True/False Film Festival | True Vision Award

True Vision Award

The True Vision Award, our only award, is given annually to a filmmaker (or filmmakers) whose work shows a dedication to the creative advancement of the art of nonfiction filmmaking.

2007 recipient: Brett Morgen

Dissatisfied with the conventions of documentary film, Brett Morgen is on a bold course to break free and re-imagine the genre. Morgen finds strong narratives, whether in the star-crossed struggles of Robert Evans or the fortunes of a high school basketball team, and runs with them. In his early solo effort Ollie's War, he nakedly set out with just a Hi-8 camera and microphone, insinuating himself into Oliver North's historic 1994 campaign for the Virginia Senate. His collaborative efforts with Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes & The Kid Stays in the Picture) have been marked by an at-times brilliant sense of narrative structure, a willingness to experiment with form, and, most of all, a clear-headed drive to let the content guide his style. In Morgen's most recent film, Chicago 10 (opening night at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival), we see these tendencies in full as he achieves an immediate, experiential cinema. Morgen refuses to let history exist as a static photograph and uses animation and a bracing rock soundtrack to rattle the viewer out of complacency. In all the above films, we find a tension between historical reality and visceral, personal narrative. It is to Brett's credit that he navigates this tension with a balance of intellectual rigor and irrepressible creativity. T/F is proud to present Brett Morgen with the 2007 True Vision Award.

The True Vision Award winner is presented with an original bronze sculpture, created by nationally known Columbia artist Larry Young, and donated by the artist to the festival. For more information about Mr. Young's work, visit his website or contact him directly at Larry Young Sculpture, 8700 N. Millsite, Columbia, MO 65201; (573)449-6810.

Previous True Vision Award winners

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