True/False Film Fest

10/21/2026

👕 The 2027 True/False T-shirt design call is open, and we want to see your ideas!

This year’s theme, “Deep Roots/Wild Bloom,” invites you to look deeper; to journey underground, sift through the soil, compost fragments of your memory, history, and emotion, and return to the world transformed.

As the theme is open to interpretation, we are very open about what may spark creatively for our audiences and are looking for concepts that visually explore this year’s prompts.

Submissions are open through November 15th, and all applicants will be notified by early January. For more information on how to submit, head to the link below!

📌 https://truefalse.org/submit/t-shirts/

10/16/2026

⏰️ Upcoming deadline!

The True/False 2027 regular submission deadline for Features & Shorts is coming up on Friday, Oct. 30. Don't wait! Learn more and submit at the link in bio.

📍 https://truefalse.org/submit/features-shorts/

10/14/2026

🎦 Did you miss these films at T/F 2026? You can catch them soon in theaters or on streaming! ->

A Place of Absence - Dir. Marialuisa Ernst

New York City Theatrical Premiere, screening Oct. 16-22 at DCTV Firehouse Cinema, preceded by screenings in Seattle and Vancouver

About the film: Amidst organized movements across the Americas, a filmmaker examines grief shaped by unresolved loss, while unpacking her uncle’s disappearance during Argentina’s Videla dictatorship.

https://www.dctvny.org/s/firehouse-film/a-place-of-absence-MC3T3BDGO77NC2BELFKIJEC6AU2Q?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAU8w8VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAmZkaWQWUQRHOiB5fxjNZwK1WO70AYiIUPm6Q3NydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp0NOPDVRjXzTquUFWng7W1fWxx8Uo88wR8hVlFYScJ8YpbgBzJsFg9UqHhPX_aem_MescmXxq2iFSCjfWBVP2-w

Closure - Dir. Michał Marczak

Opening on Oct. 28 at IFC Center in New York, later expanding to select theaters across the U.S.

About the film: After his teenage son vanishes, Daniel searches Poland’s Vistula River, suspended between fear of a fatal leap and stubborn hope his son survives.

closureimpact.com

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World - Dir. Sasha Waters

Making it’s broadcast and streaming premiere on PBS American Masters, “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” will continue with theatrical engagements through distributor Kino Lorber. You can also find it streaming now on Apple TV

About the film: Portrait of Mary Oliver, Pulitzer-winning poet and private q***r icon, whose plainspoken wonder for woods, dogs, and living reaches readers across every divide.

https://kinolorber.com/film/mary-oliver-saved-by-the-beauty-of-the-world

Nuisance Bear - Dirs. Gabriela Osio Vanden & Jack Weisman

With a new trailer released today by MUBI, “Nuisance” Bear will be making it’s theatrical debut on Nov. 6 in LA. Later on Dec. 4, it will open in New York, Canada, and in the UK

About the film: In Manitoba, we see the world through the perspective of a polar bear and question who deserves to be in the icy port town—the bears or the tourists?

Time and Water - Dir. Sara Dosa

“Time and Water” is now streaming on Hulu and Dis

10/06/2026

📣 2027 True/False Center passes are on sale NOW!

Are you ready to see the very best that True/False has to offer? With this pass, you'll be at the CENTER of all the action. You'll have easy access to screenings and admission to our special events and parties.

If you're a dedicated fest faithful, secure your pass before it's too late!

For more information, head to the link below or truefalse.org!

🎟️ https://truefalse.org/attend/passes/

True/False Film Fest passes are on sale now!

09/28/2026

🎥 We are so excited to welcome our program coordinator for the 2027 film fest: Symonne Sparks!

Symonne is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and arts professional whose career spans performance, music direction, programming, and cultural engagement. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Master of Arts in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Missouri.

As a singer, songwriter, actor, and playwright, Symonne has performed with True/False and on many other stages from the Kennedy Center to multiple appearances with the Kansas City Chiefs. Her work has continued to evolve beyond performance, allowing her to contribute to projects across music, theatre, film, education, and other creative spaces.

Symonne also serves on Columbia’s Commission on Cultural Affairs, supporting the city’s vibrant cultural landscape. Across each facet of her career, she is drawn to work that brings people together, makes room for meaningful stories, and uses creativity to foster connection, curiosity, and lasting impact.

09/25/2026

🎸 True/False Film Fest wants your musical act to perform during the festival March 4-7, 2027!

We take all genres but are especially focused on Pre-Film Musicians, who'll perform 30-minute sets as filmgoers take their seats.

We encourage everyone to apply: that includes emerging artists, solo acts, and small ensembles, as well as those who can play in unorthodox performance spaces.
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The final deadline is Friday, Nov. 20. Head to the link below or truefalse.org for more information.

https://truefalse.org/submit/musicians/

09/24/2026

🎤 Are you with a business, org, or community group that wants to learn more about how you can team up with True/False Film Fest 2027?

RSVP for the 10 a.m. or noon Oct. 1 slots and learn more about the 2027 festival from Artistic Director Farihah Zaman and others on staff. This is your chance to ask questions and find out more about how you can join the 100+ organizations that collaborate with the festival every year and reach thousands of patrons.

Let us know you're coming and RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScgGmJ-B2rm_QBLqzZ7muMswxRsN6UXHCJfftY6wG_k8ZC1QA/viewform

09/21/2026

💐 The 2027 True/False Film Fest theme is Deep Roots/Wild Bloom!

It honors that to know where you’re going, you need to show where you’ve been; to achieve our wildest dreams, we draw strength from the soil that has nourished us. True/False has grown strong and survived years of historic and global adversity by reaching into our past, out to our community, and up towards the sky.

By staying true to our identity and our moral compass, we find the structure and support needed to let the spirit of experimentation and collaboration burst wide open, year after year.

The 2027 festival will explore the ways we grow: individually, collectively, across generations and spiritual ancestors. This theme invites you to look deeper; to journey underground, sift through the soil, compost those fragments of memory, history, and emotion and return to the world transformed.

09/17/2026

📣 2027 True/False Silver Circle passes are on sale NOW!

This premier pass gets you priority access to everything True/False:
- Reserve films, music showcases, special events, and parties before most passholders (Sunday, Feb. 14)
- Walk-up privileges (no ticket needed) up to 15 minutes before the film at the two largest screening venues, and ticketless admission via the “Silver Circle Q” at all other theaters (based on availability)
- A custom True/False swag bag with goodies from local businesses and artisans
- Invitation to the True/False Preview Party in early 2027, where we’ll unveil a few movies and musicians from the festival lineup
- And much more!

This pass sold out quickly last year (and our top-tier 2027 Super Circle passes are nearly sold out), so get on it if you’re interested.

For more information, head to the link below!

🎟️ https://truefalse.org/attend/passes/

09/11/2026

🎥 Announcing our 2027 T/F Programming Team! ⁠
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- Amada Torruella (she/they) might be a familiar face to many of you, as this is her fourth time programming for True/False! This year Amada’s role is expanding to curation manager, where she can apply her decade+ years of experience in the field and her invaluable knowledge of T/F to help build the infrastructure that keeps the festival going.⁠
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Amada is a Salvadoran artist, filmmaker, producer, and film curator working between El Salvador and the United States. Rooted in collaborative storytelling, Amada’s work explores the relationship between people and home, grief, and cultural dissonance. She cares deeply about memory work as well as centering the experiences of women and Q***r people. Amada’s work has been supported by Chicken & Egg Films, Firelight Media, and Sundance Institute; her films have been screened at BlackStar, New Orleans Film Festival, and Femme Frontera; and her short documentary La Isla was acquired by the New Yorker.⁠
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- Murtada Elfadl (he/him) will be joining True/False team for the very first time, yet his incredibly thoughtful writing and love of genre-bending beauties already feels very True/False coded. ⁠
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Murtada is a culture writer, critic, and film curator who has worked as a programmer for NewFest, DOC NYC, and Porto/Post/Doc. Born and raised in Khartoum in Sudan, and currently residing in New York City by way of London, Murtada’s work about cinema lies at the intersection of documentary and fiction, with an emphasis on the work of filmmakers from the Global Majority and its diaspora. Additionally, he has a keen interest in films that highlight the q***r experience in its many forms. His writing has appeared at Variety, SEEN , The A.V. Club, and the Criterion Channel, among others.