Inaugural ‘Superstar’ award honors local filmmaker R.G. Miller

The Tallgrass Film Association, Fisch Haus and Harvester Arts are teaming up to present a biannual scholarship and exhibition program called “Neighborhood Superstar.”

The first recipient of the award is R.G. Miller, a Wichita native and internet filmmaker who has made a splash with his whimsical short films that depict action heroes and comic book-like characters in grass-roots settings. He often uses models he has crafted himself, his own special effects and sets he has created in his backyard or small apartment. His spirit and creativity far surpass his meager budgets.

Besides his YouTube channel, Miller distributes his films for free on DVDs mostly to youths throughout his neighborhood and has attracted a cult following of fans who appreciate his imperfect, low-budget style.

Miller’s creative life and films were the subject of the documentary “Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Superstar,” directed by Justin Johnson, who was in Wichita to present the film at last year’s Tallgrass Film Festival. The film was a hit, going on to win the best first feature award for Johnson, while Miller received the Golden Strands Vanguard Award for “dedication to the craft of filmmaking” for his short film “Shadow People,” which was commissioned especially for the Tallgrass Film Festival.

Johnson is returning to Wichita this weekend to present “Double Digits” and to participate in a Q&A after the film with Miller.

Lela Meadow-Conner, executive director of the Tallgrass Film Association, said it was Miller’s work that inspired the “Neighborhood Superstar” award in the first place.

She said that after the film was screened at the festival, creative types from all the participating organizations met to brainstorm, and “Neighborhood Superstar” was born out of that first conversation.

Meadow-Conner said Miller personifies the purpose of the award, which is to highlight a local artist who operates outside of Wichita’s mainstream arts community.

“Here is a person who has been creating films for many, many years,” she said, “who is a cinematic icon in his social circles and yet whom none of us had ever heard of. R.G.’s dedication to the craft of filmmaking and his tenacity, despite the setbacks he may have incurred, is awe-inspiring.”

She said Tallgrass is excited that the first recipient of the “Neighborhood Superstar” award is someone who has contributed to cinema, especially because the goal of the award is to celebrate and cultivate a creative community.

“R.G. is certainly worthy of the honor,” Meadow-Conner said, adding that Miller “is so passionate about his craft. He is a humble person who is brimming with artistic and creative genius. R.G. is authentic. His work reflects him. It reflects who he is and what he knows.”

And that makes him relatable to anyone with a creative spirit, she says.

“It’s inspiring to see someone like him who just goes for it. He is not bound by convention in any way.”

A series of events will accompany each “Neighborhood Superstar” award recipient that will offer a variety of exhibition and fundraising opportunities to support the selected artist’s ongoing practice. For Miller, the line-up includes community film screenings, a gallery exhibition of Miller’s props and more.

Admission to most events is free, although DVDs, comic books, T-shirts and more will be available for purchase, with all proceeds going directly to Miller for future work.

Miller was the subject of an in-depth profile in The Eagle in October. To see his movies online, go to his YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/cheaphomemademoives.

For more information on the “Neighborhood Superstar” award, go to www.tallgrassfilmfest.com.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Inaugural ‘Superstar’ award honors local filmmaker R.G. Miller."