Welcome to the 21st Annual Tallgrass Film Festival! Last year we pulled inspiration from the past and celebrated 20 years of Tallgrass. This year while putting together the festival program we look ahead to the future. Similar to the programmers and Executive Directors that came before us, we see our mission as a beacon to bring new cinematic experiences to Wichita. Experiences you otherwise would not encounter. This means getting out into the world, coming downtown, meeting new people, forming human connections, and exploring a film block or two you may not otherwise normally try.
We can’t go into this year without acknowledging the great loss of Thane Chastain. Our education coordinator, our tech guru, and our friend whom always listened and led the way, passed away earlier this year. While many have stepped in to help, his absence will be felt for a long time to come. Robert Thomas and Naythan Smith have worked together to help the students this year as Thane’s greatest concern each year was making sure our young filmmakers got to connect with and learn from people in the industry. Join us at this year’s Emerging Filmmaker Reception and let’s all have a blowout celebration to honor Thane. Donations in his memory will be taken to continue the program each year.
We certainly hope that you will take some risks as you move through Tallgrass with us. Experiment. Try something new. Be challenged. Allow yourself to be carried away by the people, places, and entirely new worlds represented in our program.
Enjoy the festival.
Sincerely,
Melanie Addington Andre Seward Hannah Bothner Executive Director Program Director Operations ManagerBOX OFFICE & MERCHANDISE | 120 E. 1st St. N. (Candela in The Lux)
Days/Hours: October 2-4 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
October 5-8 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
PASS & TICKET PRICING
VIP TALLPass $259 (All Access Pass)
FilmPass $100 (Access To Films Only)
Weekend Pass $150 (Weekend Films + Parties + Virtual)
VirtualPass $50 (Access To All Virtual Films)
General Admission $12
Matinee Admission $10 (Start Time Before 4 pm)
Senior, Military, Student, and Teacher Admission
(Use discount code: Service) $6
Gala Screening $15
Gala Movie + Party $45
Virtual Ticket $7 minimum or Pay What You Can (Proceeds will be split with the indie filmmakers)
ONLINE BOX OFFICE | tallgrassfilm.org
You may purchase TALLPasses, FilmPasses, and admission to all films and galas online or in person at the main box office before each screening begins.
THEATRE AND EDUCATION VENUES
Advanced Learning Library | 711 W. 2nd St. N. Free Screenings
Presented by Evergy
CAC Theatre at WSU | 1845 Fairmount St.
Candela at The LUX | 120 E. 1st St. N.
Crown Uptown Theatre | 3207 E. Douglas Ave.
Exploration Place Kemper Science Theater | 300 N. McLean Blvd.
Tallgrass Film Center | 120 E. 1st St. N.
TempleLive (Scottish Rite) | 332 E. 1st St. N.
The Orpheum Theatre | 200 N. Broadway
Wichita Art Museum | 1400 Museum Blvd.
WSU Tech - NICHE | 124 S. Broadway
PARTY AND RECEPTION VENUES
VIP Lounge in the Candela at Lux | 120 E. 1st St. N.
Chainlink Gallery Place | 121 E. Douglas
Douglas Design District | 1706 E. Douglas Ave.
Old Cowtown Museum | 1865 Museum Blvd.
Ulrich Art Museum | 1845 Fairmount St.
Union Station | 701 E. Douglas Ave.
PARKING | The CARStar Trolley hosted by Tallgrass will travel between venues every 30 minutes, so you can park once and ride free all day. The parking lot for the shuttle is at Exploration Place on McLean Blvd. but you can catch the shuttle from any venue.
Metered parking is available on the street for a fee during weekdays but is free after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends. TempleLive (Scottish Rite) has daily parking for $10. Orpheum parking is free on the weekend of the festival. Accessible parking is available at each venue.
RESERVED SEATS | Seating is first come, first served. TALLPass holders get first access when doors open. Most venues can hold everyone, but some venues, like the Tallgrass Film Center, only have 30 seats, so reserve in advance to guarantee a seat! We strongly encourage you to be at the theatre and in your seat 15 minutes before showtime.
RUN TIMES | Film running times do not include introductions, shorts, and Q&As. Most blocks are 2 hours in total. All films are in English or have English subtitles. Reminder to check the online schedule for updates and more information. Learn more at tallgrassfilm.org.
VIRTUAL AVAILABILITY | Check to see if the film you want to see is available online! Global means you can watch it everywhere (on Earth), USA, you can see it anywhere in the States, Kansas means only in the Land of Oz, and only available in person is for films that are ONLY playing in-person at the festival. Please consult the online schedule for the most up-to-date information.
RATING GUIDE | Most films have not been rated by the MPA. Films are listed as All Ages, 13+, or Mature for rating suggestions. We try to provide content warnings when applicable. Parental discretion is advised.
HEALTH & SAFETY | Tallgrass follows all COVID-19 health and safety protocols, including suggested masks indoors regardless of vaccine status. We will continue to update and revise our protocols to reflect the most current safety standards. Due to variants, event plans, and COVID-19, restrictions can change.
ACCESSIBILITY | All in-person venues are ADA-accessible. Most films in the program will have open or closed captions. See the website for details on which films will have captions or reach out to info@tallgrassfilm.org. Accessible parking is available at each venue. Any other needs can always be accommodated, just let us know.
FAQs | Please see the website for detailed explanations on how to use the Eventive ticketing system. https://tallgrassfilm.org/festival-faq/
Look for Lanyard/Badge collection boxes when you're done at the fest, help us save the environment by letting us reuse your badge.
Timothy O. Gruver founded the Tallgrass Film Festival in 2003.
Staff
Melanie Addington | Executive Director
Hannah Bothner | Operations Manager
Tom Mittlestadt | Events Director
Larry Knott | Tallgrass Accountant
Programming Team
Andre Seward | Head Programmer & Program Director
Hannah Bothner | Shorts Programmer
Brandon Bena | Programming Assistant
Box Office
Doanna Aylock | Box Office & Theater Manager
Education
Robert Thomas & Naythan Smith | Emerging Filmmaker Program
Crickett Rumley | Festival Panels Director
Events
Hugo Phan | Venue Manager Coordinator
Jessica Brazil | Logistics and Experience Assistant
Kelsey Unruh | Volunteer Coordinator
Tina Walterscheid | Community Engagement Coordinator
Media
Kelly Kitchens | Publicist
Dev Shapiro | Selig Polyscope Company - Director of DCP, Publicist
John Strange | Selig Polyscope Company - Publicist, Green Carpet
Producer, Interview Room Producer, Film Critic
Gadi Elkon | Selig Polyscope Company - Interviewer, Film Critic, Publicist
Jenn Rohm | Selig Polyscope Company - Interviewer, Film Critic
Ashley Lundblade | Green Carpet Assistant and Photographer
Karen Lundblade | Photography Coordinator
Josh S. Williams | Webmaster and Design Coordinator
Hospitality
Madlyn Aylock | Hospitality Manager
Shannon Boone | VIP Lounge Coordinator
Delilah Reed | Social Host
Bryson Turner | Beverage Coordinator
Maria Garcia | Transportation Coordinator
Justin Stuart | Transportation Coordinator
Nate Kampe | Runner
Tech
Naythan Smith | Technical Manager
Dev Shapiro | DCP Manager
Mark Janzen (President)
Alicia Sanchez (President-Elect)
Sarah Leslie (Secretary)
Anna Heustis (Treasurer)
Adam Gunnels (Past President)
Kate Bastian
Holly Dyer
Danielle Johnson
Adrienne McAlpine
Susan Moeder
Dennis Murphy
Bob Nugent
Shannon O'Neil
Todd Ramsey
Lester Rowe
Jennifer Rygg
Veronica Seberger
Denise Sherman
Lisa Tatum
Christa Rude Vazeos
Jonathan Wood
Emily Bonavia (Emeritus)
Floyd Gruver (Emeritus)
Kristin Bair, Mason Love, Dina Coldiron, Steven Crainich, Marcus
Gorman, Elizabeth Eckrote, Sheri Kaufman-Marsh, Arvin Cruz, Brandon Bena, Debbie Riley Williams, Bryan Clark, Scott Hussey, Alex
Megaro, Roberta Martine, Timothy Wroten, Steve Gardner, Brian Ratigan, Shannon Fitts, Jen Hussey, Buddy Lee, Susan Moeder
Cahill Jones, Claire Stewart, Eva Hicks, Hayden Munro, Jordan Stoehr, Lydia Jensen, Weston Uptmor, Wyatt Carmichael
Ann Spikes, Gianna Williams, Jovana Johnson, Shan Jabara, Tanya Merritt, Will Pyles, Will WIlliams, Anita Raghavan, Tavrick Lawless, Max Abood, Jason
Tapler, Jessica Brazil, Kate Bastian, Christa Vazeos, Adrienne McAlpine, Anna Heustis, Lynda Carrier-Metz, Jessica Branning, Gina Bryant
H.P. Mendoza
H.P. Mendoza is a Filipino-American filmmaker. Along with his feature films, Mendoza is also known for his music and art installations including the touring screening of his experimental visual album, ATTACK, DECAY, RELEASE, winner of the 2022 Grand Jury Prize at the Tallgrass Film Festival, Stubbornly Independent. Mendoza is currently touring with his new film, THE
Bill Guentzler
Bill Guentzler is currently serving as Vice President of Acquisitions for Gravitas Ventures. Gravitas, an Anthem Sports and Entertainment company, is recognized worldwide as one of the largest all-rights distributors of independent films and documentaries.
Jim Brunzell III
In 2005, he started as a volunteer at the Minneapolis/ St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF). He joined Sound Unseen in 2008 as a programmer and became the festival director in 2012. He was also the Program & Artistic Director for the All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF) in Austin, TX from 2014-2020. In February 2023, he started working at L.A.-based film distributor Dark Star Pictures, where he is the Director of Festivals.
SECRET ART OF HUMAN FLIGHT starring Academy Award nominee Paul Raci.
Sean Armstrong
Sean Armstrong is an award-winning entrepreneur and seasoned business professional with more than 15 years of experience across many functional areas and co-founder of Homestead Entertainment.
Jamie Broadnax
Jamie Broadnax holds a Master's Degree in Film and a BS in Broadcast Journalism. She reports entertainment news, reviews film and TV reviews, and interviews entertainers for her publication Black Girl Nerds. She also serves on the EDA Features Jury.
Jon-Sesrie Goff
Jon-Sesrie Goff is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and arts administrator. His feature-length directorial debut After Sherman, won the Gordon Parks Black Excellence in Filmmaking in 2022.
Lonita Cook
Lonita is a Film, TV, Theater, and Culture critic contributing to KCTV5, Everyday Northwest (Portland CW), and Hello Iowa. She serves filmmakers and other artists as the East Central Kansas Field Rep for the Kansas Department of Commerce Creative Arts Industries where she also currently facilitates the KCAIC Critical Writing Initiative. She also serves on the EDA Shorts Jury.
Jennifer Merin
Jennifer Merin, AWFJ President, and AWFJ.org Editorin-Chief, writes the CINEMA CITIZEN blog. She’s covered film for NY Press, About.com, Women’s eNews, USA Today, L.A. Times, Christian Science Monitor, US, Ms., Daily News, NY Post, SoHo News, and others. She’s a member of the Critics Choice Association and a voting member of the Black Reel Awards. Her syndicated culturally-oriented travel column began in 1984. She also chairs the EDA Features Jury.
Caitlyn Cody
Caitlyn Cody is a cinematographer from Wichita Kansas. She's been a part of the local film community and Tallgrass since 2017 when she became an Emerging Programmer Apprentice for the Tallgrass Film Festival. She loves supporting female and nonbinary filmmakers and helping them tell their stories.
Sheri L Kaufman-Marsh
Sheri began a recent career with film festivals 8 years ago, founding the Doc Sunback Film Festival in Mulvane, Kansas with her co-founders Nancy Farber-Mottola, and Kenny Linn. Sheri served as the Programming Director for the festival for 7 years, bringing a fresh perspective to the festival as a curator for the short film format. As a 30-year retired Boeing Business Development leader, Sheri was able to further the reach of the festival by applying her marketing expertise.
Jedd Beaudoin is the host and producer of the syndicated music show Strange Currency, originating from KMUW, Wichita's NPR affiliate. In addition, he serves as an arts reporter for the station and has written for a variety of publications, including PopMatters, Noisey, and American Songwriter.
Milan Chakraborty, Head of Film at Marginal MediaWorks, oversees all of the company’s efforts in independent, studio, and streaming film. He is an 18-year veteran of the film industry. Milan worked at Warner Bros and New Line Cinema in production finance and accounting on projects including Batman Begins, Superman Returns, History of Violence, and V for Vendetta. Milan began independently producing in 2008 and has produced and executive produced over 20 features including My Friend Dahmer, Assassination Nation, Plus One, The Dark & the Wicked, multiple Spirit Award nominee The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, and THE SECRET ART OF HUMAN FLIGHT.
Jean Anne Lauer has promoted the development and exhibition of Latinx, Iberoamerican, and Indigenous film and media since 2004. She has worked with Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (Austin, TX, 2008 through 2022), and with Fantastic Fest (Austin, TX, 2013 to present). Currently, Jean is the Director of Short Film Programming at Fantastic Fest, and she teaches courses at ACC in the Dept. of Philosophy, Religion, and Humanities, and the Dept. of Radio-Television-Film. Jean has been a faculty member at ACC since the Fall of 2005.
Alex Garcia Topete is a writer and filmmaker with more than 15 years of experience working in the creative industries in Mexico and the United States. He has been the managing partner and chief creative officer of the Dallas-based media production company Nowadays Orange Productions since its establishment in 2011, having written, directed, and produced several projects, ranging from independent features to award-winning docuseries. In addition, Alex has been a curator/programmer since 2007 for several film festivals, including the Dallas International Film Festival and the Festival de Cine Latino Americano of North Texas (FDCLA), of which he’s an original co-founder.
Raul Benitez is a film programmer in Chicago for over 14 years. Raul currently is the Senior Programmer at the Midwest Film Festival and the After Dark programmer at the Chicago International Film Festival. Raul also programs at Comfort Station Logan Square, Full Spectrum Features, and the Nightingale Cinema. Raul has been named a Chicago Film Gem by New City Chicago for 2015,17,19 and in 2023 Raul was inducted into the Film Gem Hall of Fame. Raul was also named an Esteemed Artist by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and received a DCASE grant for his Chicago/Mexico City Filmmaker exchange program.
Mason Vietti
Mason Vietti grew up in small-town Kansas and always adored the smaller aspects of life. With a passion for film and a background in journalism, Mason likes to shine a light on whatever stories he sees. Now that he finds himself at film school surrounded by a plethora of other artists, he's not creating.
Monica Biltz
Monica is a Wichita filmmaker who participates in all aspects of the creative process, with a focus on screenwriting and directing. In addition to her film projects, she enjoys assisting others with their creative endeavors in the Wichita community, while also pursuing a degree in filmmaking at Wichita State University.
Piper Prichard is a senior at Wichita State University majoring in filmmaking. She found her passion in writing when she was younger and she hopes to continue her love for telling stories after she graduates.
Check online schedule for updates and more film information, trailers, and the virtual box office. Learn more at:
Rachel
Based in Toronto, Rachel is a Senior Film Critic at ThatShelf.com. She has interviewed everyone from Michael Fassbender to Miss Piggy and has reported live from TIFF, the SAG Awards, Comic-Con, and the Golden Globes, among other events, and has contributed film writing and content to outlets including ET Canada, Telefilm, Global News, The National Post, Cineplex Magazine, and Letterboxd, among others. She is a member of the Toronto Film Critics Association.
MaryAnn Johanson launched her popular and respected FlickFilosopher.com in 1997, making it one of the longest-running film-criticism sites online. Her reviews have also appeared in a variety of US alt-weekly newspapers. Other credits: Indiewire, PBS’s Independent Lens blog, Film Threat, Film4.com. Executive member, The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (Webbys); member, Online Film Critics Society, Alliance of Women Film Journalists. She has appeared numerous times on the BBC World Service’s “The Arts Hour.” A native New Yorker, she is now based in London.
Brandy McDonnell writes reviews and features for The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com. She started journalism in seventh grade, submitting stories to local weeklies through high school. She wrote for The Daily O'Collegian at Oklahoma State, earning a journalism degree with honors. She worked at Oklahoma dailies, joined The Oklahoman, moving to the entertainment desk in 2007. A founding member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, she writes AWFJ.org's THE WEEK IN WOMEN.
Friday, October 6, 10:30 am
Moderator: Crickett Rumley
Panelists: Tallgrass Programmers Andre Seward and Hannah Bothner, Filmmaker Advisory Board members, and attending filmmakers
Grab your morning cup of joe or tea for this informal mix-and-mingle session with the crackerjack team behind our Stubbornly Independent programming, our Filmmaker Advisory Board members, and you, the filmmakers of Tallgrass 2023! You’ll learn how you can make the most of your festival experience, hear more about the films screening this weekend, and get to talk to each other in a setting more casual than a Q&A and quieter than 3 am karaoke.
Behind every film is a mountain of legal paperwork, and this year the Tallgrass Film Festival, in association with the Wichita Bar Association, will break some of it down for filmmakers and attorneys alike. Join us for three entertaining and engaging seminars that will get to the heart of legal issues and possibly help with your current and/or future films.
Friday, October 6, 2 pm
Presenter: Jim Jesse
Music plays such a critical role in motion picture storytelling, so what does a filmmaker need to know as they set about procuring rights to the pieces that will enhance their work? This seminar will cover topics ranging from issues in clearing music for films and other audio-visual works, to what a copyright is and how to obtain one, to what a music license looks like.
by Conlee, Schmidt & Emerson
Friday, October 6, 3 pm
Presenter: Tyler J. Emerson with Vera Drew
We all know that documentarians, educational filmmakers, and news producers take advantage of fair use regularly. But did you know it can be relied on in an entertainment context, too? Entertainment attorney Tyler Emerson and special guest Vera Drew will present new legal developments in fair use doctrines and discuss their application to protect scripted and non-documentary films and series.
Friday, October 6, 4 pm
Presenter: Tyler J. Emerson with Milan Chakraborty
You’ve made a film! But danger still lurks! Emerson and special guest Milan Chakraborty will walk step-by-step through both material terms and boilerplate terms of a common sales agency agreement and a common independent distribution agreement, identifying and discussing both legal and business red flags for filmmakers and their attorneys to watch out for when their films are ready to be taken to market.
Saturday, October 7, 1 pm
Moderator: Crickett Rumley
The pandemic caused massive shifts in filmmaking and distribution, so what do indie filmmakers need to know to make it in the post-pandemic era? This panel will explore topics such as managing expectations and personal finances, film budgeting, and distribution. We’ll address the possibilities for indie film theatrical distribution in today’s AVOD, SVOD, and TVOD world, what distributors wish filmmakers knew about deliverables and marketing, and what producers wish they had known before they signed a contract or booked a sales agent.
Saturday, October 7, 2:30 pm
Moderator: Amanda Mustard
With trauma support for filmmakers as critical as ever, this candid discussion will dive into topics around resilience, safety, and trauma-informed methods for those working on sensitive subject matter and with vulnerable communities. How can filmmakers be their advocates, set boundaries, and manage mental health both on and off-set? What are the best practices for securing support from producers, financiers, and collaborators?
Sunday, October 8, 1 pm
Moderator: Crickett Rumley
A valuable art form in its own right, the short film is also seen as a stepping stone to a career in feature filmmaking. This panel will identify tips for articulating your next goals, ways to utilize film festivals to network and level up, the importance of elevator pitches, and secrets for crafting a financierfriendly low-budget feature screenplay or documentary treatment.
THE PEOPLE’S JOKER (Narrative) Presented by Visit Wichita & Ad Astra Financial
Thursday, October 5, 7 pm | Crown Uptown Theatre |
Opening Night Gala
Director: Vera Drew
Producer: Joey Lyons
92 min. | USA | Rating: Mature | CW: None | Only available in person
An unfunny clown with a Smylex addiction grapples with gender identity, love, and foes while founding an illegal comedy theater in Gotham City.
Preceded by the short film Krush The Wrestler
Director: Alex Megaro
14 min. | USA Rating: Mature | CW: Fetish Wrestling | Virtual Availability: Global | Kansas Premiere
Exploring the innate intimacy of submission wrestling, a lifelong wrestler turns his talents into an on-demand fetish video service.
PENITENTIA (Narrative) Kansas Feature Presented by Docking Foundation
Friday, October 6, 7 pm | The Orpheum Theatre | Kansas Gala
Director/Producer: Chris Lawing
90 min | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Violence | Virtual Availability: USA | Kansas Premiere
Young attorney, Ale Villacaño, takes a pro bono prison rights base and gets quickly drawn into a criminal web and corporate negligence.
Preceded by the short film Liberty
Director: Chris Lawing
16 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Drug Use | Virtual Availability: Global | USA Premiere Liberty is the story of a disgraced journalist who flees to a small midwestern town to rebuild her life, only to find deadly corruption pursuing her at every turn.
BLOOD AND CHOPSTICKS: ECHOS OF NIGHT SCREAMS (Documentary)
Friday, October 6, 7:30 pm | TempleLive (Scottish Rite) | Special Presentation
Director: Leif Jonker
Producer: Leif Jonker
80 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Some language and minor violence
The making of the low budget, shot on 35mm, made in Wichita, late 1980’s slasher movie: NIGHT SCREAMS.
Preceded by the short film Death in Lavender
Director: Tyler W. Moore
10 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Mild Violence | Virtual Availability: Global | World
Premiere
Secrets begin to unravel after the untimely passing of the patriarch of the Pennington family.
Competition Presented by Monica & Rick Nutt
Saturday, October 7, 6 pm | The Orpheum Theatre | Centerpiece Gala
Director: Marc Marriott
Producers: Brigham Taylor, Marc Marriott
118 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Kansas | World Premiere
A Japanese businessman goes on an unwitting journey of self-discovery when he takes a company trip from Tokyo to a Montana cattle ranch.
Preceded by the short film Bull Rider
Director: Steven Gray
2 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | Kansas
Premiere
This experimental documentary short merges meditations on dance from choreographer Martha Graham with music by composer Philip Glass and video featuring Professional Bull Rider/Modern Dancer Ouncie Mitchell, at the 2022 Oakley Rodeo in Oakley, UT.
Sunday, October 8, 7 pm | The Orpheum Theatre | Closing Night Gala
Director: Jane Weinstock
Producers: Andrea Miller, Chris Collins, James Welling
90 min. | USA | Rating: Mature | CW: Language and Sexual Content | Only available in person | Regional Premiere
In 1970, at the height of the sexual revolution, an idealistic academic couple and their 17-year-old daughter wrestle with revolutionary ideas around sex, race, and class.
Preceded by the short film Photo Of The Day
Directors: Mac Eldridge & Tom Dean
12 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Sexual Content | Virtual Availability: USA | Kansas Premiere
A photo from their past ignites a conversation about the possibility of an open marriage between a husband and wife.
Friday, October 6, 4:30 pm | TempleLive (Scottish Rite)
Director: Sav Rodgers
Producers: Sav Rodgers, Alex Schmider, Carrie Radigan, Lela Meadow-Conner, Matthew C. Mills
95 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Kansas Premiere
For young Sav Rodgers, the Kevin Smith cult classic, CHASING AMY, became a life raft. As Rodgers examines the film and its making as a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ cinema, he finds himself at a complicated crossroads.
Preceded by the short film En El Limbo Nos Encontramos
Director: Daniel DuBoulay
5 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | World Premiere
The film follows a lonely, estranged protagonist as they become obsessed with wanting to become part of their favorite TV show. As their reality warps around this obsession, we see them grow more and more out of place in a world they don't belong in. Clearly stuck between two different realities, they must find a way to reconcile their feelings of otherness and take control of their own life.
Saturday, October 7, 12:30 pm | The Orpheum Theatre
Director: Scott Roberts
Producers: Scott Roberts, Paul Roberts
76 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Language | Virtual Availability: USA | World Premiere
Newly arrived with his family in a small Midwestern town, a smart but hopelessly awkward boy despairs that he will never truly fit in.
Preceded by the short film My Name is Annabel
Director: Ida Joglar
21 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | Kansas Premiere
Annabel Hernandez, a 30-year-old Wichita, KS native with Down syndrome, determines the film’s direction as she shares her story her way and asks her friends and family the questions she’s most curious about - How do you feel about adults with Down syndrome?
Sunday, October 8, 12:30 pm | CAC Theatre (Wichita State)
Director: Oriol Ferrer
Producers: Oriol Marcos, Oriol Sala-Patau, Esther Dueñas, Tiffany Ruoz
84 min. | Spain | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Regional Premiere
“MIRÓ” is the story of a discreet and tenacious young man; who had to emigrate from a gray and conservative Barcelona to Paris in full cultural effervescence to make himself known.
Preceded by the short film He ran alongside his comrade
Director: Genís Rigol Alzola
14 min. | Spain | Rating: 13 + | CW: Animated Violence | Only available in person | Regional Premiere
The story of an elderly businessman in search of popularity. He evades taxes but practices philanthropy, understanding solidarity in a personal way. Thus, the protagonist will dedicate himself to generating problems for people with the aim of being able to help them.
Saturday, October 7, 3 pm | The Orpheum Theatre
Director: Allen Plone
Producer: Dillis L. Hart
74 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Violence | Only available in person | World Premiere of Director & Producer's Final Cut
A late-entry slasher gem that offers up an embarrassment of inventive kills…alongside more "standard" methods of hacking and slashing.
Preceded by the short film Dead Enders
Directors: Fidel Ruiz-Healy & Tyler Walker
12 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Violence, blood, guns, language, and scary images. | Virtual Availability: Global | Regional Premiere
Disaffected, young gas-station clerk Maya doesn't care about much besides messing with her manager and getting her beer discount at the end of the midnight shift. But after a sinister race of mind-controlling parasites are set loose by irresponsible oil drillers, Maya realizes that there might be more to life than spending all your waking hours stacking shelves for a corporate overlord.
Leonard Barrie Corbin is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Maurice Minnifield on the television series Northern Exposure, which earned him two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Join us for a conversation with the versatile actor at The Orpheum Theatre on October 8 at 4 pm after a screening of the short film Trail End, starring Mr. Corbin directed by former Wichitan Shannon Keenan.
Sunday, October 8, 4 pm | The Orpheum Theatre
Director: Shannan Keenan
26 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: Death | Virtual Availability: Global Fulfilling a personal mission for his late wife, an ailing man, and his old horse attempt their last trail ride together across Kansas.
Join us for a special conversation with our Ad Astra guest on Sunday, October 8 at 4 pm and a VIP reception in the Candela beforehand at 2:30.
In the Jake Euker Stubbornly Independent presented by The Cotillion category, films are expected to have a production budget under $750,000 and must be a domestic narrative feature. The winner will receive $5,000 and a Stubbornly Independent Tap Handle.
FREE TIME presented by Lava & Tonic
Sunday, October 8, 2 pm | WSU Tech - NICHE
Director: Ryan Martin Brown
Producers: Mackenzie Jamieson, Justin Zuckerman, Paula Andrea González-Nasser, Nolan Kelly
78 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Language | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Kansas Premiere
Drew quits his job and then quickly decides he wants it back.
Preceded by the short films:
Ray
Director: Joe Lycett
6 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Language | Virtual Availability: Global | Regional
Premiere
A daft short film.
Director: Andres Gimenez
12 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | Regional
Premiere
Everybody cares about something, I care about your mailbox.
LOST SOULZ presented by Lucky’s Saturday, October 7, 3 pm | Exploration Place Kemper Science Theater
Director: Katherine Propper
Producers: Andres Figueredo Thomson, Juan Carlos Figueredo Thomson
96 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Language, Drug Use | Only available in person | Regional Premiere
A young rapper leaves everything behind and embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery, music, and friendship in the heart of Texas.
Preceded by the short film Stuck
Director: Brittany Reeber
10 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | Kansas
Premiere
Wanda, an introverted stoner, is roped into her roommates’ music video shoot when she finds a kindred spirit in a mouse stuck to a sticky pad.
PLAYLAND presented by Kirby’s Friday, October 6, 12 pm | Exploration Place Kemper Science Theater
Director: Georden West
Producers: Russell Sheaffer, Hannah McSwiggen, Danielle Cooper
72 min. | USA | Rating: Mature | CW: Strobe Effects, Gender related violence | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Regional Premiere
Artist-filmmaker Georden West’s debut feature is an expressionist and very queer bricolage, focusing on an atemporal night in the renowned Playland Café.
Preceded by the short films:
DogFriend
Director: Maissa Lihedheb
19 min. | Germany | Rating: 13+ | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | Kansas
Premiere
A date takes an unexpected turn in this meditation on race, politics, and history in Germany.
This Is Concrete
Director: Alice Gosti and June Zandona
3 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: USA | Regional Premiere
The body becomes architecture in the iconic abandoned military bunkers of Fort Worden National Park (WA, USA) as personal and geographical histories are interwoven in this genre-bending dance.
STAY AT CONDER BEACH Presented by Solly & Judes
Saturday, October 7, 12 pm | Exploration Place Kemper Science Theater
Director: Aaron Khandros
Producers: Mike S. Ryan, Mike Bowes
87 min. | USA | Rating: Mature | CW: Sexual Content, Death | Only available in person | World Premiere
Conder Beach is a crumbling tourist town on the Gulf Coast, reliant on seasonal commerce and oil rigging. The film draws you into a world that vacillates between reality and metaphor, examining the intangible evils that threaten our society and have crystallized so many into a pattern of self-destruction.
Preceded by the short film Followers
Director: Julia Bales
15 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Language | Virtual Availability: Global | Regional Premiere
Wendy invites her new neighbors over for dinner, but it doesn't go as planned.
The third annual Gordon Parks Award for Black Excellence in Filmmaking presented by Cargill category. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a $10,000 camera rental package from Panavision.
BLACK BARBIE: A DOCUMENTARY
Friday, October 6, 1 pm | TempleLive (Scottish Rite)
Director Lagueria Davis
Producer: Aaliyah Williams, Lagueria Davis
100 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Only available in person | Kansas Premiere
Through intimate access to a charismatic Mattel insider, Beulah Mae Mitchell, BLACK BARBIE delves into the cross-section of merchandise and representation as Black women strive to elevate their voices and stories, refusing to be invisible.
Preceded by the short film Jelly
Director: Anndi Jinelle Liggett
10 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | Regional Premiere
A young, Black girl with a peculiar fascination with death tries to solve the mysterious case of a missing neighbor while coming to terms with a more personal disappearance.
CHOCOLATE MILK (Documentary)
Saturday, October 7, 4 pm | WSU Tech - NICHE
Director/Producer: Elizabeth Gray Bayne
92 min | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: Nursing | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Kansas Premiere
Chocolate Milk explores racial inequities in birth and breastfeeding in the US by following the stories of three Black mothers in South Los Angeles over multiple years.
Preceded by the short film Choices
Director: Kameishia Wooten
13 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: Reproductive freedom | Virtual Availability: Global | Regional Premiere
Three very different friends find a renewed connection as they await pregnancy results at their Los Angeles High School.
Saturday, October 7, 10 pm | Tallgrass Film Center
Directors: William Forbes & Douglas Skinner
Producers: William Forbes & Douglas Skinner, Shondrella Avery, Lynette Baker, Mike Strong
113 min | USA | Rating: Mature | CW: Nudity, Language and Violence | Virtual Availability: USA | Regional Premiere
The untold story of black male exotic dancing in south Los Angeles and how it intersects with the origins of hip hop, gang culture, and kung fu assassins.
Friday, October 6, 4:30 pm | Tallgrass Film Center
Director: Nicki Micheaux
Producers: Efuru Flowers, Maureen P. Mottley, Sean Riggs, Nicki Micheaux
110 min | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Gun violence, attempted sexual assault, racism, blood | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Regional Premiere
Refusing law school to pursue poetry, a sheltered college grad, cut off from her father’s money, struggles to survive while living in Denver during the Summer of Violence in 1993.
Friday, October 6, 10:30 am | The Orpheum Theatre
Director: J.S. Hampton
Producers: J.S. Hampton, Dean Albright, Brianna Woods
89 min. | United States | Rating: 13+ | CW: Language & Drug Use | Virtual Availability: USA
A witch from the 1850s is transported into the head of her descendant in modern Kansas City, who is tasked with helping get her ancestor's body back.
Preceded by the short film SPLIT
Director: Vincent Essid
15 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: None | Virtual Availability: USA | Regional Premiere
When a hopeless romantic teenager discovers that the jukebox in his family’s bowling alley, sends him back to the glory days of it the 1980s, he must choose between a shot at love in the past or healing the relationship with his father in the present.
With a slight name change to celebrate our woman-presenting filmmakers, this year the Woman Filmmaker Spotlight presented by Fidelity Bank category will provide a $5,000 cash prize to the winner.
Saturday, October 7, 4:30 pm | Tallgrass Film Center
Director: Melisa Liebenthal
Producers: Eugenia Campos Guevara, Vanesa Ragonne
75 min | Argentina | Rating: 13+ | CW: None | Virtual
Availability: USA | Regional Premiere
Marina’s face suddenly changed. One day around her thirties her face ceased to be what it was. Who is she now? Can we be somebody beyond our face, beyond our image?
Preceded by the short film Alegrias Riojanas
Director: Velasco Broca
29 min. | Spain | Rating: Mature | CW: None | Only available in person | Regional Premiere
An ophthalmologist's confession gets interrupted when the priest who was attending to him leaves in an emergency.
Thursday, October 5, 12 pm | Tallgrass Film Center
Director: Anna Fahr
Producers: Anna Fahr, Lara Abou Saifan
107 min | Lebanon | Rating: 13+ | CW: War & Sex | Virtual
Availability: Kansas | Regional Premiere
Two sisters arrive in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley at the onset of the Syrian war, embarking on a journey into exile that tests their loyalty to their country, their family, and each other.
Friday, October 6, 3 pm | Exploration Place Kemper Science Theater
Director: Jessica Kozak
Producers: Shannon Reilly, Kimberly Hwang, Chelsea Davenport
88 min | USA | Rating: Mature | CW: Nudity and Violence | Virtual Availability: USA | Kansas Premiere
After the death of their best friend Bea, tight-knit friends attempt to reconnect on an annual camping trip. Still, things grow increasingly strange and uncomfortable in the isolated forest as their friendship unravels.
Preceded by the short film Super Deep Down
Director: Lauren Sevigny and Lexi Pappas
16 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Self-harm | Virtual Availability: USA | Regional Premiere
Three friends take a weekend getaway to commemorate a divorce and “move on,” but accidentally awaken spirits who take their wish to heart.
Friday, October 6, 10 am | TempleLive (Scottish Rite)
Director: Jeanie Finlay
Producers: Jeanie Finlay, Suzanne Alizart, Charlotte Cook, Sandra Whipham, Shanida Scotland
96 min. | USA & UK | Rating: 13+ | CW: Language, Eating Disorders | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Regional Premiere
Made over 6 years, director Jeanie Finlay charts the rise of writer and activist Aubrey Gordon from anonymous blogger to NYTimes best-selling author and beloved podcaster. Her aim? - a paradigm shift in how we see fat people and the fat on our bodies.
Preceded by the short films: How To Carry Water
Director: Sasha Wortzel
15 min. | USA | Rating: Mature | CW: Nudity and reference to sexuality. Strobe effects are noted at the top of the film. | Virtual Availability: Global | Regional Premiere
This punk rock fairytale doubles as a portrait of Shoog McDaniel — a fat, queer, and disabled photographer working in and around northern Florida’s vast network of freshwater springs, the state’s source of precious drinking water.
Forward Fast
Director: Lorraine Sovern
3 min. | USA | Rating: Mature | CW: Eating Disorders | Virtual Availability: Global | Kansas Premiere
While embarking upon a process of archival and preservation, a filmmaker dives into a stark exploration of self as she discovers the seeds of patriarchy and misogyny already planted and steeping the imagery of her childhood films.
For our Murmurations category, we highlight Spanish cinema in honor of our local Joan Miró mural at the Ulrich Art Museum.
LA VISITA Y UN JARDÍN SECRETO (THE VISIT AND A SECRET GARDEN) (Documentary)
Saturday, October 7, 12:30 pm. | Wichita Art Museum
Director: Irene M. Borrego
Producers: Irene M. Borrego, Renata Sancho, Mariangela Mondolo-Burghard
65 min. | Spain | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Only available in person | USA Premiere
A film that reflects on memory and oblivion, Art and the creative process; posing the question of what it means to be an artist and a woman.
Preceded by the short film Arnasa
Director: Raúl Barreras
15 min. | Spain | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Only available in person | Regional Premiere
Sitting on a hill, Inaxio mourns the death of his wife. His grandson Ekaitz seems to have been invoked by his song and returns to the farmhouse to take care of his grandfather and the animals that provide them with food and company.
LA VOLUNTARIA (THE VOLUNTEER) (Narrative)
Friday, October 6, 11 am. | WSU Tech - NICHE
Director: Nely Reguera
Producer: Adrià Monés, Álex Lafuente, Maria Drandaki
99 min. | Spain & Greece | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: USA | Regional Premiere
Marisa, a recently retired doctor, decides to leave everything and travel to a refugee camp in Greece, where they seem to need people exactly like her.
Friday, October 6, 2 pm. | WSU Tech - NICHE
Director: Rocio Mesa
Producer: Olmo Figueredo González-Quevedo, Jana Díaz-Juhl, Pau Brunet, Belén Sánchez
98 min. | Spain | Rating: 13+ | CW: None | Availability | Regional Premiere
Seven-year-old Vera and Nieves, a local teenager, driven by the sense of adventure and the need to find oneself respectively, will be connected to a magical creature that will change how they see their reality.
Preceded by the short films: Cuando Crece La Hierba
Director: María Monreal
3 min. | Spain | Rating: All Ages | CW: Tobacco | Virtual Availability: Global To question is to grow. Because not everything is easy to understand... even when you've grown up.
Cherubs
Director: Anne-Sophie Bine
18 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Age inappropriate relationship | Available only in person | Regional Premiere
At summer arts camp, a reserved 13-year-old girl feels seen for the first time when an older counselor takes her under his wing.
The Tim Gruver Spotlight on Kansas Filmmakers Category sponsored by Moeder and Associates, showcases our state’s filmmakers with both features and short films.
Friday, October 6, 4 pm. | The Orpheum Theatre
Directors: The Burghart Brothers (Jacob and Ben)
Producers: Austin Wagoner, Tristan Barr, David Gim
80 min | USA | Rating: Mature | CW: Language, Violence | Available only in person | Kansas Premiere
After escaping prison, Kat finds his revolver pointed at his head by an unknown assailant. As the empty rounds click away, Kat tries to remember how he got here, one bullet at a time.
Preceded by the short film Kid Ugly
Director: Jazmin Aguilar
12 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | Regional Premiere
A notorious outlaw named Bottle Tooth Guapo, runs into their biggest fan Lazlo, who is determined to be their sidekick.
JUST LIKE YOU - ANXIETY + DEPRESSION (Narrative) Presented by Evergy
Friday, October 6, 2:30 pm. | Advanced Learning Library
Director: Jennifer Greenstreet
Producers: Chad Swenson, Mauria Stonestreet, Karen Arkin, Jennifer Greenstreet
78 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | USA Premiere
10 brave kids, 2 Emmy award-winning journalists, 1 clinical psychologist at Columbia University, and 1 determined mother take on the fear and stigma plaguing the mental health community, leaving us enlightened, empowered, and equipped to either live life or lift life with these challenging and even life-threatening conditions.
Preceded by the short films: boy/beast
Director: Andrew Shaw
7 min. | Australia | Rating: All Ages | CW: Death | Virtual Availability: Global | North American Premiere
The darkness at the edge of a boy’s play threatens to turn him into a beast. A meditation on violence and the grief that underpins it.
In This Neighborhood
Director: Lilly Lion
Producer: Ellena Rosenthal & Lilly Lion
10 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Mental Health | Virtual Availability: Global | Regional Premiere
Caught between a fragmented mind and a fuzzy grasp on reality, Kate seeks a fresh start in her life. After breaking into her estranged family home, she discovers a piece of mail which leads to a downward spiral of paranoia, alarm for family safety, and an unquestionable certainty she's being targeted. Our film explores how Kate's mental health combined with poverty, lack of safety nets, and systematic hurdles ultimately determines her fate.
STELLA (Documentary)
Saturday, October 7, 1 pm. | WSU Tech - NICHE
Director: Tyler Doehring
Producers: Tyler Doehring/Pablo Diego
79 min. | USA, Italy, France | Rating: All Ages | CW: Language | Virtual Availability: USA | Kansas Premiere
A documentary about a humble pizzeria, and a beloved cuisine’s quest for its first Michelin Star.
Preceded by the short film Death & Ramen
Director: Tiger Ji
14 min | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global
After botching his suicide, a ramen chef goes on an unintended late-night odyssey with the Grim Reaper. They share a bowl of noodles and discover what it means to be human.
(THE WOMAN OF STARS AND MOUNTAINS) (Documentary)
Sunday, October 8, 4 pm. | Exploration Place Kemper Science Theater
Director: Santiago Esteinou
Producers: Santiago Esteinou, Javier Campos Lopez, Axel Pedraza, Jose Miguel Diaz Salinas
100 min. | Mexico & USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: USA | Regional Premiere
Rita Patiño, an indigenous woman from Mexico, was found by a human rights organization inside a Kansas psychiatric hospital, where she had been involuntarily confined, for 12 years.
Check online schedule for updates and more film information, trailers, and the virtual box office. Learn more at:
GREAT PHOTO, LOVELY LIFE Presented by Evergy
Saturday, October 7, 11 am. | Advanced Learning Library
Directors: Amanda Mustard, Rachel Beth Anderson
Producers: Amanda Mustard, Rachel Beth Anderson, Luke Malone
112 min | USA | Rating: Mature | CW: Sexual abuse & pedophilia | Only available in person | Regional Premiere Photojournalist Amanda Mustard returns to her hometown to investigate the decades of sexual abuse her family and community experienced at the hands of her grandfather.
Sunday, October 8, 1 pm. | Exploration Place Kemper Science Theater
Directors: Eric Axelman, Sam Eilertsen
Producers: Eric Axelman, Daniel J. Chalfen, Nadia Saah
84 min. | USA, Israel, Palestine | Rating: 13+ | CW: Violence | Only available in person | Regional Premiere When two young American Jews raised to unconditionally love Israel witness the brutal way Israel treats Palestinians, their lives take sharp left turns.
Friday, October 6, 11 am. | Tallgrass Film Center
Directors/Producers: Rebecca Davis & Pete Davis
99 min. | USA & Italy | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | Kansas Premiere
Join or Die is a film about why you should join a club— and why the fate of America depends on it.
Preceded by the short film Balloon Boy
Directors: Brian Gersten, Arlin Golden
17 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: Vomit | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Regional Premiere
America watched with rapt attention a large balloon float through the skies of Colorado.
Sunday, October 8, 1 pm. | The Orpheum Theatre
Director: Randy Martin
Producers: Andy Streitfeld, Randy Schmidt
97 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Mental Health & Eating Disorder | Only available in person | Kansas Premiere
A captivating, revealing, and unvarnished documentary providing astounding new insight into the singer's tragically short life and enduring musical legacy.
Preceded by the short film Give
Director: Kenya Gillespie
16 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Implied sexual content | Virtual Availability: USA | Regional Premiere
A composer attempts to unravel the memories of his relationship with his classical singer ex-boyfriend.
Saturday, October 7, 10 am. | WSU Tech - NICHE
Director: Liz Lachman
Producer: Lisa Donmall-Reeve
93 min. | USA, China, Vietnam | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Kansas Premiere
A verite film following award-winning celebrity chef
Susan Feniger on her first solo restaurant; it’s a story about starting over and about not IF one fails… but HOW."
Preceded by the short film There Are Things To Do
Director: Mike Syers
18 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Regional Premiere
Urvashi Vaid, an outspoken immigrant, lesbian and woman of color was an LGBTQ+ superhero helped shape the modern day gay rights movement. Her vision for the movement serves as a roadmap of initiatives & tools for generations of activists as they face anti-LGBTQ+ backlash.
@tallgrassfilm
Saturday, October 7, 10 am | Wichita Art Museum
Director/Producer: Alex Rappoport
86 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Language | Virtual Availability: Global | Kansas Premiere
79 years old and overlooked since the 1970s, abstract painter Peter Bradley reflects on life and shares his artistic process on the cusp of his rediscovery.
Preceded by the short film Charles Gaines: Systems & Structures
Directors: Ian Forster & Sue Ding
11 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global
A pivotal figure in the field of conceptual art, Charles Gaines investigates the production of knowledge and culture by using rule-based systems to create paintings, drawings, musical compositions, and sculptures. Culminating in the completion of Moving Chains (2022), a 100-foot-long public sculpture on Governors Island in New York City, this film traces the connections Gaines makes between our lived experiences and the systems that shape them.
Sunday, October 8, 2 pm. | Tallgrass Film Center
Director: Sofía Auza
Producers: Camila Jimenez, Silvana Aguirre, Alejandro Duran
70 min. | Mexico | Rating: 13+ | CW: Discussion of drug use, suicide | Virtual Availability: USA | USA Premiere
After his father’s death, Hugo misses the last bus home and meets Momo, who turns his night into an adventure.
Friday, October 6, 5 pm. | WSU Tech - NICHE
Director: Justin Geldzahler
Producers: Christopher Fox, Justin Geldzahler, Norris Guncheon, Sara McFarlane
89 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Limited violence |
Virtual Availability: USA | Regional Premiere
A good couple in a bad place plans a last-ditch cabin trip, but when an obnoxious third wheel arrives, they worry more than their relationship may be in danger.
Preceded by the short films:
Second Harvest
Directors: Victoria Gayer, Naythan Smith
6 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: Death | Virtual Availability: Global
A grieving widow attempts to renegotiate a corporate contract that set the terms of her husband's burial.
Director: Gabriel Caste
12 min | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Depression, nightmares, brief sensual images |
Virtual Availability: Global | Regional Premiere
In this psychological thriller, a detached woman working as a door-to-door wakeup caller encounters a client refusing to leave his bed, who recounts his terrible nightmares.
Saturday, October 7, 11 am. | Tallgrass Film Center
Director: Ahmed Al Daradji
Producer: Ishtar Film Production
102 min. | Iraq | Rating:13+ | CW: None | Only available in person | Kansas Premiere
When a young Iraqi rubbish picker rescues an American sex doll from the Baghdad dumps, he crosses into a perilous red zone.
Preceded by the short film The Red Ball
Director: George Morgan
7 min. | UK | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: USA | Kansas Premiere
Clinging onto his red ball, Bamike leaves the big city of London for a small town where his family can get a fresh start after a family tragedy.
Saturday, October 7, 3 pm. | Wichita Art Museum
Directors/Producers: Soda Jerk
70 min. | Australia | Rating: 13+ | CW: None | Only available in person | Kansas Premiere
Comprised entirely of hundreds of film samples, Hello Dankness is a political fable that bears witness to the psychotropic spectacle of American politics from 2016 to 2021, and the mythologies and lore that took root around it.
Preceded by the short films:
A.V. Van
Director: Morayo Akandé
12 min. | UK | Rating: Mature | CW: Explicit language and suggestive innuendos | Only available in person | USA Premiere
Two film-fanatic sisters try to reconnect with their estranged deceased father by selling his vintage porn collection.
Tulipomania: You Had to be There
Director: Cheryl Gelover, Tom Murray (Tulipomania)
4 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: None | Virtual Availability: Global | North American Premiere
Magnification doesn’t always yield detail. Maybe you had to be there… When the observer and the observed exchange places – at what point do we hold ourselves accountable? You Had to Be There is the first music video for Tulipomania’s soon to be released new album Dreaming of Sleep."
Sunday, October 8, 5 pm. | WSU Tech - NICHE
Director: Marwan Mokbel
Producer: Omar Said
111 min.. | Lebanon & Egypt | Rating: Mature | CW: Adult themes | Only available in person | Kansas Premiere
THE JUDGMENT follows a gay couple returning from the US to Egypt for a family emergency, which forces them back into the closet and to attempt to pass as just friends.
Thursday, October 5, 3 pm | Tallgrass Film Center
Director: Leah Bleich
Producer: Tessa Byford
74 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Language, Death, Cancer | Virtual Availability: Kansas | Kansas Premiere
One year after her father's death, high school senior Lydia Gilbert feels completely lost...until she discovers something unexpected: a space opera screenplay needing a blockbuster-sized budget - written by her dad.
Preceded by the short films: Rosemary A.D. (After Dad)
Director: Ethan Barrett
10 min. | USA | Rating: 13+ | CW: Suicidal ideations | Virtual Availability: USA | Kansas Premiere
As he cradles his newborn, a father wonders if his daughter would be better off without him and imagines her life once he is gone. Completely hand-drawn with crayons.
A Relationship with a Camera
Director: Tony King
6 min. | USA | Rating: All Ages | CW: Grief | Virtual Availability: Global | USA Premiere
An introspective documentary about Tony King's journey grieving his father's death with photography.
Friday, October 6, 1 pm | The Orpheum Theatre
Director: H.P. Mendoza
Producers: Grant Rosenmeyer, Tina Carbone, Benjamin Wiessner, Jonathan Lim
107 min. | USA Rating: 13+ CW: Suicidal ideations, some drug use and disturbing scenarios | Only Available in person | Kansas Premiere
A grieving widower turns to a mysterious self help book from the dark web written by an eccentric guru, which promises to unlock the power to fly.
Join us for an in-person short film program! To see which shorts are available virtually see the online schedule.
Comedy Short Film Program
Friday, October 6 | 2 pm | Tallgrass Film Center
Looking for something fun and light? We’ve got funny stories, laughs, and good times from all over the world in this program!
What to Watch | Clarence Williams IV | USA | 10 | CW: Language
Vance and the Afterlife | Sam Kimbrell | USA | 10 | CW: Death
Rencontres Paysannes (Farmers Dating) | Alexandra "Alle" Hsu | France | 11
Wheel | Honora Talbott | USA | 10 | CW: Language
Somewhere In Between | Kyle Vorbach | USA | 15 | CW: Language
Bilskådaren (The Car Spotter) | Martin Sandin | Sweden | 14
Only Worn Once | Claire Downs and Brenden Gallagher | USA | 9
Voice Activated | Steve Anthopoulos | Australia | 12 | CW: Language
Headdress | Taietsarón:sere 'Tai' Leclaire | USA | 10 | CW: Language
This is About the Census | Geoff Ross | USA | 5 | CW: Implied Violence
1 hr 46 min | Rating: 13+
Documentary Short Film Program Presented by Evergy
Thursday, October 5 | 11 am | Advanced Learning Library
Brave, bold, and inspiring true stories from the world around us. This program has stories of amazing sacrifices, people putting in hard work to help others, showing the world who you are, love and much more.
A PART OF YOU / MADE ME WHOLE AGAIN | Destyn Fuller-Hope & Andrew Wonder | USA | 5
A Clean Slate | Trần Hoàng Calvin | USA | 14
The Script | Brit Fryer, Noah Schamus | USA | 15
AMERICAN SIKH | Ryan Westra and Vishavjit Singh | USA | 10 | CW: Strobes, Violence
Black People Surf? | Bailey WIlliams & swimteam | USA | 12 | CW: Verbal Threats
Engraved | Tiffany Jiang | USA | 16 | CW: Suicide/9/11/Death
Friday Night Blind | Scott Krahn, Robb Fischer | USA | 14 | CW: Language
Sanctuary | John Haley, Julia Szromba | USA | 16 | CW: Death/Health Trauma
Robert & Billie | Robert Brogden III | USA | 9
1 hr 51 min | Rating: 13+
Keep up with the conversation online using #Tallgrass21st
@tallgrassfilm @tallgrass | @tallgrassfilmfestival
Drama Short Film Program Presented by Evergy
Friday, October 6 | 11:30am | Advanced Learning Library
Beautiful stories from the more dramatic side of things. This program explores topics like family, grief, loss, identity, and much more.
Shoebox | David Fortune | USA | 15
Footprints | Tathagata Ghosh | India | 23
Blue | Sophie Rose Worger | Wales | 10 | CW: Abortion
October Mourning | Frederick Thornton | USA | 18 | CW: Language
A Mother is Born | Sarah Moshman | USA | 12 | CW: Nudity/Sex
Falsies | Tessa Slovis | USA | 14 | CW: Racially motivated violence
Cottage Grove | George Ellzey Jr. | USA | 14 | CW: Language
1 hr 46 min | Rating: 18+
Dramedy Short Film Program Presented by Evergy
Saturday, October 7 | 2:30pm | Advanced Learning Library
In between the worlds of comedy and drama lies a whole different category: the dramedy. We’ve got some dark comedies, some dramas with a touch of comedy, and some that just exist in the middle.
THE VACATION | Jarreau Carrillo | USA | 10 | CW: Alcohol & Drug Use
HANGMAN | Megan Brotherton | USA | 15 | CW: Suicide
A Few Days Home In Johnson County | Ryan Beck | USA | 14 | CW: Death
7 Minutes | Ricky Gervais | UK | 10 | CW: Suicide
Racket | Zoe Eisenberg | USA | 13
Passing Through | Erica Alexandria Silverman | USA | 19 | CW: Language
Closing Time | Russell Goldman | USA | 17 | CW: Alcohol & Drug use
Run Amok | Nitzan Mager | USA | 13 | CW: School Shooting
1 hr 51 min | Rating: 18+
Horror & Bloody Short Film Program
Friday, October 6 | 10pm | Tallgrass Film Center
This program has everything that a horror fan might want! Cool body horror, jump scares, scary creatures, and some horror comedies too!
Go to Bed, Raymond | Nikki Taylor Roberts | USA | 7 | CW: Jump Scares
Welcome Home, Eugene! | Noah Jorgensen | USA | 20
Tough Skin | Elijah Brewer | USA | 3 | CW: Blood
You're Not Home | Derek Ugochukwu | Ireland | 11
Don't Turn Off the Ghost Light | Allisyn Snyder | USA | 11
ZIP | Ava Maria Safai | Canada | 16 | CW: Violence/Blood/Political Crisis in Iran
Mahogany Drive | Jerah Milligan | USA | 13 | CW: Blood & Guns
Our First Priority | Ariel Baska | USA | 10 | CW: Medical Trauma
Florence in Customer Care | Jordan Sommerlad, Cory Stonebrook | USA | 14 | CW:
Language & Disturbing Imagery
Detox | Alex Hanno | USA | 9
1 hr 54 min | Rating: 13+
Late-Night Short Film Program
Thursday, October 5 | 9:30pm | Tallgrass Film Center
Let’s get… sexy!? This program explores adult themes like sex work, being in control of your sexuality, sexual relationships. It’s a late night block for a reason!
Come Correct | Molly Coffee | USA | 15 | CW: Oral Sex
Scotty's Vag | Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz | USA | 16 | CW: Sex, Alcohol & Drug Use
Dick Control | Shequeta L. Smith | USA | 15 | CW: Language
Give It To Me | Courtney Hope Therond | USA | 9 | CW: Consensual and non consensual role playing
She's Clean | Jenn Harris | USA | 15 | CW: Full Frontal Nudity
Just Lie to Me | Kelly Walker | USA | 16 | CW: Sex Work & Drug Mention
Daddy | Johanna Steinhart | USA | 20 | CW: Sex & Nudity
1 hr 46 min | Rating: 18+
Let’s Get Weird Short Film Program
Friday, October 6 | 7:30pm | Tallgrass Film Center
If you like weird, strange, off the beaten path stories this program is for you! They might have you thinking “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I like it!”
Don't Let Kyle Sit Down | Joel Jay Blacker | USA | 9
Beat | Dan Mahboubian Rosen | USA | 14 | CW: Death
Claudio's Song | Andreas Nilsson | Ukraine | 10 | CW: Blood & Violence
Dinner at the Smyths' | Bex Conyngham-Hynes, Ash Hamilton | UK | 6
Cuxball | Dave Paige | USA | 12
ROAD HEAD | Allison Torem | USA | 16 | CW: Violence/Sexuality/Language
The Recruit | Bao Truong | USA | 11 | CW: Language
Fish Bowl | Rachel Sweeney | USA | 18 | CW: Pregnancy Loss
The Sperm Bank | Margaux Susi | USA | 14
1 hr 50 min | Rating: 18+
Relationships Short Film Program
Sunday, October 8 | 4:30pm | Tallgrass Film Center
You can find all types of relationships in this program! We’re exploring family relationships, ride or die friendships, our relationships with ourselves and of course plenty of romantic relationships too.
Kiss 'n' Ride | Olivia Jensen | USA | 8
All I Ever Wanted | Erin Lau | USA | 15
The 4 of Us | John Tanner | USA | 13
Bad Asian | Kim Marcelino | USA | 6 | CW: Language & Hate Crime Mention
Gold and Mud | Conor Dooley | USA | 9
MnM | Twiggy Pucci Garçon | USA | 15
Inés Unfortunately | Anna Salinas | USA | 9 | CW: Suicide
Hit Friends | Daniel Rashid | USA | 13 | CW: Violence & Gunshots
Confessions | Stephanie Kaznocha | USA | 11
1 hr 39 min | Rating: 18+
Vortex Short Film Program Presented by Evergy
Thursday, October 5 | 2pm | Advanced Learning Library
In this category you can find animation, experimental, and hybrid films. Films that might not fit in the usual boxes. From beautiful animation, to eye opening experimental, to incredible stop motion these films will amaze you!
Llamas at the Laundromat | Martha Grant | Canada | 2
Earthling | Molly Graham and Keith Lane | USA | 10
The Bloom | Jody Xiong | China | 5
M.I.A and Cats | Kaleb Mu | USA | 3 | CW: Violence
Tomato Kitchen | Junyi Xiao | China | 9 | CW: Violence
Welcome to 8th Street | Yoo Lee | USA | 7 | CW: Animal Abuse
Tiny | Ritchie Hemphill, Ryan Haché | Canada | 17
Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie | Nicole Bazuin | Canada | 10 | CW: Assault, Sex
Work, Self Harm
Night | Ahmad Saleh | Germany, Qatar, Palestine, Jordan | 16
Sauna | Anna Lena Spring, Lara Perren | Switzerland | 4 | CW: Nudity
The Flying Sailor | Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis | Canada | 8 | CW: Nudity
Hadis | Nazrin Aghamaliyeva | Azerbaijan, USA, Czech Republic | 9
The Discarded | Ben Hahn | USA | 6
1 hr 46 min | Rating: 13+
Joel Fein Spotlight on Emerging Filmmakers Program
Saturday, October 7 | 2pm | Tallgrass Film Center
Short films from the next generation of great filmmakers! All films are made by filmmakers 18 or younger. And programmed by our Emerging Programmer
Apprentices with the help of staff.
Out of Pocket | Indiana Ford | USA | 3
Affirming Ourselves | Aurora Sikelianos | USA | 7
Mirror Me | CJ Santo | USA | 2
Dry Desert Plants Warm My Heart | Wyatt Johnson | USA | 6
My Friend, David | Alexandra Bree Carson | USA | 6
No Dogs Allowed | Kane Keenan Pilapil | USA | 4
See You Yesterday | Ethan Dela Cruz | Philippines | 19
Mosquito Fish | Bryn Wright | USA | 2 | CW: Strobe Lights, Language, Violence, Drugs
Acquaintance | Vitalii Ermakov | Russia | 6
Inner Sounds | Benjamin Shimwa | Canada | 14
Playing the Role of "Ballet Woman" | Ava Smith | USA | 5
Daisies | Ana Testas | USA | 6
ROOM | Ian Dani Kim | USA | 9
Here | Yenadi Aye | USA | 2 | CW: Death
A Prayer for My Mother: The Eva Brettler Story | Ruben Barrett, Raisa Effress, Sophia Evans, Lauren Fuchs, Katie Hadsock-Longarzo, Ian Kim, Eve Levy, Timothy Lim, Asher Meron, Marion Ochoa, Isabella Rahi, Hank Schoen, and Olivia Uzielli | USA | 10
The Shantyman | Ethan Schoeppner | USA | 3
1 hr 44 min | Rating: 13+
Timothy Gruver Spotlight on Kansas Filmmakers Program
Saturday, October 7 | 10am | The Orpheum Theatre
All short films in this program are made by filmmakers born, raised, educated in and/or living in the Sunflower State.
SLOW DANCE | Micah Streeter | USA | 6
The Ballad of Rich and Champ | Caleb Voyles | USA | 13 | CW: Language & Drug Use
Homecoming | Adler Moss | USA | 7 | CW: Grief
Emerging Artists | Lindsey Doolittle | USA | 7
Mal-Adjusted | Rylee Dulaney | USA | 6
GoBabyGo | Matt Crow | USA | 4
Step 9 | Tom Hipp | USA | 11
The Wheat Harvest | Paul Dechant | USA | 10
Don Johnson is Not Your Man | Kathryn Lunte | USA | 12 | CW: Drug use
Residency | Drew Wagner | USA | 4 | CW: Loud noises
Hole in the Ground | Gina Bryant | USA | 5
I Am... Brihanna Jayde | Kris Bailey | USA | 13 | CW: Hate Crime News in background
Official Shaken Not Stirred Winner
1021
Anthony and Lynda
Addington
Steve Anderson
Annie Foundation Charitable
Trust
Ann and Martin Bauer
Michael Bayouth
Berkshire Hathaway
PenFed Realty
Dave and DJ Burk
Chicken Poop Lip Junk
Cognitive Performance & Health
Bree & Jason Cox
Design, Etc. (Steve & Gena
Dillard)
Docking Family Foundation
Conlee Schmidt & Emerson
Creative Awards & Screen
Printing, LLC
Dark Thread Video
Empire Management Group
Flamingo Ink
Flint Hills Group
Anna Heustis
The Kansas African
American Museum
Fireworx
Kyle & Tom Futo
Floyd & Kaye Gruver
Ann Keefer
KMUW Wichita 89.1 (NPR)
Leslie Coffee
Margarita's
Maximum Outdoor
Equipment
Network Tool and Die
Old Cowtown Museum
Stev Overstreet
Pepsi Beverages Company
Pickrell Drilling Company
Radio Kansas
Hire A Helper & Porch.com
Lynda & Mark Carrier-Metz
Morris Laing Law Firm
PB Hudson
Pro Kansas Recycling
RMI
Jennifer and Fritz Robinson
Alicia Sanchez & Michael
Roxy's Downtown
Bruce Rowley
Rygg Design + Studio
Alex Schneider
Kathy & Jim Siebert
Smokler/Hebert Family
Fund
Star Lumber Charitable
Trust
Via Christi Wichita Health
Network (Foundation)
Watermark Books & Cafe
Wave
Wichita Wagonmasters
Workroom
ZipSip
Intfen
Spektrum Muzik
Theatrical Services Inc.
Van Chase Studios
Ed and Gidget Watson
Wichita Life ICT
Wichita Pride Inc
Wichita Sky Kings
Frank Daniel Chance + Beth Chance
Kyle Rene + Anne Penner
Jessie R. Tendler
Krista Thacker
Gary Vern + Michelle Gotz Wolff
Tina & Alec Walterscheid
Melanie Addington
Art Allen
Nathan Bishop
Art Busch and Jo Anne
Lofland
Wade and Jessica Davis
Holly Dyer & Gary Owens
Kim Garci
Jim & Ruthie Gillespie
Mark Janzen and Jessica
Branning
Danielle and Brandon
Johnson
Kelly W. Johnston
Jamil Malone
Steven and Dee Marsh
Fawn McDonough
Lynda Medlock
William Morris
Lynette and Dan Murphy
Gina and Roy Nugen
Linda and Bob Nugent
Jennifer Ray
Marcia Scurfield
Denise Sherman
