Doc Sunback Film Festival in Mulvane returns for 10th year
The Doc Sunback Film Festival in Mulvane returns for its 10th edition Friday, June 27, and Saturday, June 28, in Mulvane, about 16 miles southeast of Wichita. It’s a lively celebration of independent cinema, blending global storytelling with a distinctly Kansas flavor. Here’s a closer look:
What It Is:
The 501(c)(3) nonprofit was founded in 2015 by Nancy Farber Mottola, Kenneth Linn, and Sheri Kaufman‑Marsh. It champions all genres of indie film — narrative, documentary, animation, experimental — with a special emphasis on Kansas filmmakers. The festival gets its name from a man known as Doc Sunback, a local veterinarian born in the Mulvane community in 1879. He lived to be 81 and is still remembered fondly by some of the folks there.
When and where:
Screenings and events happen at the Pix Community Center, 101 E. Main, in Mulvane. Screenings run from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Saturday. An awards ceremony starts at 6:15 p.m. Saturday. For a full schedule and other information, go to www.docsunbackfilmfest.com.
Highlights:
“Meet Me at Magic Hour” — Directed by Monica Honey, this locally-made film was featured at the Tallgrass Film Festival, and tells the story of Jordan, who re-imagines her problems through different movie genres while dealing with her mother’s funeral. Screening at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 27.
“Kansas Trailblazers” program – This will close out the festival screenings on Saturday with “Matt’s Monsters” at 4:40 p.m. and “Osa Johnson: Queen of the Jungle” at 5 p.m.
STARLITE WINS NATIONAL RANKING
Wichita’s Starlite Drive-In was voted third place as America’s favorite drive-in in a poll conducted by Newsweek magazine. The top 10 drive-in theaters were selected by featured panelists and contributors and voted on by readers as the best of the best. See the whole list at https://www.newsweek.com/readerschoice/best-drive-theater-2025.
The Starlite, at 3900 S. Hydraulic, is now open seven days a week for the summer season. To see showtimes and titles, go to https://starlitefun.com/.