It's a Hard Truth Ain't It

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox film

| name = It's a Hard Truth Ain't It

| image = It's a Hard Truth Ain't It poster.png

| alt =

| caption =

| director = Madeleine Sackler

| studio = Great Curve Films

| country = United States

| language = English

| released = {{Film date|2018|04|25|Tribeca|ref1={{cite web|url=https://womenandhollywood.com/tribeca-2018-women-directors-meet-madeleine-sackler-its-a-hard-truth-ain-t-it-b095f53903a7/|title=Tribeca 2018 Women Directors: Meet Madeleine Sackler— "It's a Hard Truth Ain't It"|work=Women and Hollywood|first=Beandrea|last=July|date=April 22, 2018|access-date=September 30, 2020}}}}

| runtime = 81 minutes

}}

It's A Hard Truth Ain't It is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Madeleine Sackler, Dennis Brown, Franklin Cox, Brandon Crider, Clifford Elswick, Joseph Henderson, Herb Robertson, Rushawn Tanksley, Marshaun Bugg, Al'jonon Coleman, James Collins, Quentis Hardiman, Charles Lawrence, and Mark Thacker.{{Cite web|last=Entertainment|first=WarnerMedia|date=2019-02-13|title=HBO Documentary Films' IT'S A HARD TRUTH AIN'T IT Debuts Feb. 25 on HBO|url=https://medium.com/warnermediaent/hbo-documentary-films-it-s-a-hard-truth-ain-t-it-debuts-feb-25-on-hbo-f151b8d560c4|access-date=2020-08-19|website=Medium|language=en}}

It is the first widely released film co-directed by people who are incarcerated. In the film, 13 men incarcerated in the Pendleton Correctional Facility in Indiana study filmmaking with Sackler to tell their own stories.{{Cite web|date=2019-02-28|title=Stream It Or Skip It: 'It's A Hard Truth, Ain't It' On HBO, A Documentary Created By Inmates At The Prison Where 'O.G' Was Shot|url=https://decider.com/2019/02/28/it-its-a-hard-truth-aint-it-on-hbo-stream-it-or-skip-it/|access-date=2020-08-19|website=Decider|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=It's a Hard Truth Ain't It {{!}} 2018 Tribeca Film Festival|url=https://www.tribecafilm.com/films/it-s-a-hard-truth-ain-t-it-2018|access-date=2020-08-19|website=Tribeca}} Sackler's fiction film, O.G., was in part inspired by the work done for this documentary; many of the co-directors in It's A Hard Truth Ain't It also appear in O.G. {{Cite web|title=It's a Hard Truth Ain't It — maysles documentary center|url=https://www.maysles.org/calendar/hard-truth|access-date=2020-08-19|website=mayslesdocumentary center|date=15 March 2019 |language=en-US}}

It's A Hard Truth Ain't It was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary category.{{Cite web|last=The Emmys TV|date=|title=news 41st nominations|url=https://theemmys.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/news-41st-nominations-v01.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Emmy Awards}}

Animated portrayals of the men's memories were created by Yoni Goodman.{{Cite web|title=IFC Center - It's a Hard Truth, Ain't It|url=http://www.ifccenter.com/films/its-a-hard-truth-aint-it/|access-date=2020-08-19|website=IFC Center|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Four Movies at the Tribeca Film Festival That Don't Pretend {{!}} The Village Voice|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/04/25/four-movies-at-the-tribeca-film-festival-that-dont-pretend/|access-date=2020-08-19|website=www.villagevoice.com|date=26 April 2018 }}

The film and O.G. were both acquired by HBO after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival.{{Cite web|last=Pedersen|first=Erik|date=2018-10-12|title=HBO Acquires 'O.G.', Prison-Filmed Feature Starring Jeffrey Wright|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/hbo-acquires-o-g-jeffrey-wright-prison-filmed-in-maximum-security-prison-1202481750/|access-date=2020-08-19|website=Deadline|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Sandberg|first=Bryn Elise|date=October 12, 2018|title=HBO Acquires Jeffrey Wright Prison Movie 'O.G.'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/hbo-acquires-jeffrey-wright-prison-movie-og-1151915|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=The Hollywood Reporter}}