True/False Film Fest, the once small, independent festival, has grown into a colossal, weeklong series of indie films and musical showcases laced with dozens of other events for every taste.

As the whole town of Columbia gears up for the events, MU students and staff take part — and take notice. Emilie Sabath, a graduate and current artist-in-residence for the MU theatre department, is no different.

Sabath is an active member in the film and theater scenes across the United States, with her most recent exploits taking place in Los Angeles. She returned this past year to deliver guest lectures on new performance and cross-platform storytelling and to meet with students and faculty across departments for discussions pertaining to art, film and performance.

“I got into directing because it allowed me to use all of my skills at once: my performance background, strong photographic eye, storytelling skills and leadership abilities,” Sabath says. “It was a perfect fit.”

Her love of storytelling started at a young age with dancing and writing, and then continued on through her high school years and into her time as an MU student. As an undergraduate, she was an interdisciplinary studies major because there was no film program on campus.

“After graduation, I began to perform in local films here in Columbia, then bought my own small camera and started making experimental works,” Sabath says.

She then relocated to the West Coast, where she pursued filmmaking more seriously and would eventually apply and get accepted to the California Institute of the Arts Master of Fine Arts film program in 2009.

In addition, Sabath worked to develop her skills in film and theater. She says she returned to Columbia to pilot the True/False Educational Outreach Program after working as a volunteer for the festival in previous years.

The program allows Sabath to visit local high schools the month before the festival to share her passions with young students, as well as to give recommendations as to which films are specifically selected for their age group.

Through this program, True/False encourages students to take part in the screenings and workshops with the hopes of inspiring others like Sabath to get involved with this art.

“Working with actors to bring out one element of the story, working with the camera team to bring out another element of the story and the design team to tell yet another thread — this is what is wonderful about directing,” Sabath says.

**Sabath’s True/False picks:”

_“Kith & Kin”_

A series of six shorts, “Kith and Kin” explores relationships between parents and children, husbands and wives, etc.

“I always recommend the short programs at every festival: many up-and-coming directors and cinematographers can be seen here,” Sabath says. “And the form itself is challenging and beautiful.”

_“I Think This is the Closest to How the Footage Looked”_

This is a nine-minute short that plays as a part of “Kit & Kin.”

_“Rich Hill”_

Also one of student director Dan Woodward’s picks, “Rich Hill” looks into the lives of three struggling Missouri teens.

“I’m very interested in characters who are between emotional states or life changes,” Sabath says. “Wondering what direction they will go is natural drama and very real.”

_“Happy Valley”_

This film by Amir Bar-Lev explores the town of State College, Pa., after the 2011 Sandusky case. The recipient of this year’s True Vision award, the documentary dives deeper into the “emotional depth” found in the community in which Joe Paterno was such a beloved public figure.

Sabath says the films she is most looking forward to seeing reflect the same ideas and concepts she likes to touch on in her own films and performances: raw emotion and character development.