(June 4-19)

 Free-to-the-Public film screenings

1007 N. Cleveland, Wichita

 WHEN:           

Many Fires This Time: We The 100 Million (Saturday, June 4 at 7PM)

Imitation of Life (Saturday, June 11 at 7PM)

BlacKKKlansman (Saturday, June 18 at 7PM)

Space Jam (Sunday, June 19 at 4PM, following 3PM street party)

TICKETS: Free-to-the-Public

 WHAT:

The Tallgrass Film Association, with the Kansas African American Museum, Power CDC, and Evergy Community Investment Fund at the Wichita Community Foundation, along with the Historic Dunbar Theatre present four films, film discussions and more in June under the stars.

THE FILMS:

Many Fires This Time: We The 100 Million (2021)

Director: Jason Foster

Country, USA, Running Time: 70 min

Poetic docudrama about the 1 in 3 Americans and counting, living in economic insecurity. It follows the journey of poet and activist A Scribe Called Quess? as he connects with fellow activist poets and the communities they represent from Oakland to Chicago to Kentucky to his hometown of New Orleans. Along the way, we glimpse into the worlds of everyday people fighting for equity and justice in issues ranging from housing and gentrification, to police violence, to environmental crises and job security, to education, to LGBTQIA equality. An official Tallgrass 2021 selection to the Gordon Parks Black Excellence in Filmmaking category.

Post screening Q&A with Jason Foster and subject Michael “Quess” Moore with Gordon Parks Museum Director Kirk Sharp.

Imitation of Life (1959)

Director: Douglas Sirk

Country: USA, Running Time: 125 min

Lora Meredith (Lana Turner), a white single mother who dreams of being on Broadway, has a chance encounter with Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), a black widow. Annie becomes the caretaker of Lora’s daughter, Suzie (Sandra Dee), while Lora pursues her stage career. Both women deal with the difficulties of motherhood: Lora’s thirst for fame threatens her relationship with Suzie, while Annie’s light-skinned daughter, Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner), struggles with her African-American identity.

Panel discussion preceding the screening moderated by The Kansas African American Museum.

BlacKKKlansman (2018)

Director: Spike Lee

Country: USA, Running Time: 128 min

Ron Stallworth is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. The detective soon recruits a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman, into the undercover investigation of a lifetime. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream.

Post screening Q&A with Academy Award winning writer and 2020 Ad Astra Recipient Kevin Wilmott.

Space Jam (1996)

Running Time: 88 min

In a desperate attempt to win a basketball match and earn their freedom, the Looney Tunes seek the aid of retired basketball champion Michael Jordan.

Street Party with music by Pioneer DJ Don in the Mixx, U-Hungry Truck and My Madea’s Soul Food Truck and free popcorn prior to the screening.