Ragtag Film Society

With cinema as a focal point, Ragtag Film Society exists to captivate and engage communities in immersive arts experiences that explore assumptions and elicit shared joy, wonder, and introspection.

Ragtag Cinema is a year-round, two-screen theater that shows new independent arthouse releases and archival films to hundreds of patrons daily, and the annual True/False Film Fest, is a four-day, nine-screen, immersive multimedia event that brings together nonfiction filmmakers, artists, musicians, and audiences for a unique, creative experience in Columbia, MO. Additionally, RFS is focused on improving media literacy by engaging nearly 3,000 students, teachers, and community members throughout the year.

As Ragtag and True/False were built in Columbia, MO by the hands and hearts of local residents, a sense of community ownership is inherent in our identity. We serve over 55,000 people each year. Ragtag Cinema shows movies each day to hundreds of Columbia residents. Without the Cinema’s year-round programming, community members would have to travel to St. Louis or Kansas City for a similar experience. True/False sells around 46,000 tickets to nearly 15,000 individuals, over half of whom are from Mid-Missouri, community members would have to travel miles beyond the state of Missouri for a similar enriching experience. RFS offerings provide the community with the chance to experience worldly events and diverse perspectives through films that are often otherwise unavailable in Mid-Missouri. 

The Fest and the Cinema are direct contributors to Columbia’s vibrant core. In addition to the immeasurable cultural contributions that the Ragtag Film Society makes to the people of Columbia, RFS makes a significant economic impact on the local community. The Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau’s study of the 2018 True/False Film Fest found that the festival contributed more than $2.1 million to the local economy.