Tallgrass International Film Festival 2021 Announces Films for 19th edition of fest
With 44 features and 128 shorts, Tallgrass Film Festival is back in person after a virtual only experience in 2020. Additional online only films will be announced later in September. The line-up features 26 Kansan films and 62% of films were female-identifying, directed or produced. Tickets and passes to the film festival are on sale now at tallgrassfilm.org.
“The most important elements of any film festival are the filmmakers and the audience. Tallgrass is grateful to have such an engaged and dedicated community in these areas. Every year you help make Tallgrass an unforgettable experience,” said Programming Director Andre Seward. “With a diverse range of independent features and short films selected, we are looking forward to hosting an amazing hybrid festival this year. Thank you for your continued support and I hope you have an incredible time at the 19th annual Tallgrass Film Festival.”
Along with our traditional spotlight on Stubbornly Independent features (films created with a budget under $500,000) and DOXX (documentary features directed by female-identifying filmmakers), Tallgrass Film Festival has added a new category to our 2021 awards line-up, The Gordon Parks Award for Black Excellence in Filmmaking.
The line-up announcement includes 128 short films, with a variety of program categories including comedy, relationships, and a spotlight on Kansas filmmakers.
“If you’ve never checked out one of our short film programs before you’re going to want to check them out this year. While much of the world has paused during the pandemic, filmmaker creativity sure hasn’t, “said Short Film Programmer Hannah Bothner. “Get ready for some fun, exciting, and brilliant films that will surprise and delight you. Something particularly exciting this year was how brilliantly so many puzzle pieces fit together to create some amazing short film and feature film pairings that I am super excited for you to see!”
The in-person festival will be held October 20-24 in downtown Wichita. The virtual festival will kick off October 24 and end on October 29.
“With our procurement of a grant called Reimagined Spaces, we took the idea to heart, reimagining a lot of the festival this year as we continue in year two of the pandemic,” said Executive Director Melanie Addington. “At the core of Tallgrass, we remain a festival focused on filmmakers finding their audience and creating community around film. Movies are the great bridge-builder that unites us as people. The 19th annual Tallgrass may look different but the core remains always the same.”
Films will play virtually following the in-person festival unless denoted below. Information on visiting filmmakers and Q&As will be added to the website as they are scheduled.
Tallgrass previously announced the out-of-competition spotlight line-up, education & panels, and jurors, which can be viewed at tallgrassfilm.org. Review the rest of the in-person line-up below.
Stubbornly Independent Competition
Stubbornly Independent Submissions must be a USA Domestic narrative feature film made for $500,000 or under. The jury-selected film will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a special Tap Handle from Van Chase Studios.
“18 1⁄2” Director: Dan Mirvish Producer: Dan Mirvish, Daniel Moya, Terry Keefe USA | 2021 | 1 hr 27 min
A 1970s-era Watergate conspiracy thriller/dark comedy. Regional Premiere.
“Rehab Cabin” Director/Producer: Kate Beacom, Louis Legge Producer: Chris Collins, Ryan Rigley, Debbie Peiser USA | 2021 | 1 hr 18 min
Best friends Chloe and Domenic are growing apart, so, for their last hurrah, they kidnap their favorite celebrity, washed-up former child star Amanda Campbell.
Preceded by the short film: “Detach” | 14 mins | d. Frankie Ingrassia | USA
“Silent River” Director/Producer: Chris Chan Lee Producer: Robert Cho, West Liang USA | 2020 | 2 hr
Desperate to reconcile with his estranged wife, Elliot stops at a desert motel where he encounters Greta, an uncanny woman on the run from a mysterious past.
“We Burn Like This” Director: Alana Waksman Producer: Neda Armian, Eleanor Nett, Jeri Rafter, Alana Waksman USA | 2021 | 1 hr 16 min
When 22-year-old Rae, a descendant of Holocaust survivors, is targeted by Neo-Nazis in Billings, Montana, her ancestors’ trauma becomes real. We follow Rae on her journey to forgive herself, her mother, and the broken world.
DOXX Spotlight Competition
DOXX Spotlight Submissions must be a female-directed documentary feature without traditional, theatrical, domestic distribution at the time of the festival screening. The jury-selected film will receive a $5,000 cash prize. The films also compete in the traditional documentary feature category.
“Cat Daddies” Director: Mye Hoang Producer: Dave Boyle, Nobu Nagatsuma, Robert Bennett USA | 2021 | 1 hr 29 min
The film is a refreshing and timely exploration of modern masculinity and the unlikely bond between man and cat.
Preceded by short film: “Bulldog” | 7 mins | d. Kieran Stringfellow | UK
“Finding Sally” Director: Tamara Dawit Producer: Isabelle Couture Ethiopia | 2020 | 1 hr 18
Sally was an aristocrat and then became a communist rebel with the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party. Four decades after Sally’s disappearance, Tamara Dawit pieces together the mysterious life of her aunt Sally. Also competing in the Gordon Parks category.
Preceded by short film: “Finding Tyler” | 20 mins | d. Chris Brannan, Diana Reichenbach | USA
“From Here”
Director: Christina Antonakos-Wallace
Producer: Theresa Navarro, Canan Turan, Amy Ben
Germany, India, United States | 2021 | 1 hr
A hopeful story of artists and activists based in Berlin and New York whose lives hang in the balance of immigration and integration debates. This sensitive and nuanced documentary captures their journeys to define what it means to belong in societies that are increasingly hostile to their existence.
“Kili Big” Director: Ida Joglar Producer: Ida Joglar, Sam Kretchmar Tanzania, United States | 2021 | 1 hr 30
A group of plus-sized women from around the world attempt to climb the tallest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Queens Of Pain” Director: Cassie Hay, Amy Winston Producer: Nathan Folbrecht USA | 2020 | 1 hr 14 min
The film follows three roller derby skaters as they battle the constraints of being a woman in America while fighting for the coveted Golden Skate.
Preceded by short film: “The Dangerous Type” |12 min | d. Tipper Newton | USA
Gordon Parks Black Excellence in Filmmaking Competition
Sponsored by Cargill To be awarded to a feature-length film of any production budget from any country from any genre with a director that self-identifies as Black, African-American, or part of the African-Diaspora. The award winner receives Panavision $15,000 camera rental package and $5,000 from Cargill. The films also compete in the documentary category.
“Ferguson Rises” Director: Mobolaji Olambiwonnu Producer: Tanayi Seabrook, TJ Odebunmi, Lisa Smithline, David Oyelowo, Jessica Oyelowo, Nick Moon, Daisy Mo, Tamika Lamison, Kai Bowe USA | 2021 | 1 hr 23 min
Before an explosive global uprising condemned the murder of George Floyd, there was a small town in Missouri that erupted in protest after the murder of Mike Brown Jr. Ferguson Rises highlights varied perspectives with an intimate portrayal of Michael’s father’s grief to help us understand why Ferguson is the Selma of our times.
Preceded by short film: “An Artist’s Duty” | 5 mins | d. Elyssa Walsh | USA
“Many Fires This Time: We the 100 Million” Director/Producer: Jason R.A. Foster Producer: Michael “Quess?” Moore, Jeremy Liu Mexico, USA | 2021 | 1 hr 9 min
“Many Fires This Time: We the 100 Million” is a poetic docudrama about the 1 in 3 Americans and counting, living in economic insecurity. It follows the journey of poet and activist A Scribe Called Quess? as he connects with fellow activist poets and the communities they represent from Oakland to Chicago to Kentucky to his hometown of New Orleans.
Preceded by the short film: “Unemployment Hotline” | 11 mins | d. Nikos Campbel | USA
“One Pint at a Time” Director: Aaron Hosé Producer: Brigitte Hosé, Aaron Hosé, Jonathan Vieira (Exec/Co), Jason Gregory (Co) USA | 2021 | 1 hr 28 min
Black-owned breweries share less than 1% of craft beer revenues in America. This has inspired Black brewers, beer brand owners, and influencers across the country to reshape the future of this multi-billion-dollar industry.
Preceded by short film: “The Little Tea Shop” | 17 mins | d. Molly J. Wexler, Matteo Servente
“Subjects of Desire” Director/Producer: Jennifer Holness Producer: Sudz Sutherland USA | 2021 | 1 hr 43 min
“Subjects of Desire” is a thought-provoking feature documentary that examines the cultural shift in beauty standards towards embracing Black aesthetics and features. Also will compete in the DOXX category.
“Uprooted” Director: Khadifa Wong Producer: Lisa Donmall-Reeve / Associate Producer – Kimberley Browning USA | 2020 | 1 hr 34 min
A film celebrating the history, lineage and future progressions of jazz dance. Also will compete in the DOXX category.
Narrative Feature Films
Fiction feature films may be narrative, animation, experimental, domestic, or foreign film. Films entered in this category are eligible to be in competition audience and juried awards.
“Adventures in Success” Director: Jay Buim Producer: Susan Juvet, Kate Rauber USA | 2021 | 1 hr 34
A wellness startup settles in the Catskills to spread their knowledge through the power of Jilling Off, a mission to prioritize female pleasure, which they believe will heal Mother Earth.
Preceded by short film: “PUSS” | 9 mins | d. Leah Shore
“Keeping Company” Sponsored by Bree and Jason Cox Director: Josh Wallace Producer: Devin Das, Sara Jane Bowers, Josh Wallace, Adam Maffei, Zach Wanerman USA | 2021| 1 hr 22 min
A fateful chain of events begins to unravel after two brash insurance salesmen go knocking on the wrong door and find themselves trapped inside a serial killer’s basement, putting their lives and their jobs on the line.
Preceded by short film: “Una vida asegurada” (An insured life) | 13 mins | d. Jesús Martínez “Nota” | Spain
“Moon Manor”
Director/Producer: Erin Granat, Machete Bang Bang
Producer: Bay Dariz, John Humber
USA | 2021 | 1 hr 42 min
In his last day on Earth, Jimmy will show an obituary writer, his death doula, his estranged brother, his caretaker, a surreal being, and the guests at his fabulous FUN-eral, that perhaps the art of living is actually the art of dying.
Preceded by short film: “Numb” | 11 mins | d. Natasha Jatania | UK
“This Is Not A War Story” Director: Talia Lugacy Producer: Noah Lang, Rosario Dawson USA | 2021 | 1 hr 51 min
The film tracks a ragtag group of combat veterans in New York whose anti-war art, poetry and papermaking keep them together, despite the spectre of their friend’s suicide and that healing from war is sometimes an impossible mission.
Documentary Feature Films
Documentary feature films may be a foreign or domestic feature. Films entered in this category are eligible to be in competition audience and juried awards.
“A Machine To Live In” Director: Yoni Goldstein Producer: Sebastian Alvarez Brazil | 2021 | 1 hr 20
“A Machine to Live In” is a hybrid documentary linking the cosmic power structures of the state to the mystical architecture of cults and utopian cities in the distant hinterlands of Brazil. Preceded by short film: “The Acolyte” | 14 mins | d. Sammy James, Jr. | USA
“A Sexplanation” Director: Alex Liu Producer: Steven Flynn, Leonardo Neri Canada, USA | 2021 | 1 hr 16 min
To right the wrongs of his all-American sex education, 36-year-old Alex Liu goes on a quest to uncover naked truths and hard facts—no matter how awkward it gets. Preceded by short film: “Three Triple A’s” | 8 mins | d.Lexy Anderson| UK
“Eternal Harvest” Director/Producer: Jerry Redfern, Karen Coates Lao People’s Democratic Republic, United States | 2021 | 1 hr 11 min
Half a century after the US waged history, an estimated 80 million unexploded bombs remain in Laotian soil today. Eternal Harvest traces the failures of US foreign policy to clean up America’s postwar mess in Laos, and it underscores the urgent need for more funding.
“Zero Gravity” Director/Producer: Thomas Verrette Producer: Haller Rice USA | 2021 | 1 hr 15 min
ZERO GRAVITY follows a diverse group of middle-school students from San Jose, CA, who compete in a nationwide tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station.
Preceded by short film: “Jim of Earth” | 13 mins | d. Justin Arwood | Wichita, KS
SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight films are not juried but are open for audience award including a $2,500 cash prize.
“Ascension” Director: Jessica Kingdon Producer: Kira Simon-Kennedy, Jessica Kingdon, Nathan Truesdell China | 2021 | 1 hr 39 min
This observational documentary delivers a nuanced understanding of the growing behemoth that is the nominally communist yet hyper-capitalist the People’s Republic of China.
“Father of the Cyborgs” Sponsored by Cognitive Performance & Health Director/Producer: David Burke Producer: Sean O’Cualain USA | 2021 | 1 hr 15
Famed neurologist Phil Kennedy made global headlines in the late 90’s for connecting the brain of a paralyzed man to a computer. But now, the controversial inventor is concerned that the field he helped pioneer may lead to unintended consequences in a future where technology and human brains combine.
Preceded by short film: “Florence” | 14 mins | d. Florian Thess | UK
“Luzzu” Director: Alex Camilleri Producer: Rebecca Anastasi, Ramin Bahrani, Alex Camilleri and Oliver Mallia Narrative | Malta | 2021 | 1 hr 34 min
Maltese fisherman sees his livelihood – and a family tradition from generations before him – imperiled by diminishing harvests, a ruthless fishing industry, and a stagnating ecosystem.
Preceded by short film: “What Remains” | 14 mins | d. Paavo Hanninen | USA
“Not Going Quietly” Director: Nicholas Bruckman Producer: Amanda Roddy Documentary | USA | 2020 | 1 hr 33 min
When a young father with ALS chances to meet a powerful senator on an airplane, their filmed exchange goes viral and sparks one of the most powerful political movements in a generation.
Preceded by short film: “Feeling Through” |19 mins | d. Doug Roland | USA
“I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking)”
Director/Producer: Kelley Kali & Angelique Molina
Producer: Deon Cole, Roma Kong & Capella Fahoome
USA | 1 hr 30 min
When a recently widowed mother becomes houseless, she convinces her 8-year-old daughter that they are only camping for fun while working to get them off of the streets.
“On The Divide” Director: Leah Galant, Maya Cueva Producer: Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Amanda Spain, Elizabeth Woodward USA | 2021 | 1 hr 20 min
This documentary follows the story of three Latinx people living in McAllen, Texas who, despite their views, are connected by the most unexpected of places: the last abortion clinic on the U.S./Mexico border.
Preceded by short film: “Burros” | 15 mins | d. Jefferson Stein | USA
“Poser” Director: Ori Segev, Noah Dixon Producer: Drew Johnson, Juli Sasaki, Brett Reiter USA| 2021 | 1 hr 23 min
Lennon Gates is a quiet and observant podcaster, but when she meets the charismatic musician Bobbi Kitten, her deceptive intentions surface.
Preceded by short film: “An Opening” | 16 mins | d. Collin Davis | USA
“Potato Dreams of America” Director/Producer: Wes Hurley Producer: Mischa Jakupcak USA | 2021| 1 hr 35 min
An autobiographical dark comedy about a gay boy growing up in the Soviet Union, his mail-order bride mother and their adventurous escape to America.
Preceded by short film: “In France Michelle is a Man’s Name” | 13 mins | d. Em A Weinstein | USA |
“The Land”
Director: Veronica Andersson , Filip Hillesland, Mateusz Motyka, Maciejölesicki
Poland | 2021 | 1 hr 43 min
Six stories. Twelve angry people. An infinite number of explosions. A film composed of six separate dark comedy-dramas showing contemporary Poland in a humorous way.
Preceded by short film: “Sonrisas” (Smiles) | 14 mins | d. Javier Chavanel | Spain
“The Neutral Ground” Director: CJ Hunt Producer: Darcy McKinnon USA | 2021
A feature-length documentary about New Orleans’ fight over monuments and America’s centuries- long relationship with the Lost Cause.
Shorts Programs
Art & Animation
From animation to artists to art therapy this program has everything you need to get those creative juices flowing.
“Don’t Touch Your Face” by Leah Shore “Llaves (Keys) “ by Mayra A. Flores, Nicholas Manting Brewer “Luv U Cuz” by Eric Pumphrey “Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color” by Cheri Gaulke “SHE DREAMS AT SUNRISE” by Camrus Johnson “The Exhibition (or) how to have an art opening during a pandemic” by Elizabeth Stevenson, Patrick Duegaw “The Farmer and the Lightning Storm” by Danielle Browne “The Summer Of Snakes” by Lara Panah-Izadi,
“The Return: Life After ISIS” Director/Producer: Alba Sotorra Clua Spain, USA | 2021 | 1 hr 30 min
A unique access portrait of a group of Western women who devoted their young lives to ISIS, but who now want to be given the chance to start over, back home in the West.
“Train of Thought” by Katharine Stocker “WHERE ARE YOU REALLY FROM?” Steven Lee “YO (ME)” Begoña Arostegui
Comedy
Get ready to have some fun, laugh a lot and maybe even learn something!
“1-800-D-Direct” by Clare Macdonald “Brief Survey” by Dava Whisenant “Bufflehead” by Steve Brett “Don vs Lightning” by Big Red Button “Hanging With Doctor Z” by Robert Cohen “My First Native American Boyfriend” by Joey Clift “Oxtail” by Joshua Reeves
“Stand Up Stand Out: The Making of a Comedy Movement” by David Pavlosky “Survivers” Carlos Gómez-Trigo
Documentaries
Let’s get lost in the inspirational, heartwarming, and eye-opening stories of real people.
“Águilas” (Eagles) by Kristy Guevara-Flanagan “Bug Farm” by Lydia Cornett “Caro Comes Out” by Brit Fryer, Caro Hernandez “Fast & Left – A Flat Track Film” by Evan H. Senn “FULL PICTURE” by Jacob Reed, “Pane of Separation” by Michelle Pomeroy
Drama
Experience something deep and, of course, dramatic with these beautiful stories.
“Eureka” by Mida Chu “Gabriela” by Natalia Kaniasty “Hawaiian Soul” by ʻĀina Paikai “I AM NORMAL” by Olia Oparina “Myrtle”by Patricia McCormack “Pizza Party” Tessa Hope Slovis “The Wound” Sahar Nourmonavar
Horror & Bloody
Get in the holiday spirit with something scary, something gory, something spine tingling!
“Apocalypse … Then” by Rodrick Pocowatchit “Aria” Christopher Poole “Beats” Sara Lattis “BOSSBABES “ Corey Clifford, Ryan Lagod “First Date” Meredith Alloway
“Junk Drawer” Nate Jones “Litany for Mister President” Christopher Meyers “Prudence” R.D. Womack II “Scratches Barn” Adler Moss “The Occult Son” Patrick Murphy
I ICT
The past, present and future of the 316, the Doo-Dah, the Air Capital, whatever you call it we’re so proud to call it our home!
“Welcome Home, Wichita” by Julian Liby “Who Scammed Rajah Rabbit?” By Sara Joy Harmon, Charity Elizabeth Harmon “Wichita Baseball: Past, Present, and Future” by Nathan Light
Joel Fein Spotlight on Emerging Filmmakers Program
Short films from the next generation of great filmmakers! All films are made by filmmakers 18 or younger.
“21st” by Brendan Egan “Bad Bugs” by Bryn Wright “Boogie Ghost” by Kate Saltel “CAPTIVITY (اسارت)” by Mehrnoush Rahmanian “CAVITY” by Spencer Nicklaus “Cereal” by Dusan Brown “Cocinando (Cooking)” by Marco Araujo “Distortion (Verzerrung)” by Samuel J Punto
“Escape From The Garden or A Tapestry In Three Acts” by Gabrielle Adair “Flat Line” by Abby Estrada “HELLO FRISCO” by Ava Bounds “Helper Chef 777” by Sabrina Wilson
“Love of a Horse and a Whale (Любов Конячки та Кита)” by Anastasia Shinkarenko “Material Girl” by Lillian Dight “Omega & Sparks” by Ani Eagan “Perennial” by Grace Shao, Shailee Sankhala
“Spud” by Will McDonald, Gavin Bell “The Gull’s Shriek (جیغ مرغ دریایی)” by Ava Ghahremanifar “The Puppet” by Will Nordstrom “Through Their Eyes” by Alisha Heng
Let’s Get Weird
Weird, strange, peculiar, eccentric, funky: this program is a mysterious grab bag of interesting shorts!
“EL JOVEN DIEGO (YOUNG DIEGO)” by Osama Chami, Enrique Gimeno Pedrós “El Triste” by Manuel Del Valle “Everything I Learned Came From the Television” by Jeremy Stewart “In Hollywoodland” by Jessica Sherif, “Polvotrón 500 (Shagomatic 500)” by Silvia Conesa “Standing Woman” by Tony Hipwell “The Projector” by Shane Wallace “ZER0 0NE ZER0” by Graham High
LGBTQIA+
Stories from all of the colors of the rainbow! Love, acceptance, identity and just being yourself is what this program is about.
“2 Weeks” by Victoria Negri “And Then” by Jenn Ravenna Tran “Frankie” by James Kautz “My Own” by Courtney Hope Thérond “PEACE” Adomako Aman “Smoke, Lilies and Jade” by Deondray and Quincy LeNear Gossfield “To the Future, with Love” by Shaleece Haas
Relationships
It’s not just romance in this film block! We’ve got sibling relationships, parents and children, friendship and of course some romance too cause the world needs plenty of love.
“Al-Si” by Suzannah Mirghani “Denzel” by Michael Gamarano Singleton “Faith” by Matteo Mosterts “Miss Fortunate” by Ella Jones “My Dear God” by Tara Sheffer “Pink & Blue” by Carmen LoBue “SHiFT” by Chad Crenshaw, Davis DeRock “The Divorce” by Jackson Tozer “Wedlock” by Stephen Ashwell
Timothy Gruver Spotlight on Kansas Filmmakers Program Sponsored by Moeder and Associates All short films in this program are made by former or current Sunflower State filmmakers.
“A Beautiful and Violent Place” by Sam T McFarland “Come on, Shake Your Body Baby, Do the Conga!” by Tom Hipp “Friends of Dorothy” by Brydie O’Connor “In-Somnia” by Benjamin Cleveland “MicroKansas – Tribulation” by Bobby Obermite “My Family Trees” by Roshi Givechi “Now What?” by La’Ron Cooper, DeVonte Brown “RIDE” by Sam Findlay “Start Small” by Alexis Cruz “The Breakdown” by Robert Thomas, Quinlan Roth “Waste My Time” by James Nioce
Short Films playing before features previously announced
“Being Bebe” is preceded by short film: “The Young King” | 5 min | d. Larin Sullivan | USA
“Sisters with Transistors” is preceded by short film: “Forbidden to See Us Scream in Tehran” | 18 mins | d. Farbod Ardebili | Iran |
“The First Step” is preceded by short film: “Generation 328” | 19 mins | d. Veranika Nikanava | Belarus
“God Save the Wings” is preceded by short film: “Misisipi” | 6 min | d. Todd Ramsey | USA
