The 22nd edition of the Tallgrass Film Festival is set for Oct. 24-27 at multiple venues in downtown Wichita, Kansas. The four-day festival brings thousands of visitors to the city and entertains, educates and inspires audiences in the Wichita community and beyond.
New to film festivals or Wichita’s film festival? Here’s a quick primer on what to expect at what MovieMaker magazine ranked as one of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals of 2023 and one of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee in 2024.
1. What is Tallgrass Film Festival?
Tallgrass Film Festival, or Tallgrass for short, is devoted to independent film – movies typically made outside the big-budget Hollywood system. In 2024 the festival will screen more than 129 features and shorts and offers a mix of free and paid events along with extensive educational programming.
“Parties every night, panels every day, free headshots and plenty of free food are just some of the draws of this highly regarded festival, which is also one of our 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World,” MovieMaker editor-in-chief Tim Molloy said. “Under the exemplary leadership of executive director Melanie Addington, Tallgrass lives up to its ‘stubbornly independent’ mantra while going out of its way to give filmmakers every possible advantage and help them forge lifelong partnerships.”
The films come from across the world and represent narrative, documentary, animated and foreign genres. The big three categories this year are: Woman Filmmaker, Gordon Parks Black Excellence in Filmmaking and Stubbornly Independent.
2. Who attends Tallgrass Film Festival?
Tallgrass attracts diverse audiences ranging from people who have never attended a film festival to people passionate about watching movies, critiquing movies or making movies. Annual attendance has reached as many as 16,000 patrons attending at least one film screening during the festival. More than 100 visiting filmmakers associated with the films being screened will be in Wichita to talk with audiences and industry peers.
All festival venues are accessible for wheelchair users and there is also a virtual-only badge that allows access to the films from home for most films. Additionally, most films will be caption compliant with open or closed captions available.
3. What’s new at Tallgrass Film Festival for 2024?
This year, the festival will celebrate Kansas cinematic history ties from 1939: Hattie McDaniel, a Wichita native who was the first Black actor to win an Oscar for “Gone With the Wind” (1939), and “Wizard of Oz,” which will be shown for free in open-air Naftzger Park in downtown Wichita. The celebration of McDaniel will include panels, a film screening of “In This Our Life” and a City of Wichita presentation providing a key to the city to her family, who will attend.
“For me, celebrating Wichita’s own Hattie McDaniel has been a priority since moving here in 2021 and learning more about her through The Kansas African American Museum. We are so excited to partner with the museum, the city, and the Kansas Humanities Council to honor her important cinematic legacy,” said Melanie Addington, executive director for the festival.
McDaniel was an American actress, singer-songwriter and comedian. For her role as Mammy in “Gone with the Wind,” she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first African American to win an Oscar. She was born in Wichita, Kansas. Exceptional guest filmmaker, actor and public speaker Kevin John Goff attributes much of his entrepreneurial spirit to his legendary entertainment family, the McDaniels. The great grandnephew of Hollywood's first black artist to win an Oscar, Goff continues to honor her legacy by inspiring the newest generation to take courage from her trailblazing accomplishments.
Tallgrass is a great opportunity to explore Wichita. The festival will continue partnerships with the Orpheum Theatre and the Advanced Learning Library. A new venue with three screens inside, Century II, will serve as the hub of activity during the festival. Plus, there are a variety of other venues across the city, such as the Tallgrass Film Center, hosting screenings, parties and educational panels.
Organizers are again offering the CarStar Trolley, a free park and ride shuttle option that travels between venues every 30 minutes. Park once and ride free all day. The parking lot for the shuttle is at 155 N. Broadway (near The Orpheum) but you can catch the shuttle from any venue.
4. What films can I see at Tallgrass Film Festival?
Tallgrass Film Festival is a popular festival among filmmakers, and it can only accept a small percentage of films submitted each year. This results in a well-curated selection of short and feature films; many of the films shown at Tallgrass have been nominated for or received Sundance or Independent Spirit Awards, and several films featured at the Tallgrass Film Festival have gone on to contend for Oscars.
Head programmers and screeners report that they reviewed films submitted from a record 72 countries and have screened more than 1,700 submissions worldwide.
With nearly 130 films being screened during the festival there is something for every interest. There are as many as five-plus films screening at once from which to choose. In late August, the Tallgrass team shared this first look at three competition categories and will continue to make more announcements regarding the festival schedule.
The announcement highlights the world premiere of three Kansas-directed feature films, “Arrive Alive,” “Meet Me at Magic Hour” and “The Sunshine Dreamer.” Directed by Wichita filmmaker Shawn Rhodes, “The Sunshine Dreamer” will serve as the Friday night spotlight gala with special musical performances. Dr. Neil Riordan – PA, PhD, Wichita native and one of the early pioneers and experts in applied stem cell research, will join a Q&A with Rhodes and Producer Blake Benton. Although this is Rhodes’ fifth year showing at Tallgrass, 2024 will serve as his directorial debut. Daydream, a brass band from Wichita will perform before the film.
5. How can I attend Tallgrass Film Festival?
If you’re a film festival newbie, you might consider attending one of the free screenings or educational panels to see what Tallgrass is about. You can buy single general admission tickets to all but the gala screening for $10 ($7 matinee admission for films starting before 4 p.m.) and students, teachers and military are eligible for a discount. Most venues can hold everyone who wants to attend, however Tallgrass Film Center has 30 seats so you’ll want to reserve in advance to guarantee a seat there.
Anyone planning to immerse themselves in films should consider a FilmPass for $100 (films only, gala requires a separate ticket) or a TallPass for $259, which grants access to every screening, each special event/gala and the festival’s VIP lounge.
Virtual options include: $7 minimum per film (proceeds are split with the indie filmmakers) or $50 for a virtual only pass. Buy tickets and passes online or visit the box office at Century II, 225 W. Douglas Ave. It’s open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the festival.
Make plans now to attend Tallgrass Film Festival film screenings, one of the top annual Wichita festivals. See you at the movies!
