Downtown Columbia came alive over the first weekend of March 2024 with the True/False Film Fest. The event provided ways for businesses, artists, and musicians to interact with the community in meaningful and creative ways, encouraging accessible arts and culture engagement for the city.
Hitt Records was the merch hub for artists performing at True/False. T-shirts hung on a rack at the entrance of the store and the display case at the register featured physical music.Ragtag! The hub where True/False began and a host for movies and shorts. T/F attendees dined in Uprise bakery alongside filmmakers, artists, hipsters and volunteers who mingled outside.This year, the T/f artist’s lounge was located on Hitt Street, adjacent to Ragtag. Decorated with rugs by local artist Matt Hall and furniture lended by Theodore Records, this empty space was transformed into an area for musicians to unwind after sets, interact with other artists, and dine on free food. T/F hospitality outfitted the lounge with entertainment and accommodations for the artists. As the last night of the festival was coming to an end, the audience exited the Hitt Records Sessions and went off to see the last movie showings of the night. BSA Gold, hailing from Chicago, closes out the festival with a final performance at Hitt Records. Free and open to the public, this set was admired by a full room of festival goers, townies, and local music lovers. Fans line up to buy merchandise and meet the artists. Old and new fans exclaim their excitement and gratitude towards R.A.P Ferreira, who also came to Columbia last fall for Dismal Niche. The man of the night, R.A.P Ferreira. He holds the mic out for some of his die-hard fans to chant an intro to one of his songs. He captures the complete attention of the audience who sings along and watches attentively. Psalm One, from Chicago, plays some of their classics such as “I Got Time”. Some T/F attendees decided to twerk along to the set (not pictured). Local Rapper Zeph France opens up the Saturday night showcase at Cafe Berlin. These Queens were caught eating together in “El Rey” downtown. They huddle together for a picture with the owner of the restaurant before returning to their duties. The “Barter Boat Trading Post”, located in the T/F sculpture park, moves city to city and trades trinkets with anyone who can rummage through their pockets and find something of equal interest or value. We traded a zine and three stickers for 20 pesos, a scholastic pin, a valentines card, and a birthday candle. “The Nest”, located on the second floor of a church, was the volunteer lounge for T/F. It was a place designated for any of the over 500 volunteers to come grab their volunteer passes, T-shirts, and eat free cupcakes and catered food. Two festival-unaffiliated buskers stand on a street corner and garner attention from T/F attendees, playing a cover of “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. Many other independent musicians set up their instruments and performed on street corners this weekend, taking advantage of the busy pedestrian traffic. A “Queue Queen” stands outside of The Blue Note, one of the venues for the festival. Her job was to dress in an extravagant outfit and distribute queue cards for movie-goers. She describes how her outfit is a way to signal to festival attendees that she is available to answer questions and offer help.
