Ten Suggestions for True/False

I promise. This will be my last post on the True/False Film Festival until next year's event. I just have a few requests of the fest since there were none of those suggestion boxes sitting around at the theaters. There are probably very good reasons why these few ideas are not already in place, but you never know. One of my ideas could be that thing that everyone else wishes would change about the event.

1. Sell the merch online. I like to buy at least a t-shirt and possibly a sweatshirt or poster every year. I already know that I'm going to do this. It would be cool if we could order our merch online around the same time we purchase passes or reserve tickets. I'm sure there was some merchandise left over at the end of the weekend. An online story would allow those who didn't get a chance to buy a souvenir.

2. Feature or help curate at least one local film to feature in the festival.True/False already does a ton of great things for new and upcoming filmmakers and features locals in Gimme Truth. What if the festival either offered some funding and a festival slot for one local filmmaker or even curated a film about something unique to COMO? This would be a big hit with the community.

3. Find films on the following topics: Deerhunter's Bradford Cox, the local food scene in central MO, the craft beer movement, Ragtag & True/False story (or save it for T/F's tenth year), the failures of No Child Left Behind, Werner Herzog eating a shoe, etc.

4. Show more films throughout the week leading up to True/False. The full gambit of films available on Thursday (along with other random screenings) just makes my mouth water. What if T/F were to show a few of the more anticipated films throughout the week at The Ragtag? I'd be there and it would allow me to see more films.

5. Promote the music of T/F more. The only thing I found on the musical acts was this page that just has a short bio, not even a link to anyone's MySpace page. Every band has a MySpace page. The festival could also put together a compilation of music from the artists, available at every venue. The sales could replace the tip jars that get passed at every screening.

6. Hire Beirut to play the March March. I am loving Beirut's new double EP March of the Zapotec/Holland. Zach Condon's band of merry hipster Gypsies would be perfect for such a whimsical event. Then they could play the Note for the opening night concert.

7. Allow Simple pass holders to see films on Thursday aside from involving the Q. It is difficult to see eleven or twelve films in a weekend (with a sick baby). Making that one extra day available to Simple pass holders would greatly help in our efforts to overdo the nonfiction film push.

8. Provide lactation rooms. It's not fun to have to run from a movie, hop in the car, drive to an unpopulated level in a downtown parking garage, and eventually hurry back to see the next movie. we did this several times over the weekend. If R had a place to pump that didn't require us to run around so frantically, we would have enjoyed the weekend more and been able to stay for the Q and A's.

9. Involve 9th Street Video in selling the filmmakers' wares. A lot of the filmmakers have other films to sell or their own merchandise. Make 9th Street the headquarters for such transactions. Not only could the filmmakers make a little extra cash, but 9th Street would surely benefit from the added traffic.

10. Hold a workshop for bloggers and aspiring film critics. I know very little about film (as you can probably tell), but this festival really seemed to rely on bloggers getting the word out this year about all the great films that came to town. A workshop, similar to those for filmmakers, for bloggers, aspiring journalists, and critics could be a nice way to further the conversation about nonfiction films.

Regardless of whether True/False takes any of my suggestions seriously, the festival is still my favorite thing that happens here in COMO.