Tallgrass Film Festival ()

Festival start: 24 October 2024      Festival end: 27 October 2024

The largest independent film festival in the state of Kansas. A hallmark of the region’s cinematic landscape and an internationally recognized, multi-day platform for world-class cinematic programming, the festival is a program of the Tallgrass Film Association, a 501(c)3 arts organization that fosters an appreciation of the cinematic arts by creating shared experiences around the international medium of film.

A cool Midwestern city that truly represents the spirit and hospitality of America's Heartland, Wichita is also home to a large art and music community, a growing filmmaking community, and generous patrons of the arts making Tallgrass audiences a hallmark of the festival. Sophisticated movie-goers of all ages and backgrounds - hungry for quality independent film - audiences are receptive, opinionated, and genuine. Screening a film at Tallgrass is a catalyst for generating awareness and buzz in the epicenter of the country that radiates throughout the region. Also accessible at Tallgrass, are the visiting filmmakers. Due to the city’s authentic nature, it’s common to find an Oscar-winning filmmaker deep in conversation with a high school documentarian or an avid movie-goer.

Cash Prizes: 15,000$

Tallgrass Film Festival will grant juried awards in the following categories.

Unless prize amount is noted below, Cash and other in-kind prizes are pending until sponsorship is approved in 2024.

• Gordon Parks Award for Black Excellence in Filmmaking: $5,000, $15,000 value Panavision Camera Rental, and an award (Presented by Cargill).
• Stubbornly Independent Feature
• Woman Filmmaker Spotlight
• Best Narrative Feature
• Best Documentary Feature
• Best Kansas Feature Film
• Best Murmurations Feature
• Best Kansas Filmmaker Documentary Short Film
• Best Kansas Filmmaker Narrative Short Film
• Best Emerging Documentary Short: $500 Sponsored by Moeder & Associates
• Best Emerging Narrative Short: $500 Sponsored by Moeder & Associates
• Best Narrative Short
• Best Documentary Short
• Best Vortex Short
• Best Murmurations Short
• Audience Awards
• Audience Favorite Documentary Feature
• Audience Favorite Narrative Feature
• Audience Favorite Narrative Short
• Audience Favorite Documentary Short
• Audience Favorite Vortex Film
• Audience Favorite Kansas Film

Other Non-Juried awards include the Golden Strands Awards (awarded by Tallgrass Programming Directors) for:

• Excellence in the Art of Filmmaking
• Outstanding Courage in Filmmaking
• Outstanding Rising Star
• Outstanding First Feature
Juried Potential Honorable Mentions Each Year:
• Outstanding Cinematography
• Outstanding Screenplay
• Outstanding Editing
• Outstanding Animation
• Outstanding Performance
• Outstanding Supporting Performance
• Outstanding Ensemble Cast

EDA Awards Renews for Year Four: The Alliance of Women Film Journalists’ EDA Awards recognize the amazing work done by and about women–both in front and behind the camera. AWFJ presents EDA Awards at year’s end and throughout the year at selected film festivals. The EDAs are named in honor of AWFJ founder Jennifer Merin’s mother, Eda Reiss Merin, a stage, film and television actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. A dedicated foot soldier in the industry, Eda was one of the founders of AFTRA and a long-standing Member of AMPAS. EDA is also an acronym for Excellent Dynamic Activism, qualities shared by Eda Reiss Merin, AWFJ members and those honored with EDA Awards. The films in competition are outside of the Tallgrass Woman Filmmaker category and are other great films made by women throughout the festival.

- A KANSAS PREMIERE IS REQUIRED FOR FEATURE FILMS, IF YOUR FILM PLAYS IN ANY KANSAS FILM FESTIVAL PRIOR TO OCTOBER 24TH, 2024, YOUR FILM IS AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED FROM CONSIDERATION.

-Films screened before October 2023 cannot be considered in competition categories.

- There is no need to submit to a second category as programmers will reach out regarding additional categories as needed. Please do not waste your money.

-The final competition section will be determined by the festival, this will be indicated in the invitation email from the festival. Some films *may* be invited to compete in more than one category.

- World and US Premieres are not required; however, premiere status may be one factor in determining a film's inclusion in the Festival.

- The Festival does not screen films available commercially on VOD at the time of the festival. However, the festival reserves the right to make exceptions to this rule.

-Electronic press kit only, please.

- The festival will consider works-in-progress, films with temporary soundtracks, and digital outputs. Filmmakers must deliver the final cut BEFORE the extended deadline in order for the submission to be considered.

-Films with missing/broken links will be marked as incomplete, then disqualified after 2 weeks if no response is given after a request for an updated file is sent.

- Emerging Filmmaker films MUST be works written, directed, and shot by high school-age students – 18-YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER. This category is not for university or college filmmakers. Emerging filmmakers must submit a copy of his/her valid high school identification (student id, school record, passport, driver's license, or official identification that includes date of birth) to be eligible for this category.

- To receive fee waivers for Kansas filmmakers, Kansas filmmakers must submit a valid Kansas address, connection, and identification. Kansas Filmmaker films are eligible for festival prizes if the film is accepted as an “in competition” screening in the festival.

For films submitted using the "Student Fee" a valid copy of a school ID is necessary to qualify for the reduced fee, failure to include a valid student ID will result in the submission being considered incomplete.

– – – SCREENING/PRESENTATION TERMS OF AGREEMENT – – –

- Final exhibition media MUST include open captioning for exhibition (yes, even non-dialogue films). If selected for exhibition financial assistance may be available for caption creation.

- All films in a language other than English must be subtitled in English for festival presentation.

Tallgrass Film Festival is granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. If the film is selected for exhibition, it may be made available online via our virtual festival platform with a ticket-split agreement with the filmmaker.

The individual or corporation submitting the film shall indemnify and hold harmless Tallgrass Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court) that may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

Should your film be accepted, we ask permission to keep a copy of the film for our festival library. This request is voluntary and is not conditional. The copy of the film in the TFF library will not be used for profit. Should we consider re-screening the film for a public paid event, we will notify individuals or corporations representing the film for permission and conditions.

Withdrawal after acceptance into the festival may mean incurred costs that we will pass onto you.

WAIVER POLICY: Please do not* contact us requesting waivers or reduced submission fees. As a nonprofit organization, our annual operations and the process of viewing the volume of submissions we receive are very costly. We strive to keep our fees as reasonable as possible, and encourage all applicants to take advantage of our early and official deadlines to save on submission fees.

*If your film comes from a country that is affected by financial sanctions by the US Government, we can consider your request.