periods of time. Customer service, retail, and/or cash register experience preferred.
BoxTOps – Volunteers in BoxTOps work as a mobile Box Office (Box = ticket sales) at individual theaters (TOps = Theater Operations) for attendees in the Q who need to buy a ticket on site. You must be quick on your feet and in your mind – handling cash, making change, and communicating an accurate tally of your earnings to T/F staff. We prefer volunteers with cash handling and theater operations experience, particularly those who have worked BoxTOps in the past.
Build – The small and awesome Build Team does everything from work with artists to help them create their visions to building storage crates for T/F production materials (and a million other things in between). Must apply early and be available during the months leading up to the Fest; availability during the Fest is a plus. Experience and skill with power tools required.
Chauffeur – Do you enjoy having interesting conversations with interesting people? Then consider the Chauffeur Team! Your responsibilities will include picking up filmmakers from area airports (including St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia), and transporting filmmakers and industry guests around the Columbia area. Drivers must be at least 23 years old and apply for a Class E Chauffeur’s license ($30 fee funded by T/F), application available here.
Education – Our programming often serves as the entry point for students to interact with the magical, life-altering force we call True/False! The majority of our volunteer time is spent organizing and facilitating Fest educational events like Camp T/F, the CPS Sophomore Screening and more! The Education Team is looking for individuals that care about the conjunction of media literacy and arts appreciation, who want to support an incredible group of students from Columbia, MO and beyond, come join us!
Errand Runners – Are you reliable? Have your own transportation? Do you have limited time during the Fest, but have a flexible schedule and still want to volunteer? Then we need YOU to work in the office and run errands in the weekends and daytime hours leading up to and during the Fest. Specify your daytime and weekend availability in February/March on your application.
Events – For those 21 yrs+ with experience in food service, catering, or club operations. Help pull off the unique special events that T/F is known for! You must be prepared to work as many as 15 hrs during the Fest. You’ll help set up, break down, and run good times such as the Jubilee, Reality Bites, and @CTION. Night owls who like to work parties are welcome. Will include food service and clean-up, and may involve late nights.
Hospitality – The Hospo volunteers assist in providing gracious hospitality—a cornerstone of our ethos—to any and all T/F guests (filmmakers, industry guests, and high level pass holders). This team will coordinate and distribute information packets for guests, acts as the main contact for guests, and will sometimes escort them around town. This is an excellent opportunity to meet fascinating people!
Lighting – Do you revel in the opportunity to illuminate? Do you have theatrical lighting knowledge, however rudimentary? Become a JUGGERNAUT (40h) lighting volunteer and help contribute support of the artistic vision of our Lighting Director. Some theatrical lighting experience is REQUIRED — please indicate your experience in the “special skills” section below to be considered.
Merchandise – Help sell the coolest merch this side of the Missouri River. During your 12-15 hr commitment, you may set up or break down merch stations in the days before and after the Fest, or distribute and sell cool T/F goods to attendees. You may even get to model one of those fashionable T/F hoodies! Retail/cash register experience preferred. Requires some heavy lifting and standing for long periods of time.
Music – If the musical side of the Fest is where your passions lie, sign up to help our music team with all aspects of Fest life for musicians! As a music volunteer you might lend a hand at showcase concerts, as tech support during events, on our advertising/street team, or as a musician liaison/driver- all integral parts of making the soundtrack of True/False ring out. No matter the task, you’ll work closely with our visiting guests and T/F staff to help make the musicians feel at home! Volunteers involved in music preferred but not necessary.
Photo – Our small and mighty photo team is charged with the ambitious task of capturing it all: pre-Fest design and construction, set up, special events, parties, panels and discussions, filmmakers, education outreach, music, art, break down and everything in between! Our goal is to capture strong, iconic, storytelling images for the Fest’s archives and for its sponsors. Experienced photographers preferred; General and Juggernaut volunteers accepted. Please include links to your website or portfolio/blog site in the special skills portion of your application. You will need to provide your own equipment. The team also includes cell phone photographers and photo editors. Lightroom is required for part of our post-production workflow for editors. All or some hours may be completed before the Fest.
Queens – Think you have what it takes to be a mobile, flamboyant information station at one of our T/F venues? Want to wrangle patrons in the Q outside each theater? Our Queens are skilled in engaging with a crowd while assisting and guiding attendees with style and a smile. If interested, tell us how YOU are qualified to serve as T/F royalty!
Set Up/Break Down – Can you lift and carry heavy (50 lb) and/or awkward objects, problem solve, and are willing to get your hands dirty? The trusty Set Up/Break Down crew transforms festival venues into True/Falsian movie palaces before the Fest begins, then returns them to their humble origins after the Fest ends. Most SUBD hours are completed during weekDAYS and are before and after the Fest, so members of this team are generally able to get the full T/F experience with their volunteer pass.
Special Operations – This Team’s leaders describe Special Operations as “customer service for T/F teams.” Special Ops provides support for all of the divisions throughout the Fest on the days leading up to and during the Fest; you’ll get your hands dirty and you’ll work in multiple locations, both inside and out of most, if not all, of our venues. Juggernaut volunteers are preferred, but General volunteers will also be considered for this small but essential team. Anyone with strong constitution and quick adaptability are welcome to apply.
Sustainability – Join the Green Team as T/F works towards creating a more environmentally-friendly fest! Members will help increase diversion by collecting and sorting materials throughout the Fest and keeping the park clean/tidy for guests.
Theater Operations – Be part of the LARGEST (and arguably GREATEST) team of the Fest! Theater Operations volunteers inhabit festival theaters and keep them humming right along. You’ll take tickets, manage lines, count seats, usher people into the theater, and interact with a public eager to see the best docs around. This is where the action is, with venues abuzz with filmmakers, musicians, and Columbia’s finest passholders and attendees. Expect to be on your feet a significant amount of time, but also expect quiet times during screenings.