True/False Film Fest incorporates comedy into its lineup of events with Gimme Truth!, an interactive documentary game show held at The Blue Note.

Gimme Truth! provides contestants who are nonprofessional film makers an opportunity to show a short two-minute documentary that is either entirely true or false. The show is hosted by Brian Babylon, a comedian and frequent guest on NPR news quiz show “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me.” Gimme Truth! has an easy-going atmosphere with comedy-centered short films that give audience members an opportunity to participate.

The show also features three celebrity judges, all experienced filmmakers, who are each allowed to ask the creators of the films one question. This year’s judges are Sierra Pettengill, director of _Graven Image_, Sandi Tan, director of _Shirkers_ and Chase Whiteside, director of _América_. After the maker of the film tries their best to fool them, the judges make their decision as to whether the film is true or false. In previous years, this has proven a tricky feat, as contestants have found some unbelievable stories to tell.

The winner is chosen based on what film is most convincing but also most entertaining. Last year’s winners were MU students Lily FitzGibbon, Rachel Tiedemann and Jacob Smith. FitzGibbon conceived the idea and directed the film, while Tiedemann and Smith acted in it and helped produce it. Together, they created a short film based on an entirely false scenario where Smith and Tiedemann played roommates turned improvisational musicians.

“Basically, we were these two kind of pretentious musicians who would take like pots and pans and bang them together making the worst noise,” Smith said. “We would be like, ‘Oh, it produces such an amazing sound.’”

Tiedemann, who is in the documentary journalism program at MU, was involved with the production of two films in last year’s Gimme Truth! and one this year. She predicts the competition will be even harder this year due to an increase in submissions.

“I think it’s just going to be more high-quality stuff because they had to cut down on it a lot,” Tiedemann said.

The peak of Tiedemann’s experience came when finding out her group’s film had won.

“It was crazy because when we talked about making the film we were like, ‘This is not going to win,’ and we were just doing it for ourselves basically and for Lily’s project,” Tiedemann said. “Then we like made it into our own creative process and stuff and we were like, ‘This would be hilarious if it won.’”

Tiedemann also predicts a high level of excitement at this year’s show from both audience members and contestants. She described last year’s show as “rowdy and crazy.”

Gimme Truth! will be held March 3 from 10-11:30 p.m. All the reserve tickets for passholders for this event have sold out, but non-passholders can purchase a ticket at the door with cash if they arrive early enough.

_Edited by Brooke Collier | bcollier@themaneater.com_