MU grads latest among early T/F announcements

Last year’s True/False Film Festival ended on a point of pride for Missourians, with "Homemade Hillbilly Jam" closing out the third installment of Columbia’s documentary showcase in grand fashion.

Rick Minnich’s film lovingly chronicled the lives of members of Springfield-area band Big Smith, giving us an excellent account of our region’s music, its landscape and the significance of family, history and home.

With close-to-complete lineup details for the 2007 edition of True/False leaking my way, it looks as if we’ll have more to brag about in early March.

Filmmaker AJ Schnack has returned to town on a couple of occasions since graduating from the University of Missouri in 1990 - to present his They Might Be Giants documentary, "Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)," in 2003 at Ragtag Cinema and to experience, blog about and moderate a panel discussion for True/False last year.

This time, Schnack will be back with his latest project, "Kurt Cobain About a Son," in tow.

The film, which debuted at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and is nominated for a Spirit Award in the Truer Than Fiction category, focuses on the life of the Nirvana frontman. It eschews the standard gushings of critics, collaborators and fans and even forgoes Nirvana’s music for an atmospheric soundtrack created by Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and longtime producer/engineer/mixer Steve Fisk.

Instead, Schnack lets Cobain narrate his own story through audio-taped interviews with music journalist Michael Azerrad for Azerrad’s book "Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana." While we listen to Cobain’s words and Gibbard and Fisk’s music, the director brings us the beautiful, battered, oft-both images of the three Washington locales Cobain called home: Aberdeen, Olympia and Seattle.

"Kurt Cobain About a Son" surely will be one of the highlights of T/F 2007, but there are a number of other much-awaited films and events that are finalized.

Following is a list of what True/False already has to offer. For more information on each entry, visit my blog at blogs.columbiatribune.com/cooldryplace/ , where I’ll post links and probably some descriptions.

The festival runs March 1-4 in Columbia, and passes are already available at the Missouri Theatre box office and online at www.truefalse.org.

FILMS

● "Kurt Cobain About a Son," with director AJ Schnack.

● "Radiant City," with directors Gary Burns and Jim Brown.

● "Manufactured Landscapes," with director Jennifer Baichwal.

● "Air Guitar Nation," with director Alexandra Lipsitz.

● "The Devil Came on Horseback," with co-director Annie Sundberg.

● "Souvenirs," with co-director/co-star Shahar Cohen.

● "The Monastery: Mr. Vig & the Nun," with director Pernille Grønkjær.

● "Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa," with directors Jeremy and Randy Stulberg.

SATURDAY NIGHT CONCERT

● Apples in Stereo, Mucca Pazza and Scream Club, March 3 at The Blue Note.

OTHER EVENTS

● No Quarter Party featuring Waterbabies (members of Mahjongg), March 2 at the Ol’ Illumia Gallery. This "opening-night" event replaces the Rise Up! party at Uprise Bakery.

● Editing master class with Yana Gorskaya ("Spellbound"), March 2 at the Forrest Theater.

● Gimme Truth (game show/statewide film competition).

● Reel Kids Film Camp with Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos (" ‘Raiders’: Adaptation").

● "Night Mail" featuring soundtrack by Gutbucket (1936 documentary short with live musical accompaniment by New York quartet).


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Before True/False arrives, two of last year’s most praised foreign-language films will hit Ragtag.
Guillermo del Toro’s "Pan’s Labyrinth" begins Feb. 7. And Pedro Almodóvar’s "Volver," starring Penélope Cruz, opens Feb. 21.