True/False Film Fest to bring visitors to Columbia next week

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia's annual True/False Film Festival is set to begin next week.

Communications Director Emily Edwards and Artistic Director Chloe Trayner for the Ragtag Film Society are both excited about the event that starts Feb. 27.

"I'm worried we're going to jinx ourselves, but this year has been fairly smooth, we're hoping the weather holds out," Edwards said.

Live music performances, art tours, and other events will be taking place all throughout Columbia. Reservations must be made for most events.

Movie screening will be held at Ragtag Cinema, The Globe or the First Presbyterian Church, the Blue Note and the University of Missouri's Rhynsburger and Missouri theatres. MU Campus police will be present at the on-campus theatres and the Columbia police department will help secure the parade route for the March March.

The parade will start at the Boone County Courthouse and flow down Ninth Street, where it will end at the Missouri Theatre.

Edwards and Trayner encourage people of all ages to attend the March March. However, they do recommend that parents call ahead or ask about what films are child-friendly.

Columbia Convention and Visitor's Bureau communications and outreach supervisor Megan McConachie said that with the film festival overlapping with the MSHSAA Wrestling Championship, Columbia should expect lots of visitors over the weekend.

"That is going to be in many thousands of extra folks here in our community, there's going to be some extra traffic, so we definitely encourage residents to give yourself some extra time to get where you're going," McConachie said.

McConachie expects around 10,000 to 15,000 people to visit Columbia for T/F Film Festival and Ragtag Cinema reports already selling close to 3,000 passes.

McConachie also expects the events to drive business in Columbia.

"Having all of these folks in our community is extremely powerful for our economy, not just during those four days, but it also establishes Columbia as a community that values culture and arts," McConachie said.

Edwards and Trayner agree.

"We hear from a lot of people that it's like a second Christmas for them, which is really amazing, "Trayner said. "We obviously have a lot of people coming in from across the country, but also filmmakers and guests from around the world, which is really incredible."

Public safety plan

The event will take place on Ninth Street between Elm and Locust. The street will remain closed for the entirety of the festival.

According to safety plan documents, venue management and event staff will undergo crowd management and food and beverage handling training before the event. All volunteers will also attend a volunteer orientation.

"True/False has a huge and really strong volunteer program and so they make sure that anyone who's going to be involved and giving their time is trained to do exactly what they need to do," McConachie said.

Staff members will also be on-site for major events. Outside of these events, staff will be in the area based on the capacity of the crowd. Crowd management staff will inspect the area, manage fire hazards and verify permit conditions as well as help in any emergency scenarios.

All event organizers will stay in touch during the event through cellphones and two-way radios. Event volunteers and staff will be able to be identified by identifiable lanyards and passes.

In case of an emergency, volunteers will call 911 and alert a staff member, the staff member will then wait with the injured person until help arrives. The operations director and event producer will monitor weather reports. If a tornado occurs, the closest shelter would be the Missouri United Methodist Church.

According to event operations documents, alcohol will be served but is limited to two beverages per person per service. Attendees 21 and older will also receive a wristband after IDs are checked.

Passes for the festival and tickets for individual films are still available.