The True/False Film Festival Best Kept Secret: Camp True False.

For 22 years, the True/False Film Fest has transformed the town of Columbia, Missouri, into a documentary film Mecca. For three days, this highly regarded documentary film festival offers film screenings, live music, art installations and more. Having grown from an admiration of cinema among filmmakers into one of Missouri’s most beloved festivals, True/False occurs every year between the end of February and mid-March, offering Columbia a front row seat to a one-of-a-kind experience.

Hosted by the Rag Tag Film Society, the festival welcomes the Columbia community – and beyond – to enjoy documentaries that push the boundaries of filmmaking and offer an enlightening perspective on a niche topic or issue. However, the best kept secret is not the festival itself, but what comes with it: Camp True/False.

For almost 10 years, Camp True/False has invited high school students from all over Missouri to not only participate in a weekend of film screenings and exploring interactive exhibits throughout downtown Columbia, but also a chance to experience the festival unlike anyone else who may attend. This free program is built within the weekend of True/False and offers pre-selected students access to the filmmakers behind the projects, opportunities to make media art through workshops.

“Camp True/False offers a different perspective to see the festival that not a lot of people get the chance to experience. Tailoring it to high school students is intentional, because it is easy to forget that young filmmakers are often in high school,” said Education Programmer Gabby Galarza for Rag Tag Film Society. As an education programmer, Galarza understands the importance and impact this weekend can have on young aspiring filmmakers.

Beginning every year in October, submissions open for students to apply to Camp True/False. The program was designed for students throughout Missouri, however, post-Covid, it has focused on accepting submissions from students local to the Columbia area. Once accepted, 65-70 students are invited to experience True/ False in a way that will stay with them for years to come. The camp is structured around the selected screenings that will play at Rag Tag Cinema located in Downtown Columbia. “I really do see how much the Rag Tag Film Society gives back, specifically in the education field,” Galarza said. “For me, it is a big part of why I continue to come back and support it.”

 “Where was this program when I was in high school?” one might ask, and the question would be a fair one. Camp True/False is designed for the aspiring filmmaker hoping to be moved by the very work they are encouraged to critique and explore.  Through outreach efforts from Education Coordinator for True/False, Morgan McCall is doing the hard work to answer that question. Working closely with Galarza, McCall ’s connection to Camp True/False is a personal one. Attending the camp herself, McCall was called to the organization’s mission and worked as a counselor in previous years. She now serves as a coordinator for Camp True/False.

“The camp is one of the coolest things of the festival, and it is so special to be a part of it. Any way I can continue to be a part of that, I want to do that,” McCall said. Creating a full circle moment for other students, she hopes the outreach efforts continue to grow the excitement for the festival. We do a lot of class visits to raise interest in Camp True/False,” McCall added. “It’s a lot to ask students to give up their weekends and have some sort of construction around days they may not even get to enjoy often. We want to make this experience meaningful to them, because it is very meaningful to the people who are involved.”

After attending a breakout session with a National Geographic photojournalist, high school sophomore camp attendee Harvey Munter was excited to share his thoughts on the camp experience. “I think Camp True/False, from a youth perspective, showcases what you can do with a camera. Everything is accessible, and if you have a camera, you have access,” Munter said. “This camp symbolizes that you can do anything you want.”  

A first-year attendee, Mubeenah Falau heard about the camp through McCall’s outreach efforts and decided to attend in hopes of learning more about what it takes to become a cinematographer. After one day of attendance, the aspiring filmmaker’s takeaway is a poignant and relatable message. “I’ve learned that sometimes it’s okay to fail and that as long as you keep going, you are learning,” Falau said.

Understanding the impact Camp True/False has on the students who attend, past and present, is at the heart of recognizing the camp’s mission. Jasmine Cooper, Stephens College alumni, attended the camp for five years before reaching out to become more involved after graduating.  Now working closely with both Galarza and McCall, Cooper hopes to engage more students the same way she and McCall have been.

  “True/False is so important to Columbia because it fuels an already thriving art scene,” Cooper said. “You can tell True/False really prioritizes everyone in the festival – the volunteers and everyone who makes it what it is. The members of True/False take time to show they care, and they know the festival would not be possible without the
artists themselves.”

Once the festival begins, Camp True/False students see two screenings a day, followed by breakout sessions to explore their thoughts on the subject matter. In addition, artists in residence conduct in-house workshops during the camp. As the excitement the True/False Film Fest grows, McCall hopes the education component will in time generate the same level of knowledge.

 “Not a lot of people know about the camp or that it is even something that is offered. I just think it is so important, especially for highschoolers, to get this experience because they learn more about their community and what is around them, and it opens their eyes to more avenues of creativity,” McCall said.

 In 2025, 69 students and counselors attended the weekend event, bringing another year of Camp True/False to a memorable conclusion. This year’s True/False Film Festival begins Thursday March 5 through Sunday March 8. Registration for Camp True False opens every year during the fall. To learn more about Camp True/False and the True/False Fest Film Festival, visit their website at truefalse.org.