Highlights of this weekend’s 22nd annual Tallgrass Film Festival
The 22nd annual Tallgrass Film Festival is in full swing in multiple venues downtown. The fest started Thursday and continues through Sunday.
There’s so much to see and do, through panels, screenings, gala parties and more. Here are my picks for things to do at Tallgrass over the weekend (schedules and films are subject to change; check www.tallgrassfilm.org for updates and ticket information):
Documentary shorts A collection of documentaries exploring motherhood, mass gentrification, environmental intrigue and more. 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25, Advanced Learning Library.
“Los Frikus” (narrative feature; directors: Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz) Inspired by true events, this coming-of-age story is set in early ’90s Cuba, where a group of punk rockers in search of freedom deliberately inject themselves with HIV to live at a government-run treatment home so they can create their own utopia. 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, Century II Mary Jane Teall Theater.
“Arrive Alive” (Kansas-made feature; director: Gina Bryant) The plot details of this crime thriller are scarce, but this is the world premiere of this locally made film. 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, Orpheum Theatre.
“The Sunshine Dreamer” (Kansas-made documentary feature; director: Shawn Rhodes) A young musician afflicted with a rare incurable disease finds treatment to extend his life, but his country’s laws keep it out of reach as time runs out. World premiere. 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, Orpheum Theatre.
Masquerade party The Friday night gala party promises to be a spectacle – in a good way. 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, CityArts. (For VIP TallPass holders only.)
Tim Gruver Kansas Shorts A collection of short films by Kansas filmmakers. 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, Orpheum Theatre.
“Start Up” (Kansas-made feature; director: Shane Konicki) In debt to a dangerous loan shark, two brothers turn to a late-night infomercial “fixer” to save their business – and their lives. World premiere. 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, Century II Mary Jane Teall Theater.
“Missing from Fire Trail Road” (documentary; director: Sabrina Van Tassel) This explores the case of Mary Ellen Johnson-Davis, a Native American woman who disappeared in 2020, exposing how hundreds of indigenous women continue to go missing in the U.S., perpetuating trans-generational trauma on Native reservations, where Indigenous women are murdered at an alarming rate as mostly unsolved crimes committed by non-natives. 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, Century II 101 Pear Room. Presented with the AlterNative Film Festival.
“In this Our Life” and Hattie McDaniel tribute A special screening of the 1942 film “In This Our Life,” which stars the late Wichitan and Oscar winner McDaniel, with members of her family in attendance. 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, Orpheum Theatre.
“Albany Road” (narrrative feature; director: Christine Swanson) On her way to the most important meeting of her career, a New York executive is forced to share a rental car with her ex-fiancee’s mother, only to discover that the mother is hiding a major secret. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, Orpheum Theatre.
Zombie Nights & Cinema Frights gala party 9:30 p.m., Auto Park Apartments. (For VIP TallPass holders only.)
“Meet Me at Magic Hour” (Kansas-made feature; director: Monica Honey) Amidst her mother’s funeral, a woman attempts to navigate her family’s tense relationships by re-imagining their problems through the lens of various movie genres. 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, Century II Mary Jane Teall Theater.
“American Underdog” (narrative; director: Gustavo Martin) A man with a troubled past decides to turn his life around after a heroic act by training for a mixed martial arts tournament. 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, Century II Mary Jane Teall Theater.
“Bob Trevino Likes It” (narrative; director: Tracie Laymon) The closing night film is inspired by the true friendship that writer/director Laymon found with a stranger when looking for her father online. 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, Century II Mary Jane Teall Theater. An after-party with karaoke will be held for TallPass holders at Barleycorn’s.