Frequently Asked Questions

Following is some good stuff to know and some commonly asked queries to help you dive into your festival experience!

The Box Office is our headquarters during the Fest, stationed in Sager Reeves Gallery at 1025 E Walnut St. If you have any questions then, feel free to stop by for assistance. Hours of operation below. In the meantime, if you have any questions not answered here, don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly Box office team! Contact: 573.442.TRUE (8783), or [email protected].

BOX OFFICE / ADMISSION

Wednesday, Feb 28, 12pm–8pm: Pass pickup only
Thursday, Feb 29, 9am–10pm: General ticket sales & passholder pickup
Friday, Mar 1, 9am–10pm: General ticket sales & passholder pickup
Saturday, Mar 2, 9am–10pm: General ticket sales & passholder pickup
Sunday, Mar 3, 9am–5pm: General ticket sales & passholder pickup
Monday, Mar 4, 9am–11am: Merch sales

A pass is the laminated badge that allows festival access. Detailed descriptions here! Passes cannot be shared. If you are a passholder, you’ll get to reserve tickets to ticketed screenings, concerts, or events in advance of the festival. All of your reserved tickets and any other automatic admission benefits will be stored on your pass’ QR code, which will be scanned at the venue for admission. Passes must be picked up at the T/F Box Office. A fee will be charged for lost/replacement passes.

If you are not a passholder, you may purchase individual tickets online starting Monday, February 19 (10am). A ticket is issued for one screening of a film or concert, and, providing you show up on time, guarantees your space up to 15 minutes before start time.

All ticket reservations open at 6pm Central time on the dates listed; detailed instructions will be sent to all passholders in advance of ticket reservations!

Super Circle: Sunday, Feb 11
Silver Circle: Tuesday, Feb 13
Center & Stay Up Late (concerts only): Wednesday, Feb 14
Spring: Friday, Feb 16
Classic (films only): Saturday, Feb 17

We highly recommend reading our handy RESERVATIONS guide and build your calendar before your reservation date! Once made, reservations can be edited online at any time before the Fest, but bear in mind that selections may go NRT, and it behooves all passholders to reserve tickets as early as possible. Individual tickets go on sale to the general public online as of Monday, Feb 19 at 10am.

Single film tickets are $15 at the Box Office, online, or at the door/Q.

Student and teacher tickets are $10 at the Box Office and via the Q for films at any venue. Must present a valid student or teaching staff ID at time of purchase.

Yes! Starting on February 19, 2024 (at 10am), you can purchase individual tickets online – simply click on the film you’d like to purchase tickets for, click the “BUY” button, and follow the prompted directions from there. You can also purchase tickets via our handy Q system at any T/F film or concert venue throughout the festival weekend.

All events/venues will allow cash for admission and purchase. Credit cards are accepted at all venues and the Box Office. Virtual tipping for buskers will also be available, primarily via Venmo.

First, check online or at the Box Office to see if tickets are available. If tickets are available, they can be purchased online or at the Box Office until 30 minutes prior to the screening. After that, admission is managed at the venue. If a film goes NRT, empty seats will be filled at the venue via the Q.

NRT stands for “no reserve tickets” and means the available tickets have been reserved by passholders or purchased. However, there is still a good chance you can get in at the door. Inevitably, some people who reserve tickets don’t show up, and many seats are available via the “Q”!

The Q is your chance to get in at the door of a film for which you were unable to get an advance ticket. Beginning 60 minutes before a film, get a Q number from the Queen at the venue—look for the most flamboyant person you can find. (You may line up for a Q earlier, but we won’t give them out until one hour before the film.) With your Q number in hand, you can leave the venue to grab a coffee or a bite instead of waiting in line. Fifteen minutes prior to the film’s start, come back, find your spot in the Q, and venue staff will release available seats. If there are 15 open seats, numbers 1-15 in the Q will get in, etc. Don’t be late! If you return to the Q after your number is called, you’ll have to go to the back of the line. Passholders receive free admission; nonpassholders pay at the time of admission. One Q per person will be given out.

The Stay Up Late pass gets you a taste of all the fun after dark without paying top dollar. Stay Up Late offers admission (space available) to all festival concerts, free admission via the Q to any films that start at 9pm or later on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, AND films that start 3pm or later on Sunday, as well as admission to the @CTION Party and Buskers Last Stand. (It does not allow free ticket pickup at the Box Office.)

YES! Classic passes are limited to 10 online reservations. To get additional tickets, you may go to the box office on Thursday, Feb 29 beginning at 9am and get free tickets. You can also Q for free if you don’t have a ticket for a film.

Super and Silver Circle passholders have walk-up access for any screening at our three largest venues: Jesse Auditorium, the Missouri Theatre, and The Blue Note. Even without a ticket, as long as you arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the film, you’re guaranteed admission.

At smaller venues, things work differently. To be guaranteed a seat you must reserve tickets or get them from the Box Office and arrive at least 15 minutes before showtime. If you don’t have a ticket, show up at least 15 minutes early and find the Silver Circle bay (hint: look for a big silver circle). As seats are available, you’ll be let in ahead of the rest of the Q (but after ticket-holders and PTA patrons).

Buying a pass is still the best way to experience all the myriad joys True/False has to offer. Different pass levels include different perks, but buying any pass allows you the key advantage of reserving tickets online in advance of the festival.

If you’ve purchased passes in the past, the site may look a bit different this year! In 2021, we adopted a new ticketing system that offers digital ticketing options. You might see some different words like “membership” instead of “passholder” or “member number” instead of “purchase code”. But in practice, the functionality is very similar and we’ll continue to give passholders step by step details for making ticket reservations in February. And if you attended the 2022 festival, admissions are the same!

Our digital ticketing system to allow for scannable passes, mobile ticketing, and print from home tickets. The fee helps us to provide this streamlined service that offers flexibility and convenience, while increasing our sustainability efforts.

We understand that plans go awry, so if you find yourself unable to attend the Fest, we’re happy to issue a partial refund (but we’re sad you can’t join us).

Prior to ticket reservations opening in February, we can refund 50% of your pass purchase. No refunds will be issued after reservations have begun for your pass type. If the Fest is canceled due to events outside of our reasonable control, 50% of the pass price is non-refundable. Buying a pass is, in part, a commitment to supporting the long-term survival of RFS! Refunds will not be given for ticket purchases online, at the Box Office, or via the Q.

MISC LOGISTICS

Festival venues have wheelchair accessible entries, exits, restrooms, and access to public drinking water stations. We offer sign language interpretation to select festival films, and those screenings are designated as such in the online schedule. Check the program book and online schedule for details about how to obtain assistive hearing devices at designated venues. Persons with a disability may arrive at and/or enter venues early if needed, to be seated (if you have a ticket). Please check in with the Venue Captain when you arrive at the venue.

More details about parking, shuttles, ASL interpretation, requesting accommodations, etc. can be found on our accessibility page.

Because our ticketing is handled digitally now, the former T/F app is obsolete. All film reservations can be saved to your phone or Apple Wallet! The film info and schedule can all be found online as well as in the program book.

Pre-Fest, merch can be purchased at our pop-up merch store, starting Saturday, Feb 24 & Sunday, Feb 25; hours are 10am-6pm. During the festival, the Box Office merch store is open during the same hours as the Box Office. Merch is also for sale at the Box Office on Monday, Mar 4, 9am-11am. Additionally, there is a merch store at Missouri Theatre during the hours when film screenings take place. 

Throughout the year, T/F merch can be purchased through our website.

Ragtag allows food purchased from Uprise Bakery, but otherwise no outside food is permitted in Fest venues.

Recording any audio or video in any manner and through any medium is strictly prohibited in all theaters of the True/False Film Fest and Ragtag Film Society. Anyone found to be making any such recording shall be subject to removal from the theater, revocation of any pass allowing entrance to the Fest without refund, confiscation of any equipment and storage media used in the recording and criminal and/or civil prosecution.

Yes. Please note our organizational Code of Conduct: Ragtag Film Society exists to captivate and engage communities in immersive arts experiences. We value inclusivity and encourage an atmosphere of festivity, free from hate, discrimination, and bigotry in all forms. Ragtag Film Society reserves the right to revoke, without notice or refund, passes, credentials, and/or access to the True/False Film Fest and Ragtag Cinema.

HEALTH POLICY

In 2024, we encourage all Fest attendees, staff, and volunteers to be mindful of their own and others’ health and well being. We ask that everyone be proactive about regularly washing hands, staying up-to-date with vaccinations, masking to your comfort level, and staying home if you’re feeling ill and/or showing symptoms. We do not have any vaccination requirements for attendees. 

Health precautions are re-evaluated regularly to adapt to the local transmission rates of COVID-19, and any changes will be shared here and announced on all platforms.

Vaccine and testing resources: Information about vaccinations and testing in Columbia and surrounding areas can be found at: https://www.como.gov/covidvaccine/