This page was rebuilt in 2026 from surviving copies of the 2011 festival website. Some details may be incomplete.
No 2011 shorts program survives in the archived copies of the festival website (the Shorts page was still a “Coming Soon” placeholder when it was captured).
This page was rebuilt in 2026 from surviving copies of the 2011 festival website. Some details may be incomplete.
Events
| Event | When and where | Details |
|---|---|---|
| The Jubilee | Thursday, Mar 3, 6:00PM, Missouri Theatre |
Having reached the ripe old age of eight, True/False kicked off the fest with a fancypants gala: a masquerade at the re-opened Missouri Theatre, with signature cocktails by downtown’s bartenders, followed by a screening of Benda Bilili! at 7:30PM. Cocktail attire and a mask were encouraged. |
| March March | Friday, Mar 4, 5:10PM, meeting at the Stephen’s College Visitor’s center (College and Broadway) |
The festival’s signature kickoff parade through the streets of Columbia. All were welcome to watch or participate. |
| True Life Run | Saturday, Mar 5, 8:00AM, downtown Columbia |
The first annual True Life Run: a 5 kilometer race through downtown Columbia with optional “elective adventures” along the way. A portion of the proceeds went to the True Life Fund. Participants were encouraged to attend a morning screening of the True Life film, The Interrupters, at the Missouri Theatre. |
| Gimme Truth! | Saturday, Mar 5, Blue Note |
America’s favorite documentary game show and local film competition, hosted by Johnny St. John, with celebrity judges Al Morrow (producer), Ameena Matthews (star, The Interrupters) and Dennis W. Ho (director, Subway Preacher). Finalists: “Chasing Chairs” by Sara Neitzert; “Lucky Lindy” by Brian Maurer; “Eckankar” by Ryan Walker; “The Jake Show” by Asa Lory; “David Andersson: The Man With a Tail” by Chip Gubera and Ben Kaplan; “Tropical Missouri” by Elliot Reed; “Potty Patrol” by Brian Maurer; “For Sammy Fein” by Gordon Rogers; “Deer Camp: Tale of the Scratchers Tickets” by Frank Finley; “Dr. Bodysnatcher” by Justin Gregory. |
| Through the Trees (kids workshop) | Saturday, Mar 5, 9am and 3pm blocks, Creative Days Art Studio |
A day of creative fun with Creative Days for kids 5-11: Forest Theater, 3-dimensional masks, a meal and movie, dimensional painting and an imaginative hand-fashioned forest. |
| Trees/Forest bumpers | First unveiled Thursday night, Mar 3 |
Andrew Droz Palermo’s first Trees/Forest bumper, the first of four in a series tracking a mysterious figure’s impact on some visitors to the woods. Filmed in early December in the Columbia area by a local crew, with a soundtrack by Tyler & Wesley Powell. |
| The Weird Wake-Up; The Speculative Stroll | Weird Wake-Up: Sunday, Mar 6, 9:30AM, The Odd Fellows Temple. Speculative Stroll: Sat, Mar 5, 11:45AM and 2:30PM; Sun, Mar 6, 11:45AM and 5:15PM; listed at Box Office |
These appear in the surviving screening lists. No descriptions survive. |
Music
- Kings Go Forth headlined Mojo’s A-Go-Go on Saturday night, March 5. The Milwaukee ten-man soul and funk band, led by singer Black Wolf, was described as “a groove-heavy, horn-powered mix of funk and soul” (NPR).
- The Thursday Jubilee was announced as including a post-movie concert. No other 2011 music listings survive.
True Vision Award
The True Vision Award, the festival’s only award, is given annually to a filmmaker (or filmmakers) whose work shows a dedication to the creative advancement of the art of nonfiction filmmaking. The 2011 recipient was James Marsh, best known for Man on Wire, which capped the 2008 festival. He returned to Columbia the weekend of March 3 to screen his new film, Project Nim.
True Life Fund
The True Life Fund returned for a fifth year. The 2011 selection was The Interrupters (dir. Steve James), a real-life Midwestern superhero movie about Ameena Matthews, Cobe Williams and Eddie Bocanegra, who work with the anti-violence group CeaseFire in Chicago to interrupt the next retribution-seeking shooting. All funds raised were targeted to help the film’s three main characters. The Crossing was the sponsor of the True Life Fund in 2011. The fund was started in 2007 to offer tangible and meaningful assistance to the real-life subjects of a new film; We Are Together (2007) and Burma VJ (2009) were earlier selections.
Venues
The newest venue for 2011 was the Globe Theater, in the First Presbyterian Church’s new social hall at the east end of Cherry Street, next door to the Ragtag Cinema. Screenings in the surviving lists also took place at the Missouri Theatre, Blue Note, Windsor Cinema, Forrest Theater, Big Ragtag, Little Ragtag, The Hive, The Chapel and The Odd Fellows Temple.