The True/False Film Festival officially began its festivities Thursday night with a screening of “Undefeated,” but the excitement was building before the festival even started.

Award-winning filmmaker Robert Greene spoke about the festivities and his first documentary that was featured at True/False back in 2010, “Kati with an I,” on Wednesday at the Columbia Public Library.

Greene will be in attendance at the festival this year, but as a ringleader for discussions and Q&A sessions rather than a contributing filmmaker. Greene spoke about how enthused he is to be a part of the main event.

“I basically begged them to let me come back,” Greene says. “It’s like this amazing mix of the perfect balance of big and small films. I’m excited about everything.”

“Kati with an I” is an intimate rendering of Greene’s half-sister, Kati, and the forces and uncertainties leading up to her graduation day and departure from her hometown in Alabama. The direction by Greene and cinematography by Sean Price Williams exquisitely captures the magnitude of Kati’s relationship with her fiancé, James, her hometown and her family.

The scenes alternate between modern Kati and a 10-year-old Kati from Greene’s old footage collection. As the film goes on, the differences between the young Kati and older Kati seem so minimal. She is still a young soul full of life and love and passion, but now she’s up against the opposing forces of the real world coming from all directions.

After the screening, Greene gave the audience a glimpse of what inspired the film.

“One big resistance to the early cuts of the movie was like, ‘Is she interesting at all?'” Greene says. “No, she’s not. Part of what’s amazing … is that she’s completely average. I want to make movies about real average people because … filmed in a certain way, they can be amazing, too.”

The backdrop may sound lackluster and all too familiar, but Greene captures the dialogue and stimulating visuals in a way few have done in the past. He has the innate ability to touch hearts with the common, personal moments many other directors would have stopped rolling the cameras for. Greene persuades his audience to find awe in nonfiction life, fulfilling the values of True/False films.

“It kind of celebrates the simple beauty of that part in your life that sometimes you kind of overlook or only remember for the awkward parts, but that’s beautiful,” Brandy Sanchez, librarian and co-organizer of the Center Aisle Cinema features, says.

Teresa Jacobs, a Columbia resident and True/False enthusiast, is thrilled to get a peek at what this year’s True/False films have to offer.
“I had to force my husband to come the first year, and after that there’s no forcing,” she says. “Nothing has let me down that I’ve seen, even if I have no interest. Never. They’ve always been interesting.”

True/False festivities continue until Sunday.