The True/False Documentary Film Festival, March 3-6, is one of the country’s top documentary film festivals, showcasing a slate of outstanding documentaries each year on a range of topics, including a surprising number of future Oscar winners and nominees. And it’s happening in the college town of Columbia, Missouri, this weekend. What better way to welcome spring?
True/False has no prizes or competitions, but it does feature incredible documentaries from around the world, great engaging discussions with each feature documentary, a real festival vibe, and some of the best documentaries of the year on a variety of topics. Best of all, it’s a fully walkable festival in a charming college town, full of interesting shops and a wide selection of places to eat and stay. It puts everyone in a party mood starting with a parade every year.
This year, some of the best documentaries are here. One of the hottest, in more ways than one, is FIRE OF LOVE, the love story of a couple of volcanologists, Katia and Maurice Kraftt, who are dedicated to both the study of volcanoes and at their set, filming electrifying footage of eruptions, rushing to each for two decades. RIOTSVILLE, USA focuses on a strange part of history, with archival photos and images of “Riotvilles”, fake small towns that the US military built during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, such as training grounds for training in civil unrest.
Documentaries are often about point of view and I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE captures the point of view of Reid Davenport, as he films a circus near his apartment from his wheelchair, reflecting on the history of circuses and people with disabilities. A different kind of perspective can be found in MIJA, Isabel Castro’s heartwarming documentary about a successful female music manager who supports her undocumented parents and other family members.
But even beyond the documents that are already attracting attention, there are more gems to discover on True/False. The truth is, you can pick any documentary on True/False and see something interesting, thought-provoking, or even uplifting.
The festival is also dotted with parties, special events, concerts, and fun events like the “Gimme Truth” game show, all topped off with a wrap-up party.
Visit the festival website at truefalse.org to find information about True/False, learn more about the films, and buy tickets.
