The 22nd Tallgrass Film Festival Announces Winners

The Tallgrass Film Festival has announced this year's award winners in a ceremony at Margarita's Cantina this morning. Assistant Director Sierra Franklin-Morton and Program Director Andre Seward hosted the event with DJ Carbon. Winners will repeat in person next weekend at the Emily Bonavia Tallgrass Film Center. The festival continues today with the closing night film Bob Trevino Likes It at the Mary J. Teall Theater in Century II. The virtual event begins tonight and runs until November 3. Audience award winners will be announced in the e-newsletter and on social media tomorrow when voting ends tonight.

Prizes included the programmer awards by Andre Seward, Canan Turan (Narrative shorts), Alex Megaro (Documentary Shorts), and Brian Ratigan (Vortex shorts).

Outstanding Courage In Filmmaking: 

Short: Things Unheard Of Dir. Alexandra Qin

Feature: No Other Land  Dir. Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor

Outstanding Cinematography:

Short: I Was Never Really Here Dp: George Lewark & Enchukunoto Dp: Franklyne Mudulia Manono

Feature: To Kill A Wolf Dp: Adam Lee

Outstanding Editing:

Short: Fantoomwjik 

Feature: Donde Los Arboles Dan Carne: Ana Remón

Outstanding Art Direction: 

Short: Living Reality: Caroline Dean

Feature: They Call Her Death

Outstanding Sound Design:

Short: Harlem Fragments: Ian Cymore & Ebb & Flow: Thierry Diab

Feature: The Major Tones: Javier Fernandez Jensen

Juror and Film Critic Jennifer Merin celebrated her 81st birthday on stage and was on hand with the EDA awards in partnership with the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, the EDAs goal is to highlight female talent behind the camera. They 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. She was one of the founders of Aftra and led the movement to pair Sag & Aftra. 

EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Short Film:

ENCHUKUNOTO [The Return] 

EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Feature Film: 

To Kill A Wolf 

Special Mention: Carefully Taught 

Woman Filmmaker Spotlight Sponsored by Holly Dyer and Gary Owens, with a $1,000 cash prize:

If That Mockingbird Don't Sing DIR: SADIE BONES

Best Documentary Feature: 

The World According to Allee Willis DIR: Alexis Manya Spraic

Honorable Mention: Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts. DIR: Matthew Salleh

Best Murmurations short film

EL CACHARRICO [THE PILEUP] DIR. Oscar Toribio Carbayo

Yo tenía una vida [I had a life] dir. OCTAVIO GERRUA

Documentary Short, as an Honorable Mention:

The Waiting DIR. Volker Schlecht

Best Documentary Short

The Big Wait DIR. Yannick Jamey

The best Kansas Filmmaker Narrative Short 

Special Award for personalizing a headline allows us to see the person's grit and determination; otherwise, we would need to see through a news article.  Unwarranted: The Senseless Death of Journalist Joan Myers

Honorable mention the casting director Nicole Hall:  No Small Parts

Jury Selected: The Chronocular Device

Best Thane Chastain Emerging Narrative Short:

Michael Moeder with Moeder and Associates spoke about the importance of educational programs in the renaming of the Thane Chastain Emerging Program in honor of a long-time Emerging instructor who died last year. Best Thane Chastain Emerging Narrative Short: $200 -  SPONSORED by Moeder & Associates

Honorable Mention: To The Max DIR: Sundiata Enuke

Emerging Spirit Award: As You Wish DIR: Dennis Rider

Jury Selected: The Lake in the Sky DIR: Caleb Reese Paul

The Gordon Parks Award for Black Excellence in Filmmaking:

$5,000, $15,000 value Panavision Camera Rental and a medallion - SPONSORED by Cargill and Panavision:

Othelo, O Grande [Othello, The Great] DIR: Lucas H. Rossi dos Santos

Best Narrative Feature:

LOS FRIKIS DIR: Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz

Vortex

Our Vortex category is for all animation, experimental, or hybrid projects. 

Honorable Mention: THE NECTAR INSTEAD dir: Yoo Lee

Vortex Winner:  ONE HAPPY CUSTOMER dir: WATTS

Best Narrative Short:

Honorable Mention: DEEP IN MY HEART IS A SONG DIR: JONATHAN PICKETT

Jury Selected: TERMINALLY ILL DIR: CHRIS COLE

The best Kansas Filmmaker Feature:

START UP 

DIR: Shane Konicki

The final award is the Stubbornly Independent Winner must be a US Domestic narrative feature film made for $750,000 or under, without traditional, theatrical, domestic distribution at the time of the festival screening, Winning a one-of-a-kind Tallgrass Tap Handle made by Van Chase Studios. 

Stubbornly Independent:

TO KILL A WOLF dir: KELSEY TAYLOR

Stubbornly Independent since 2003, the Tallgrass Film Festival is the largest film festival in Kansas. A program of the 501(c)3 Tallgrass Film Association, the festival showcases more than 200 films from around the world, hosts dozens of visiting filmmakers, and includes galas, parties, and educational workshops and panels. In addition to bringing the best of independent cinema to heartland audiences, the festival is designed to highlight the city's cultural attractions including world-class museums, landmarks, and unique local businesses, to visitors and residents alike. Throughout the year, TFA presents independent cinema at the year-round film center in the Lux.