The annual documentary film festival True/False kicks off its 22nd edition on February 27, bringing 54 documentaries from around the world to Columbia, Missouri through March 2. We have rounded up the 14 science and technology-themed films to look out for below, with descriptions excerpted from the festival’s programmers.
Highlights include the Sloan-supported film JOHN LILLY AND THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE. Directed by Sloan grantees Michael Almereyda (TESLA) and Courtney Stephens, the Chloë Sevigny- narrated documentary recently made its world premiere at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Cristina Costantini’s documentary SALLY also makes its way to Missouri following its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where the film was awarded 2025 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize.
FEATURE FILMS
HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE. Dir. Eleanor Mortimer. “Scientists explore the mysterious deep sea to collect and name undiscovered species in this whimsical and mesmerizing oceanic odyssey.”
JOHN LILLY AND THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE. Dirs. Michael Almereyda, Courtney Stephens. “An archival recitation of John C. Lilly’s controversial scientific legacy tells a tale of animal experimentation, counterculture, and human consciousness.”
Still from JOHN LILLY AND THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE. Courtesy of True/False.
MAY THE SOIL BE EVERYWHERE. Dir. Yehui Zhao. “A filmmaker journeys to her family’s remote Chinese village to unearth the multigenerational story of its relationship to the land.”
MIDDLETOWN. Dirs. Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine. “In the ’90s, a high school teacher transforms his classroom into an investigative journalism unit in pursuit of environmental justice.”
RIVER OF GRASS. Dir. Sasha Wortzel. “A lyrical journey traversing the Florida Everglades through the stories of those who live to protect the delicate ecosystem.”
SALLY. Dir. Cristina Costantini. "An immersive portrait of American astronaut Sally Ride told from the perspective of her life partner, Tam O’ Shaughnessey.”
Still from SALLY. Courtesy of True/False.
VALENTINA AND THE MUOSTERS. Dir. Francesca Scalisi. “A young woman in rural Italy yearns for a different future amidst imposing military satellites and familial pressures.”
SHORT FILMS
ANIMAL EYE. Dir. Carlo Nasisse. “Scientists and philosophers work to understand animal vision in this multi textured rumination exploring our relationship to the nonhuman world.”
ANOTHER RAPID EVENT. Dir. Daniel Murphy. “Radiant energy beams down from the sun, enabling telegraph operators to communicate warbling, earthly messages etched in tree rings.”
Still from ANOTHER RAPID EVENT. Courtesy of True/False.
GUARDIAN OF THE WELL. Dirs. Bentley Brown, Tahir Ben Mahamat Zene. “Severe drought in Chad is the context for this exploration of climate emergency told through immersive sound and visceral thirst.”
EXPRESSION OF ILLNESS. Dir. Bryn Silverman. “After receiving a thyroid cancer diagnosis, a woman becomes a relentless advocate for her health and body.”
SUNSET AND THE MOCKINGBIRD. Dir. Jyllian Gunther. “The love story of Gloria Clayborne and jazz pianist Junior Mance as they face Junior’s diagnosis of dementia.”
THE FLOWERS STAND SILENTLY, WITNESSING. Dir. Theo Panagopoulos. “In an act of reclamation, a filmmaker reinterprets an unearthed archive of wildflower fields in Palestine.”
Still from THE FLOWERS STAND SILENTLY, WITNESSING. Courtesy of True/False.
YOUR HARVEST MAY BE DELAYED. Dir. Ahmad Al-Zu’bi. “A gift of childhood archives sends the filmmaker on a quest to understand what was saved and what was lost.”
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