Hundreds of filmmakers from the U.S., South Africa, and even Poland will be in Wichita to take part in the 15th annual Tallgrass Film Festival, which runs through Sunday. This year, more than half of the filmmakers are women.
A new feature this year is the Dox Spotlight Competition, which honors women documentarians. Film director Robin Berghaus will receive an award for her movie "Stumped," about a filmmaker/teacher who turns to standup comedy after losing his limbs.
Lela Meadow-Conner, creative director of the Tallgrass Film Association, says it's timely to be honoring women in film.
"The cool thing about it is that it just all came about organically," she says. "We didn’t set out this year with the theme of featuring women so prominently. It just so happened that we received so many films that it all came together to build this beautiful tribute to women filmmakers."
Director Deborah Riley Draper will also present her film "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice," which explores the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin.
The full festival lineup can be found here.
--
Carla Eckels is interim news director and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.
To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.