# The four-day film fest in Columbia, Missouri brings together filmmakers and musicians! Video, Photos

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2024/03/12/the-four-day-film-fest-in-columbia-missouri-brings-together-filmmakers-and-musicians-video-photos/
- Published: 2024-03-12T00:02:50+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**The four-day film fest in Columbia, Missouri brings together filmmakers and musicians!
Appearing were an esoteric group of players including harpist Ruth Acuff, Latin 
troubadour Daniel Villarreal, funky Balkan group Gora Gora Orkestar, Austin-based
rockers Good Looks, Thao Nguyen of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down fame and John Randall
and Andy Rehm from Missouri’s own Hooten Hallers.**

Hooting and hollering isn’t the kind of behavior you’d expect from attendees of 
a documentary film festival. But at **Gimme Truth!** a bit of raucousness is not
only expected, it is encouraged. Gimme Truth! is a signature event of Columbia, 
Missouri’s annual **True/False Film Fest**; the event took place at various venues
throughout the city’s downtown area Feb. 29 – March 3, 2024.

![](https://i0.wp.com/www.americanbluesscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-17-
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Steven Moerschel tries to fool the judges

When it comes down to it, the True/False Film Fest is actually a four-day party.
This year fans had a chance to view about 30 feature-length documentaries, many 
with heady subjects like _Magic Mountain_, a film from the Eurasian country Georgia
that chronicled life in a tuberculosis sanatorium; and _Alien Island_ where a Chilean
filmmaker documented how benevolent aliens supposedly healed a cancer sufferer on
an isolated island.

There were also showings of about 25 short films, many also of a serious nature,
but there was also plenty of levity in these. So folks hopped from one venue to 
another to see these films, also being entertained by musicians who performed before
and between films. Appearing were an esoteric group of players including harpist
Ruth Acuff, Latin troubadour Daniel Villarreal, funky Balkan group Gora Gora Orkestar,
Austin-based rockers Good Looks, Thao Nguyen of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down fame
and John Randall and Andy Rehm from Missouri’s own Hooten Hallers.

There were late night showcases at several of Columbia’s favorite nightclubs too,
and numerous parties with music, food and booze. But for all the non-stop fun, the
most anticipated True/False event was Gimme Truth!

Gimme Truth! has a simple premise. Eight two-minute documentaries, all made by Columbia
area filmmakers, are shown – with some of them being “real” while the subjects of
others are completely made up. The audience and a three-person panel of judges tries
to guess which is which. And that’s where things get rowdy! As it has been for years,
Gimme Truth! was hosted by funnyman Brian Babylon, famed for the hilarity he brings
to NPR’s _Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! _

![](https://i0.wp.com/www.americanbluesscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-14-
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Host Brian Babylon

Drinking on stage (as were the judges and most of the audience) Babylon peppered
his hosting duties with lots of salty language and wry commentary, loving it when
he got a loud reaction from the audience. On the judge’s panel were Jazmin Jones,
director of _Seeking Mavis Beacon_; Armel Hostiou, director of _The Other Profile_;
and Arun Bhattarai, co-director of _Agent of Happiness_. They were able to ask the
directors of the shorts one question each, trying to pry clues out of them as to
each film’s veracity.

The audience played along and it wasn’t so easy to put a true or false label on 
films like _Resting Peace_, about a mom and pop pet cemetery — or _Being Assertive_,
about a young man who had problems trying to do his laundry for free. Ultimately
with the audience shouting out their guesses at the top of their lungs and the judges
holding up cards marked T or F, the director revealed the answer.

Gimme Truth! took place at The Blue Note, one of Columbia’s most popular music venues,
and the audience left the room in a giddy mood after being thoroughly entertained.
The late night event happened on the festival’s penultimate evening.

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Colorful characters at Gimme Truth!

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Cat Meagher answers a question

![](https://i0.wp.com/www.americanbluesscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-19-
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Gimme Truth! judges cast their votes

Those who wish to attend the True/False Film Fest and Gimme Truth! in 2025 will 
have lots of ticketing options, everything from tickets to see individual films 
to a variety of passes that allow for entry to multiple films and special events
will be on offer.

![](https://i0.wp.com/www.americanbluesscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-18-
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