PROGRAMMING PHILOSOPHY
True/False is a festival, a celebration, and a provocation for artists and viewers courageous enough to engage with cinema constructed from reality, even and especially when that reality is very different from the one they inhabit. Rather than see documentary as a genre, we understand nonfiction to be a mode of art-making that may also try on other genres and contain infinite emotional landscapes; humor, pathos, mystery, drama, romance, ecstasy, transcendence.
The festival was created in a spirit of inquiry and play; we honor that tradition by continuing to question what documentary is and what it can be. We remain open and malleable to the overlapping, contradictory, and challenging answers to these questions, rather than adhering to truth and fiction as a binary. We know that it’s often in the space — or slash — between the two where the magic lives and actively seek work that engages with reality in surprising and expansive ways.
Cinema is a portal into another universe. While we can’t fully know the relationship between the film in front of us and the sliver of the world it represents, we do our best to watch in good faith and hold the complexity of the lives we have been graciously invited into. We de-center films that present human beings as symbols, archetypes, or evidence, and champion those that take creative risks, exhibit sensitivity, and kindle the imagination; films that dare to show the world as we are living it, in all its conflict and contradiction.
ENTRY FEES AND DEADLINES
Submissions for the 2027 Fest are now OPEN!
The final deadline is 8 p.m. CT Dec. 1, 2026, and filmmakers can expect to be notified by early February.
Submission Fees & Deadlines
Submission fees allow us to give every submission the full and thorough consideration it deserves. Fees go toward the cost of our submission tracking system, as well as the labor of our staff and screening committee. Each submission receives a personalized notification letter from a member of our curation team. Please see fees and respective deadlines below:
Feature Length Film Submissions (40 minutes and above)
- Early Bird: $35 by Sept. 15 / $25 for students
- Regular: $50 by Oct. 30 / $35 for students
- Final: $95 by Dec. 1 / $75 for students
Short Film Submissions: (under 40 minutes)
- Early Bird: $20 by Sept. 15 / $15 for students
- Regular: $30 by Oct. 30 / $20 for students
- Final: $60 by Dec. 1 / $45 for students
Something Else…
For projects that don’t fall easily into these categories (such as series, interactive, or installation) but still qualify cinematic nonfiction work, please email [email protected] for instructions on how to submit.
Please note that while we joyfully embrace experimental and genre-bending work, space and technical capacity may impact our ability to exhibit some work. You can read through our Filmmaker Guidance page for more information.
Student Discounts
To receive the student discount, email [email protected] from your student email account to verify your status and receive a personalized waiver code. Please include your full name and the title and runtime of your film.
Fee Waivers
We understand that submission fees can be prohibitive for a variety of reasons and offer a fee waiver to make submitting to True/False Film Fest accessible to more filmmakers. If you are facing financial hardship and the submission fee is beyond your ability to pay, please complete our Waiver Request Form.
Reasons for requiring a fee waiver might include:
The film has been made in a country with a low production rate
The country of production has limitations on sending money to the U.S., or prohibitively escalated exchange rates
The filmmaker is facing significant financial hardship.
Due to the time and labor required to process fee waivers and assess submitted work, we can provide only a limited number. We ask that any filmmakers or their representatives (production companies, sales agents, distributors, etc.) able to afford the submission fee please submit via our regular channels. Students who do not meet any additional criteria for a fee waiver should apply with the Student Discount ONLY (see instructions above).
In other words, do your karma a favor and follow the honor code! If you really need the waiver, please apply. If you do not, leave that spot for someone who does.
The deadline to apply for a waiver is 8 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 20.
FILMMAKER GUIDANCE
Before sharing your film with us, please read through this explanation of our screening process and submission requirements.
Shorts, Features, and Everything In Between:Â
Each year, we screen around 35 feature-length projects and 25 short-form works. We are also very open to mid-length films and series.Â
Non-Traditional Forms
We at True/False strongly encourage projects that do not fall neatly into ‘documentary film’ categories. In addition to episodic work, this has also meant we have exhibited documentary life performance, audio pieces, and installation (though please be advised installation work is typically considered part of the art program rather than the film lineup).
If you have a nonfiction project that you feel is a good fit for the True/False spirit of adventure, please email [email protected]. While there may be budgetary or technical limitations for unusual formats, we are fortunate to have an extremely experienced and creative team that is excited to take on a challenge for the right project.
Film Completion Timeline
True/False generally considers films produced within one year of the festival. For 2027, that includes work from 2026 and 2027.
Filmmaker Attendance:Â
We require filmmaker attendance for feature-length selections, for which we provide an artist pass, travel and accommodations, as well as an appearance stipend from our Pay the Artists! Fund.Â
For directors of short films who are able to attend, True/False will provide an artist pass and an appearance stipend, and will assist with accommodations to the best of our ability.
Submission & Exhibition Format:Â
Please submit a direct link for us to view your work online; acceptable platforms include Vimeo, Frame.io, Dropbox, CineSend, etc.. If your film is accepted, you must deliver DCP according to our technical specifications and print traffic deadlines unless other arrangements have been made in advance.
Screening Process and Submission Fees:Â
We are so excited to watch your films and pride ourselves in taking particular care with each and every submission, providing more thorough feedback than many arts organizations of similar size. Your submission fee goes towards the significant labor required to give each film the best possible consideration by paying for the following process:
- Recruitment and training for screening committee members (Canaries). Our programmers and screening committee members are a tight-knit unit, meeting regularly to discuss the art of filmmaking as well as host in-depth discussions on film submissions, programming philosophy, and how to best ensure equity in our selection process.
- A dedicated submissions coordinator to oversee the entire process. Answering questions from filmmakers and screeners, reading through your submission materials, assigning films, organizing screening committee meetings, participating in all programming meetings, sending timely notifications, liaising with selected artists.
- A member of the screening committee watches your film in full and evaluates the work in a written review that is then read and evaluated by a member of the programming staff for further inquiry.
- A personalized notification letter that acknowledges not just your name, but also the specific work that you’ve created.
Ragtag Film Society and True/False Film Fest strive to work with integrity in all we do; the screening process is also designed to ensure the best possible impartiality, accountability, and transparency for our submitting artists and larger community. If you have any additional questions, please email [email protected].
Please note, in the interest of improving accessibility to our program, we aim to offer screenings with open captions (OCAP) for English- language films where possible. We also offer Fidelio audio description and Captiview closed captions where available. If your film is selected, we will be in touch regarding accessibility materials.
SUBMIT YOUR FILM
Fill out the submission form below, and be sure to complete your payment in order for the submission to be complete (form may take a moment to load)