I spent 40+ hours over 12 days photographing T/F preparations and parts of the actual festival. Ultimately, I didn’t photograph nearly half of what I wanted to.
I didn’t make it to any of the panels, workshops or classes; nor did I make it to events like Campfire Stories, the True Life Run or the popular Comedy Night and Gimme Truth. I also missed out on photographing installations at Jesse Hall and the Globe and Forrest theaters. So what did I do? Scroll down to see a photo diary from my weekend, then follow the links at the bottom of the post to visit our Facebook page featuring extended photo galleries from each day of the festival.
(Zac also shared his experiences through several diary entries in which he focuses mainly on film and music reviews. Please check them out if you haven’t yet. I found his weekend diary very informative and it will help me decide which remaining films to see, either at Ragtag or when they are for rent at 9th Street Video.)
Now for my recap!
THURSDAY:
I was able to catch part of the set up at The Blue Note as they prepared for the first film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry to be shown there that evening. Set up crews hung barnacles on the walls and suspended colorful light boxes above the screen and on the walls on each side of the stage.
At 6:00 I attended The Jubilee at the Missouri Theater. I really thought more people would be dressed up beyond cocktail attire and a Mardi Gras-type mask. I’ve seen photos in the past of some outrageous outfits and costumes, but maybe I was only seeing a small percentage of those who go all out and dress up. I took the liberty to dress for the occassion and rented a fancy gown at Maude Vintage. I even donned a mask similar to the woman’s below (sans feathers) and was still able to successfully take photos. I felt a little ridiculous all dressed up while working, but I had fun. Too bad I didn’t think about asking someone to take my photo.
Later that evening I attended a bit of the Buskers Showcase at Cafe Berlin. I was only able to catch Bramble’s performance. I remember watching them play outside the Box Office last year when waiting in line for tickets and was glad to see they were back again this year. Little did I know I would ending up photographing them (and Les Trois Coups) several times throughout the weekend.
FRIDAY:
After lunch I started out by visiting The Portal. Apparently this secret little alleyway is open each year during T/F but this was the first year I knew about it and I wanted to see Andrew Oesch’s installation. I’m not sure what he used on the bricks, but it almost looked like layers of aged masking tape. It wasn’t, but that’s what it looked like to me. 
After checking that out, I took my husband to the Box Office to see it in person. He’d already seen lots of my behind-the-scenes photos of it through the design/build/decorate process but not the completed space. After checking out the box office we wandered around, people watched, and then decided we needed a beer and snack. We wanted to see Detropia which was showing at The Picture House at 8 p.m. With some time to kill before the March March Parade, we stopped by The Picture House to check out the venue which featured a great installation of over 500 video portraits of fellow mid-Missourians.
A little after 5pm we started walking toward the Courthouse for the start of the parade but made a pit stop at the corner of 9th and Broadway to watch a bit of Les Trois Coups perform. They were a very theatrical and entertaining group of French musicians who hardly said a word I could understand, but still made me smile from ear to ear.
The March March parade was probably the most visually entertaining event I photographed. This annual march through the heart of downtown is well covered by photographers and videographers, but believe it or not this was the first time I actually documented it. I had a hard time deciding which direction to point my camera, as there was so much going on around me. Despite the chaos, I think I caught a good sampling of the action. Again, you can see more by following the links at the bottom of this post.
I even managed to find festival co-founder Paul Sturtz admiring the crowd coming down 9th Street toward the Missouri Theater.
The photo below is from the parade but I wanted to take this time to mention one of the features of the fest: the Bike Spa offered by PedNet’s Youth Bike Club. Set up in front of the Missouri Theater, the bike spa was a place for festival goers to leave their bikes for a light tune-up while they took in a film. For a small donation, the youth would wash the frame, air up the tires and clean and lube the chain. Also set up in front of the the theater was a bike valet and bike share station. The bike share was a new feature this year. I don’t have any official feedback on how successful it was (I suspect the chilly weather may have discouraged some people from pedaling around) but I was glad to see festival attendees taking advantage of the service to get from venue to venue.
After the parade it was time for more food and beverages, then off to “Q” for the first screening of Detropia. Below, co-directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady stand on stage with festival co-founder David Wilson while speaking to the audience before the screening.
After the film I had ambitions to photograph the @ction Party, and even made it in the door and near the open dance floor, but after 30 minutes I had to throw in the towel. I know, I’m lame. It was only 10:30 and the party had just started, but with two more days of photographing and film watching ahead of me, I was ready to call it a night.
SATURDAY:
I woke up Saturday morning with the intention of photographing the True Life Run, but could not get out of bed. As much as I wanted to ignore my tiredness, my body and mind had other plans, so I slept in. By the time I got down on the street (I live in an apartment downtown, so I can walk right out the door and be at the festival) it was nearly lunch time. I wanted to check out the Forrest and Globe theaters but both were showing films. I ended up walking past the Box Office after coming from the Globe Theater and heard live music coming from inside. Turns out I stumbled upon some video recording sessions for some of the buskers. I don’t have a lot of details, even after asking for more info, but from what I understand it was part of a T/F project and the videos (or films—I don’t know what to call them) will be released in a couple of months. That is all I know. I ended up photographing three of the six or seven bands they recorded. I’m looking forward to seeing/listening to the final cuts.
After the busking sessions I decided I needed to eat. I did a lot of aimless wandering after that, trying to figure out where to go to next, if I should “Q” for a film or try to catch a panel or workshop. I tried finding artist Jesse Graves or any of the local students who were supposed to be out decorating the sidewalks with mud stencil art. Instead of finding them in action, all I could find was their finished work, as seen below.
Parked just a few feet away from that mud stencil was Kyle Durrie’s awesome mobile letterpress studio. Kyle is a letterpress printer from Oregon who converted a bread truck into a mobile letterpress shop and hit the road in June 2011 to spread her passion for printmaking. It’s really an amazing space that she has created and I was so glad that I happened upon her open studio hours at the festival. For a donation you could print your own T/F souvenir poster. I photographed someone else trying it out that day, but returned Sunday to make my own. It was really fun!
After wandering most of the afternoon without a plan, my husband and I decided to “Q” for two films that night. Up first was Victor Kossakovsky’s ¡Vivan las Antipodas! showing at the Missouri Theater. I admit, I forgot that Mr. Kossakovsky was the 2012 True Vision Award receipient, so it was a nice surprise to be in the audience when he was presented with the award. The bronze statue, seen below, was created by nationally known Columbia artist Larry Young and was donated to the festival.
Out of the three films I saw all weekend (yes, only three!) I enjoyed ¡Vivan las Antipodas! the most, simply for the stunning visuals, unique rotating camera work and digital editing. I did a Google search and found this image that shows one of the scenes from the film, only achievable in post-production as it juxtaposes two places on earth (antipodes) that are diametrically opposite of each other. It was a really neat film showing the eerie similarities and stark contrasts of four pairs of antipodes.
Image pulled from www.voxmagazine.com/blog (courtesy of T/F Film Fest)
After ¡Vivan las Antipodas! our plan was to rush directly to the Globe Theater to get a “Q” number for The Imposter showing at 8:30 p.m. In a last minute decision we opted to stay at the Missouri Theater to listen to Mr. Kossakovsky speak following his film. Then, the plan was to walk back to our apartment, rest for a bit and head back out for nighttime music at the Busker Showcase or Mojo’s A-Go-Go. Sadly, neither happened for me. (Zac, on the other hand, made it to MoJo’s and you can read his music reviews HERE).
SUNDAY:
My husband went to see Comic-Con Episode IV at the Blue Note with a friend at 12:30 so I stayed in with our son (we only had child care for two of the four days of the fest which was part of our reason for seeing so few films, in addition to trying to fit everything else in). I ended up spending the late afternoon and early evening doing some street and venue photography before the last films.
I also ended up seeing a third film at 6 p.m., Secret Screening Purple, which I’m not allowed to discuss since that’s the purpose of a secret screening. Instead, I will show you a photo of Why Are We Building Such A Big Ship?, the band that played before the secret screening. 
The last and probably most enjoyable thing I photographed all weekend was the Buskers Last Stand held in the lobby of the Missouri Theater. It was the very last event of the festival and a wonderful way to end the weekend. Since I’m petite (5’1″ for those who don’t know me in person) I was able to use my size to my advantage and squeeze in really close to the bands. My favorite part was when members from all of the bands gathered for some impromptu jamming and singing. Several musicians took turns standing on a chair, singing or playing their hearts out. The vibe in the room was awesome and everyone appeared to really be enjoying themselves. I know I did.
And, look, here’s Paul celebrating the end of another wonderful True/False Film Festival! It was so glad to see him living in the moment, laughing and taking in the sights and sounds of what he helped start nine years ago. 
To co-founders Paul and David, all of the volunteers, and everyone else who contributes to making this festival a reality year-after-year, all I can simply say is, “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!”
If you still can’t get enough of T/F, follow these links to view more on our Facebook page!
CoMo Review: Regency Hotel
Editor’s Note: I too received the mysterious email to check out the events in the Regency Hotel, but I was unable to go. As I sat around flipping through my Twitter feed Sunday, I noticed Glenn’s pictures inside the Regency and promptly asked him to share his experience as this is the sort of thing the Collective loves. I hope you like it too. -Zac
Columbia's downtown Regency Hotel, to be demolished early next year.
It began, for me and many others, with a cryptic email from impresario Paul Sturtz: an invitation to an event that evening at the soon-to-be-demolished Regency Hotel in (beautiful) downtown Columbia. Guests were instructed to meet in the hotel lobby for orientation, then on to the “open house” with performances every half hour.
Regarded by many Columbians with feelings ranging from affection to derision, the Regency and its predecessors have been intertwined with downtown’s culture for decades. The building, first named The Broadway Inn, was constructed during a hotel-development boom in the 1960s. Now, it’s planned to be demolished in January, to be replaced by a Doubletree Hotel and parking garage. Parts of the hotel have already been stripped, although it’s still offering accommodations. Paul has been working on a short film at the hotel, documenting its end of days.
Sunday night around 9:30, we found a spot in the Regency’s cramped parking lot and entered the lobby as directed. The first person we saw was Jarrett Crader, of Hellbender Brewing and revered True/False boozemaster, who offered an unofficial tour of the basement. Tempting as this was, we hit the lounge instead — located in the former Thai Kitchen restaurant — for some beers and to wait for our flight to be called. While waiting, we signed the waivers, read the rules [1], and speculated about what was happening five floors up. Polina Malikin, the hostess and perhaps organizer of the event [2], eventually announced the next group and bestowed a carob chip on each guest as they headed for the elevators.
The juddery, lurchy, claustrophobia-inducing elevators are one of the Regency’s many endearing features, along with its outdoor pool deck and bizarre inside-out design — a roadside motel stacked like a cake and wrapped in windows, with the hallways on the outside, offering fine views of the Donald Duck Church and Jingo’s.
The Regency was the hotel of choice for my visiting out-of-town friends. It’s been an official True/False lodging for several years, and during recent fests, the hotel’s lobby has served as an impromptu filmmakers’ lounge. Back in the days when there were more kids living in North Village, families could buy cheap “memberships” to the Regency’s pool during the hot summer months.
At the top floor, we disembarked into an equally cramped hallway filled with people and the sounds of nearby live music by Believers. Thus began a slow shuffle through a warren of former hotel rooms, each of which had been decorated and constructed by itinerant artists over the past week, apparently out of materials salvaged (or demolished) from parts of the building — mattresses, draperies, structural materials, furniture, bathroom fixtures, TVs. Getting into and between these spaces involved much ducking under and around splintered wood panels, glass sheets, gutted light fixtures, etc. It was visually and spatially chaotic, but somehow intimate and inviting.
The overall arrangement was designed to funnel guests through the first 2-3 rooms, into the big room(s) with the band, and then through to the other side of the 5th floor for the end of the “tour.” The idea was apparently to have groups moving through, and then out, to make room for the next group, but in reality it didn’t seem to work that way. There was a pushy guy that kept trying to move people along and out, but no one was really listening to him.
That's Sabrina of Maude V assuming the position. I'm really confused...
Music permeated the whole floor. I hadn’t seen Believers before [3], really enjoyed the big double-drumkit sound, which was surprisingly good considering they were playing in a giant cinder-block box. There was a professional camera track laid along the back wall (outside window) of the big room; some guys were rolling a large camera back and forth and filming everything. (That’s what the waivers were for.)
On the far side of the elevators, more themed/altered hotel rooms, one filled with soft matresses, comforters, etc. draped and cushioned like the inside of Jeannie’s bottle.
Eventually we made our way back down to the lounge, where we found the keg disturbingly empty. Jarrett then took us on the basement tour.[4] The Regency basement is a huge, creepy, dangerous place, with giant metal tanks, an underground spiral ramp next to a former maintenance man’s shack (like Carl the Groundskeeper’s place in Caddyshack), deep open cisterns, 80s-corporate-style conference rooms, and at least one room that looks like a good place for criminal torture (“Where’s the money!?”)
Still won't talk, eh? Let's see if Mr Toaster can help you change your mind!
We finally left around 11. The band was still playing and people were still coming and going. Overall this was a fun event, and I’m glad we went. Great music, interesting art and people, and a fine send-off for this old place. I’m very interested in seeing Paul’s film, when it’s done.
The Regency Hotel isn’t old and grand like the Tiger, but had its own unique character. I’ll be sorry to see it go.
[1] Basically, “keep on the path.” The Regency is still serving guests.
[2] I was never able to find out for sure who was involved in putting on this show.
[3] Zac reminded me that Believers played at the T/F “super secret” party earlier this year. I think I spent the whole time on the roof, though.
[4] I’d actually been down in the Regency basement before as part of my T/F duties, which require me to carry heavy, dirty objects through moldy caverns. But this was extra-special.