I just enjoyed my first True / False Film Festival, and if you a) live in the Midwest or b) are a filmmaker or c) like watching movies or d) have a pulse, make sure you don’t miss it next year.

True / False, in the small town of Columbia, Missouri, feels homey and accessible — where the college kids are down for a beer with the incoming festival-goers, and you’re guaranteed to run into friends between films. But while it was great seeing familiar faces, checking out the local watering holes, and hitting the town with some incredible filmmakers, first and foremost are the films. 

I work on production and impact production (creating impact campaigns around our films) here at Kindling Group, and I wear both those hats every time I walk into a theater. I was impressed by new approaches to impact I saw at True / False — specifically, at the screening of Sonita, winner of best documentary at Sundance, where I witnessed one of the most impressive calls to action I’ve ever seen in a theater. The festival threw up a number on the screen to text to donate to the film’s protagonist, as she pursues her education in America. It was a direct, visceral ask, that wouldn’t have been possible without the intimacy and honesty that this film embodies — and it wouldn’t work for all films. But I would encourage filmmakers not to be afraid of this option for direct impact. Simply put, sometimes money talks louder than survey data or the ever-bland “sign up to get involved.” 

But, I also saw a number of missed opportunities for impact with the festival’s impressive slate of films — and it got me thinking about how far the documentary community has to go in maturing this field of “engagement.” I’ll start with a personal story: I have a younger brother, adopted, who was diagnosed with autism at age three. Since then, our family has struggled through every treatment option known to man, questions about how and when my brother will work and live on his own, and how to connect with each other as a family unit. So, I knew I would need to see Life, Animated at True / False — a story with eery similarities to my own family’s experiences, including the use of Disney as a family glue. After bawling my eyes out start to finish (it really is a beautiful film), I got up on the Q&A mic to ask: 

Q: How are you making sure more families struggling with autism will see this film?

A (I’m paraphrasing here): Well, we have an impact producer. We’ll have educational distribution.

This film clearly meant a lot to me as a viewer — and I couldn’t help but think of all the exciting ways this film could make a difference in the world. I wanted more! What about your theory of change? What about the audiences you know you need to reach, their needs, their pain points, the places where they consume media? How are you connecting with parents or millennial siblings (like me!) who crave support and a community? How you are building a conversation with people with autism online (a place where a lot of young people like my brother find it easier to communicate)? 
 
Translating a film into an impact campaign doesn’t come naturally to all filmmakers. A lot of us have turned to the same small cabal of consultants to strategize and run “engagement.” But we are leaving so many opportunities for good on the table if we don’t invest time, heart, and creativity into the impact for our films. Hiring an impact producer and getting the film into all the typical places is simply not going to cut the mustard. Filmmakers need talented, dedicated experts in organizing, in distribution, in evaluation, and in digital to guide them forward early in the life of their films, not as an afterthought. 

At the end of the day — if our films don’t make it in front of the people that need to see them, and give them a concrete, meaningful call to action, we’re not doing our jobs. I’m thankful to be working for a company that has baked this philosophy into every film from beginning to end, and to continue to grow our team that is making this work possible.

So, documentarians — we’ve got work to do. But oh, what fun and meaningful work it will be.