About Ragtag

Programming and Booking

For more information on programming and booking films and events, contact Paul Sturtz at (573)441-8504 or paul@ragtagfilm.com.

Art House New Releases

New releases comprise the bulk of our programming. We are the only theater within a 120 mile radius presenting current art house titles.

Community Events

Ragtag partners with dozens of organizations in the community. Our partnerships include area high schools and university academic departments and student organizations; organizations serving at-risk youth, Columbia's international population, and senior citizens; city offices and commissions such as the Daniel Boone Regional Library and Human Rights Commission; the Citizen Jane Film Festival; live theater and live music groups; other arts organizations; and other community-oriented media organizations. If you are interested in sponsoring an event at Ragtag, please contact us at least three months before the proposed event.

Special Programs, Series, and Guests

Our series constitute our newest efforts to provide dynamic, relevant, approachable arts programming for area residents.

The Silent Film Program has included a series of eight films from Weimar Germany, the Silent Film Brunch, and a weekend-long presentation of newly-restored silent classics by venerated film preservationist David Shepard. This program continues with the Free Collective performing improvised jazz accompaniment to avant-garde silent films.

Our annual Passport Series, held between August and November, presents 10 new international films. Each title plays 2-3 times and features a "tour guide" who offers introductions on the director or the country depicted on screen.
Musical Classics presents critically acclaimed yet lesser-known Hollywood musicals. Hosted by film aficionado Gabriel Viles, Musical Classics screens bimonthly.
Ragtag 101 is a monthly film education series presented by MU Film Studies professor Dr. Nancy West and film scholar Dr. Lokke Heiss. A fun survey of film history, its eclectic programming ranges from cannon classics to unseen obscurities.
Kids' Matinees feature intelligent, creative, off-the-beaten-path children's movies Saturday mornings.
The Critics Series invites internationally recognized film critics to present and discuss under-recognized films of their choosing. Past guests have included Orson Welles authority Jonathan Rosenbaum and Newcity Chicago critic Ray Pride.
Our Documentary Series presents a handful of titles grouped topically. Most recently, we presented a series of films that tackle issues of environmental sustainability.
Our Directors Program celebrates some of cinema's greatest filmmakers with series that focus on individual directors' careers. We recently featured a selection of films by Preston Sturges and are currently putting together a survey of young Chinese director Jia Zhangke.

Other series in the works include westerns, LBGTQ films, and late-night cult movies.

In our first year on Hitt Street, we served 54,500 patrons, presented 185 films, and hosted 58 events, 18 of which were free. We hosted eleven visiting filmmakers and critics, six local filmmakers, three local artists, four live theater events, and thirteen live music events.

Notable guests include Dave Eggers (Away We Go), Terry Zwigoff (Crumb, Bad Santa), Don Hertzfeldt (Billy's Balloon), Judith Guest (Ordinary People), Harvey Pekar (American Splendor), Joanna Newsom, Devandra Banhart, Roy C. (Sex & Soul), Les Blank (Burden of Dreams), Philip Lopate (Portrait of My Body), Misty Upham (Frozen River), Steve James, Peter Gilbert & William Gates (Hoop Dreams), Mike Schank (American Movie), John Michael Higgins (Best in Show, lobby only), Jennie Livingston (Paris is Burning), David Shepard (silent film restorer), Ken Lazebnik (Prairie Home Companion), Jonathan Rosenbaum (Movie Wars), Margaret Brown (The Order of Myths), John Jeffcoat (Bingo!), Maureen Gosling (Blossoms of Fire), Gov. Jay Nixon, Ray Pride, and Mahjongg.

True/False Film Fest

The True/False Film Fest returns for its eighth edition March 3-6, 2011. The festival highlights innovative work with a cinematic scope, creative takes on contemporary currents, and most of all work that provokes dialogue about its subject and the documentary form itself. Visit True/False on the web or call (573)442-TRUE.

This festival, held each winter in downtown Columbia, is a celebration of documentary film and the people who make them. True/False screens 50+ films, with nearly 100% filmmaker attendance, on seven screens within walkable downtown Columbia.