Columbia, Missouri – The True/False Film Fest acknowledges the risks, sacrifices, and contributions of documentary subjects through its True Life Fund, a philanthropic effort where its audiences raise money for the subjects of one True/False selection. The 2020 True Life Fund film is Welcome to Chechnya. 

This vital and harrowing film confronts an ongoing genocide directed at the LGBTQ+ citizens of the republic of Chechnya. Director David France (How to Survive a Plague, T/F 2011) embeds with a group of everyday citizens-turned-activists as they put their lives on the line to bring its targets to safety. 

“Welcome to Chechnya is an ideal fit for the True Life Fund,” True/False Director of Programming Chris Boeckmann says. “For its subjects, the very act of documenting their existence puts their lives at risk. David France took that risk seriously — not only by scrupulously protecting his footage, but also by creating a film that honors their trust. Welcome to Chechnya unveils horror with sensitivity and conviction while also holding the love that sustains its subjects as they courageously fight against it.”

The True Life Fund was founded in 2007. Past recipients of this recognition include the Fazili family of Midnight Traveler (T/F 2019), Adi Rukun of The Look of Silence (T/F 2015), and Ceasefire, the organization spotlighted in The Interrupters (T/F 2011).

More details about the film and Fund recipients will be announced soon. The full True/False film lineup will be announced on Wednesday, February 12.