{"id":13763,"date":"2025-07-25T08:34:55","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T13:34:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/?p=13763"},"modified":"2025-07-25T09:20:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T14:20:45","slug":"chloe-trayner-steps-down-as-artistic-director-of-ragtag-film-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/chloe-trayner-steps-down-as-artistic-director-of-ragtag-film-society\/","title":{"rendered":"Chlo\u00e9 Trayner Steps Down As Artistic Director of Ragtag Film Society"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With a fond farewell, Ragtag Film Society announces the departure of the artistic director, Chlo\u00e9 Trayner. Trayner joined the RFS team in 2021 in her role working on artistic vision across both the Ragtag Cinema and True\/False Film Fest. Chlo\u00e9 lived and worked in London since 2012 and built her career as a film and events programmer with a specialism in non-fiction cinema and talent development. She came to RFS with nearly a decade of experience in the film festival and development landscape, including her work as Festival Director at Open City Documentary Festival, founder of Assembly, a development lab for creative documentaries, and as Programmer at Bertha DocHouse, one of the only dedicated documentary cinemas in the world. Chlo\u00e9 relocated from London to Missouri to join Ragtag Film Society at a pivotal moment exiting the COVID-19 pandemic and has helped guide the organization with integrity and intention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChlo\u00e9\u2019s fiercely personal, international-focused programming and careful leadership came at a time when the fest and the organization desperately needed a strong curatorial vision, as we worked our way out of the pandemic era and into the future. Chlo\u00e9 will be missed but I\u2019m really excited for whatever she does next!\u201d says Robert Greene, Ragtag Film Society Board Member who played a key role in Chlo\u00e9\u2019s recruitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past four years, Trayner has led the curatorial program for True\/False including spearheading film programming and providing crucial oversight to the music & art programs. Her overarching vision for these programs cultivated a vibrant, interdisciplinary experience of a film festival. Trayner worked diligently to program the best, brightest, and boldest of nonfiction cinema, spotlighting authored work with a clear filmmaking vision and formal intention. Her deep care and commitment to supporting nonfiction filmmakers was evident in her curatorial approach which prioritized an international lens, embraced formal experimentation and valued the artform of documentary storytelling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bringing her deep passion for artist support and project development, Trayner developed a robust network of programs at True\/False that focused on creating a nurturing space for artists to connect and collaborate. These included the Confluence Fellowship for emerging Midwest-based nonfiction that took place during festival weekend and prioritized the exceptional talent of True\/False\u2019s home region. Along with art installations curator Sarah Nguyen, Trayner worked to redevelop the art program to include a virtual artist residency program that continues to provide a space for visual artists to learn and create together in the lead up to the Fest. Trayner also delivered four editions of Rough Cut Retreat, in partnership with Catapult Film Fund, working with filmmakers at the crucial rough cut stage to find their paths to completion. Selected projects during her tenure went on to premiere at Sundance, Berlinale, Tribeca and Venice Film Festival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

True\/False co-founder David Wilson says, \u201cChlo\u00e9 excelled at many aspects in her time as Artistic Director for Ragtag & True\/False. She innovated new programs like Confluence, she maintained successful initiatives like the True Life Fund and she brought visionary curatorial skills to the programming of the Fest. But, most importantly, she never forgot that the job is, ultimately, about being a champion for the artists whose work we showcase.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Trayner\u2019s artistic vision carried a through line across both projects: True\/False Film Fest and Ragtag Cinema. She worked closely and collaboratively with cinema programmers to build a foundation of expansive, daily programming and exceptional series & strands. She designed a recent favorite of Ragtag series, Rendered: an innovative food & film event that paired a cinematic classic with a bespoke menu for an immersive, sensory experience. Trayner also served as one third of the interim executive leadership team of the organization between June 2024 and April 2025 helping to shepherd the organization through a moment of change. Trayner\u2019s deep belief in the power of the communal experience, passionate leadership, and robust experience in the field provided Ragtag Film Society with a framework poised for a bright, sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About her departure Trayner says, \u201cThis role has been a truly transformative experience and I feel so lucky to have spent four years collaborating with my excellent colleagues to create these magical and much needed spaces for artists and audiences alike. Now more than ever this work feels essential and I\u2019m looking forward to continuing to support nonfiction filmmakers in my next adventures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For the upcoming edition of True\/False, Ragtag Film Society will welcome a one-year Visiting Artistic Director who will take on the reins of the film program, bringing what promises to be another exciting fest to Columbia. True\/False will announce this Visiting Artistic Director next week. True\/False 2026 will take place March 5-8 in downtown Columbia, MO. Visit truefalse.org<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With a fond farewell, Ragtag Film Society announces the departure of the artistic director, Chlo\u00e9 Trayner. Trayner joined the RFS team in 2021 in her role working on artistic vision across both the Ragtag Cinema and True\/False Film Fest. Chlo\u00e9 lived and worked in London since 2012 and built her career as a film and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13763"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13781,"href":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13763\/revisions\/13781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ragtagcinema.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}