Meet the Team - Tallgrass Film Association

Tallgrass Film Festival Team

Harvester Arts

Administrative Partner
info@tallgrassfilm.org

Hugo Phan

Programming Lead
hugo@tallgrassfilm.org

Brandon Bena

Programming Assistant

Brandon has always been passionate for film starting at an early age. Watching Turner Classic Movies when getting home from school then turning that into a love of film, and film making. Brandon was born and raised on the central coast of California. Then moving to pursue a career in the airline industry. But when the pandemic hit, he pursued a career of his original love, that of film. A recent transplant from Denver, Colorado. He has found his home here in Wichita, Kansas. Volunteered for the Tallgrass Film Festival starting 2022. He is a movie critic on letterboxd. He also writes, directs, and is a musician as a guitarist.

Brandon Bena

Social Media Coordinator

brandon@tallgrassfilm.org

Caitlyn Cody

EFP

Tom Mittlestadt

Events Director

After over 20 years, Tom Mittlestadt has a proven track record of making visions come to life. Tom has built a reputation for securing just the perfect item. Owner of Mittlestadt Props and Design, Tom has been with Tallgrass Film Festival since year one.

Tom Mittlestadt

Events Director
tom@tallgrassfilm.org

Kelsey Unruh

Volunteer Coordinator

After a brief hiatus, Kelsey is glad to be back with the Tallgrass Film Festival as volunteer coordinator! She started as a volunteer in 2017, and then became volunteer coordinator for Tallgrass in 2022 and 2023. Her top 4 films on Letterboxd are “Parasite,” “Wayne’s World,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” and “Muppet Treasure Island.”

Kelsey Unruh

Volunteer Coordinator

volunteer@tallgrassfilm.org

Nathan Kampe

Runner

Nathan Kampe

Technical Director

Dev Shapiro

DCP & Media

Dev Shapiro

Technical Director (DCP)

Claire Garrison

Box Office Manager

Claire is a lifelong movie addict who discovered the magic of film festivals in 2011 after fleeing the corporate world. Like so many of us festies, she started as a volunteer and subsequently became involved in all aspects of festival production. Claire now enjoys using her operational skills to help filmmakers, musicians, and other creatives to share their stories at a variety of live and virtual events.

When not watching movies, Claire loves a good cup of tea and a puzzle.

Claire Garrison

Box Office Manager

Jorja Schroeder

Box Office Assistant Manager

Jorja Schroeder

Box Office Assistant Manager

Tina Walterscheid

Community Engagement Coordinator

Tina is an Oklahoma City native who moved to Wichita for college and never left.She spends her days working at the Wichita Public Library Foundation as Development Coordinator.

During her free time, she sings with the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception choir, delivers Meals on Wheels, watches movies on various streaming channels and reads. A Tallgrass volunteer from the beginning, Tina loves connecting films with nonprofit orgs through the Community Partnership program. She is married to videographer & editor Alec and they have a chihuahua mix dog named Pablo.

Tina Walterscheid

Community Engagement Coordinator

Crickett Rumley

Panels Director

Crickett Rumley received her MFA in Film at Columbia University and is the founder and Senior Director of the Film Festival Department at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. She has guided filmmakers to official selections at festivals ranging from Sundance to Bronzelens as well as to nomination and shortlisting for major student awards. Thrilled to be back at Tallgrass for a third year, Crickett was on the jury in 2021 and now serves as the festival’s Panels Director. In her spare time, she writes novels.

Crickett Rumley

Panels Director

Gabe Murphy

Food & Beverage Co-Coordinator

Gabe Murphy

Food & Beverage

Co-Coordinator

Maria Garcia

Transportation Coordinator

Maria Garcia

Transportation Coordinator

Board of Directors

Garrison Matthews

Martin Pringle Law Firm

Garrison Matthews grew up in his family’s theatre business. He claims that theatrical talent “skips” a generation because he certainly did not inherit the performing gene. Instead he focused his time organizing the shop, preferring the order instead of the chaos of live theatre. That appreciation for structure drew Garrison to the law. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and went on to complete his juris doctorate from the University of Kansas School of Law. While he didn’t take to performing, growing up in the family business did lead Garrison to focus his practice on business law, startup and entrepreneurial law, real estate, estate planning and banking law.

Garrison Matthews

Board President for 2026

garrison@tallgrassfilm.org

Lynette Murphy

WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement

Lynette Murphy has spent 25+ years at Wichita State University in various roles, currently serving as a senior director of development at the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement.

A first-generation college student who grew up in small-town Kansas, Lynette has

a bachelor’s degree in English/journalism from Emporia State University and a master’s degree in communication from WSU. She holds the Certified Fundraising Executive designation.

Lynette began her career as a journalist before moving to Wichita in 1993. She’s also worked in development at the Kansas Humane Society and Ascension Via Christi. She’s involved in the community as board president (2024-25) of the local Association for Fundraising Professionals and has served on the boards of the Kansas School for Effective Learning and the Wichita Children’s Theatre and Dance Center. She volunteers at the Lord’s Diner, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sedgwick County, Wichita Festivals and GLSEN.

Lynette lives in the heart of Wichita – Old Town – with her husband, Dan. They have two adult children and one grandson. The Murphys are Shocker basketball season ticket holders as well as annual contributors to the Tallgrass Film Association, They also support the Orpheum Theatre and ESU. Several times a month, they walk a few blocks to the Film Center to enjoy all Tallgrass has to offer.

Lynette Murphy

Secretary

Jenni Drinnen

Treasurer

Kate Bastian

Community Advocate

I grew up in St. Louis, but love Wichita. Married to Clay for 35 years we have LA son Peter about to be 30, and Brooklyn daughter Meredith is 28. I love dogs, movies, art, traveling, old house stuff and tennis. Most of my time has been spent taking pictures and working on building a school for dyslexia (serving on the Board of the Phillips Fundamental Learning Center), for kids and teacher training and oh, tennis.

Kate Bastian

Board Member

Kenton Hansen

Board Member

Austin Dugan

86 Cold Press

Born and raised in Wichita, Austin Dugan decided to stick around for the ultimate challenge: running a business in his hometown. After all, they say, "If you can make it in Wichita, you can make it anywhere"—so why not test the theory? In 2016, he launched 86 Cold Press, a business centered on cold-pressed juices, sustainability, and fostering connections through food and beverage. Over the years, Austin has created and led multiple hospitality ventures, each driven by his passion for crafting memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression.

Austin has been a long-time supporter of the Tallgrass Film Association, donating a breakfast bar since 2018 and attending the festival every chance he gets. Now, as a board member, he’s ready to bring his food-and-beverage expertise to the table, helping to elevate event experiences and strengthen community connections.

When he’s not working, you’ll find Austin on the ice figure skating, sweating it out in the sauna, or braving cold plunges (because apparently, both extremes are good for you). He’s excited to be part of the Tallgrass team and looks forward to contributing to the festival’s continued success as a Midwest cultural staple.

Austin Dugan

Board Member

Andrew Gough

Andrew Gough co-found Reverie Coffee Roasters in 2013 while continuing to work as an educator in the financial services industry. His curiosity for continued learning drove him to start a specialty coffee business. In just a few years, Reverie grew from a small coffee roaster-retailer concept into a Wichita institution.

Reverie’s desire to revitalize the community it serves has created increased demand for specialty coffee experiences in Wichita. In 2025, the business continues to operate its busy flagship café and roastery across the street from the historic East High School. The award-winning cafe operates one of the only fully-from-scratch European-style bakeries in Wichita, producing the finest croissant-based pastries made with locally sourced ingredients to complement its specialty coffee shop beverages.

Reverie Express, located in Newton, KS, is a specialty coffee drive through serving the people in Harvey County.

Reverie’s coffee roasting team roasts coffee for over 200 businesses, including cafes, coffee shops, restaurants, schools, offices and churches. Their full-service approach to supporting their customers is part of what makes Reverie a successful coffee program in Middle America.

Today, Andrew leads a team of 29 coffee professionals determined to make the coffee industry a viable career option through sustainable business practices and shared vision. He consults coffee shop owners on best business practices and occasionally teaches community education courses about the specialty coffee industry. When he’s not working, Andrew loves to travel and attend concerts.

A proud native Wichitan, Andrew attended Kansas State University and magically achieved a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. He’s married to Katie, and together, they have two boys, Weston (age 14) and Sullivan (age 12).

Andrew Gough

Board Member

Michael Lurie

Board Member

Brendan O'Bryhim

Edward Jones

Brendan O'Bryhim grew up in Wichita. His wife is Iris, and his sons are Hendrix and Calvin. And as Vincent Vega would say, they are -- without a doubt -- the Royale to his cheese. He works as a CFP financial advisor with Edward Jones.

Brendan O' Bryhim

Board Member

Susan Moeder

Mom, grandma, Landscape Architect, business owner and co-founder of Moeder and Associates with her husband Leon. Long time supporter of the festival and Wichita. I was buying local and touting the Wichita flag before it became a cliché.

Susan Moeder

Board Member

Caleb K. Wilson

Academic Partnerships

Caleb currently serves as the Instructional Media Developer at Academic Partnerships with a focus on educational access and media accessibility. With almost 20 years of experience in media for entertainment, news, and higher education, he joins the board with a deep appreciation for the power of cinema and a belief in the transformative impact of storytelling on both individual and community levels. Caleb received his bachelor's degree in Film Production from Brooks Institute and holds a Master of Innovation Design degree from Wichita State University. As an avid film enthusiast, he is thrilled at the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of the Tallgrass Film Festival, ensuring it continues to shine as a brilliant and integral piece of the Midwest cultural landscape.

Caleb K. Wilson

Board Member

Jordan Walker

Board Member

Jonathan Wood

Margaritas, Owner

I am a Wichita native, born and raised. I attended Friends university where I received my degrees in Graphic Design and Communications. The Art faculty at Friends instilled a deep love for all of the arts… not just our chosen disciplines. It was during this time in my life that I began attending the Tallgrass Film Festival with the very first one, and I have been hooked ever since! I have watched Wichita grow culturally, slowly (painfully slow sometimes…) into what I believe is a culturally diverse and rich community. Tallgrass’ contribution to this is not small, drawing national and global recognition for our little film fest in the prairie. I love talking with filmmakers in attendance and hearing time and time again that Wichita has really surprised them — and they love it.

Jonathan Wood

Board Member

Floyd Gruver

Retired

Floyd’s son Tim founded the festival and the Gruvers have remained an active part of the festival.

Floyd Gruver

Board Emeritus

Jennifer Rygg

Past President

Emily Bonavia

Bonavia Properties

All you have to know is, I met Tim Gruver in 2002, happy serendipity that put me on board for WAMPA (later Tallgrass Film Association), the non-profit that would present Tallgrass Film Festival. I loved Tim, loved his enthusiasm; and…must believe in his vision, since I’m still here!

Emily Bonavia

Board Emeritus