On May 2, 2025, the National Endowment for the Arts terminated grant funding for the 2025 fiscal year for Ragtag Film Society,  the 501(c)(3) organization that operates Ragtag Cinema and True/False Film Fest. Ragtag Film Society is a mission-driven organization that believes in integrity, inclusivity, playfulness, and sustainability. Despite previously approving grant funding, the NEA announced these core values are no longer relevant to the federal administration’s agenda — an agenda that according to the NEA’s notification email, “reflects the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President.”

Ragtag Cinema and True/False Film Fest have served downtown Columbia, Missouri, and the far-reaching nonfiction film community, for over two decades. Since the onset of streaming and rapid change in film-going habits accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, film exhibition organizations and arthouse theaters across the world struggle to continue day-to-day operations. Ragtag Film Society is no exception to these concerns. Terminated federal funding will only further impact the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission to captivate and engage communities in immersive arts experiences that explore assumptions and elicit shared joy, wonder, and introspection.

In this climate of reduced federal funding, arts organizations including the Ragtag Film Society rely more than ever on local support. Community support will allow RFS to continue to provide access to eye-opening, vital film & media art. Ragtag Film Society offers multiple ways to support the organization: supporters can help by becoming Ragtag Cinema members, joining a cohort of philanthropists intent on preserving Ragtag Film Society in their community, and making tax-deductible donations.