Meet the Team - Tallgrass Film Association

Tallgrass Film Association Year Round Team

Sierra Franklin-Morton

Interim Executive Director

Sierra Franklin-Morton is a long-time attendee of the Tallgrass Film Festival and is beyond thrilled to join the Tallgrass Film Association. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles at the Orpheum Theatre and INTRUST Bank Arena. A proud graduate of the University of Kansas, Sierra enjoyed attending special screenings and planning activities and film showings as a member of Student Union Activities. Pop culture savvy, a trivia buff, and a movie lover at heart, Sierra brings enthusiasm and expertise to her role. Outside of work, she enjoys attending concerts across the country with her husband and spending time with her two cats and loving dog.

Sierra Franklin-Morton

Interim Executive Director
sierra@tallgrassfilm.org

Andre Seward

Programming Director

Andre started volunteering for the Tallgrass Film Festival when he was 15. He started in events and transitioned into prescreening and somehow ended up as Programming Director. Along the way, he also has worked for Bentonville Film Festival and Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in programming as well. He has gone from Wichita, to LA, Madrid, and now is in Berlin but Wichita will always be home. He is happy to be involved in an organization that plays a big part in what makes Wichita special.

Andre Seward

Programming Director
programming@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 & Fest Host + Theater Staff

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

Film Festival Team

Naythan Smith

Technology Director

Naythan has been involved with Tallgrass since 2012, spending most of that time within the world of the projectionists. While he always loved cinema, the process of creating films imbued their viewing with new purpose, leading to his involvement with the film festival. The intervening years have been filled with the creation of countless short films, music videos, interviews, and a handful of feature films. Film is life!

Naythan Smith

Technology Director

Nathan Kampe

Runner

Nathan Kampe

Tech Co-Director In Training

Dev Shapiro

DCP & Media

Dev Shapiro

Tech Co-Director In Training & Media

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

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

John Strange

Red Carpet Coordinator

In 1984, I took my experience in photography and my love for film and began working with a team of other young writers doing film reviews and interviews. Together we built the North Dallas Movie Review, a publication and an organization dedicated not only to doing film reviews and interviews but helping the public and our readers find out about the film preview screenings in the DFW area. We proudly hosted scores of these screenings on behalf of the studios, giving away passes and freebies such as posters, t-shirts, DVDs, and such over the run of the publication.

Over the years from Y2K to 2008, I led several small film-related sites as both editor and writer. In 2008, I joined Dev Shapiro as we built Selig Polyscope Company. In 2010, we started Selig Film News as the home for reviews and news about films, and the entertainment industry.

We do film reviews and interviews but also reviews of home video offerings, theater, music, and all the other genres of entertainment in our area and around the country.

As part of the Selig Polyscope Company/Selig Film News team, I travel around the Deep South and Midwest to film festivals where we supply DCPs and projection services plus sit-down interviews with filmmakers and members of the film industry. Recently, we began producing red carpets for film festivals.

I am proud of our company and look forward to many years of working with the public and the studios to bring you the information you can use and enjoy!

John Strange

Red Carpet 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

Robert Ramon Fonseca

Though poetry is the foundation to Ramon Robert Fonseca’s creative background, visual arts and music are just as intrinsic. With experience in orchestra, writing, rug tufting, painting, photography, graphic design, linguistics, makeup artistry, and fashion- Ramon draws influence in their art from a diverse background of resources, often describing themselves as a “Jack of all trades and a master of some.” This is evident in their work which regularly showcases multimedia elements of prose, typography, collage, tactile, and space-building. Though aesthetically pleasing, the most captivating aspect to Ramon’s art is the story that they tell and the purpose behind it; their art is a vessel to express, deconstruct, and process the traumas of the world through a first-hand queer, biracial, and previously homeless lens with the goal to uplift marginalized groups and ultimately heal those traumas, choosing resurrection over resentment.

Robert Ramon Fonseca

Late Night Filmmaker Lounge Host

Shannon Boone

VIP Lounge Coordinator

Shannon Boone is an almost life-long Wichitan, mother to two fantastic children, bonus mom to countless, arts advocate, community volunteer, and friend to many. Owner and Chief Chaos Coordinator of Shay Chic Productions, a local event planning, production & design company, Shannon is no stranger to what it takes to pull off a stellar event. The perfect storm of coffee, snark and genetics if it needs to be planned, organized, executed and logistically sound, Shannon is your person. She has been planning and managing events large and small in Wichita and around the country for 23 years and has been a Tallgrass volunteer in many capacities for longer than she can remember. For the last 8 years, her time has been spent overseeing VIP Lounge activities and ensuring the guest experience is nothing short of excellent. During the festival, she will be splitting her time between the Orpheum Theatre, where she works as House Manager, and the VIP Lounge in Candela at the Lux. Fun fact: Shannon has a self-described, completely irrational fear of all spiders and an unnatural obsession with scissor lifts.

Shannon Boone

VIP Lounge Coordinator

Vicki Brown

Beverage Coordinator

Vicki has volunteered with the tallgrass film festival for many years. As a Wichita native and avid movie watcher, she considers the festival to be one of the best yearly events that the city has to offer. She is looking forward to taking on a larger role with the festival this year and watching as many films as possible in four days.

Vicki Brown

Beverage Coordinator

Maria Garcia

Transportation Coordinator

Canan Turan

Narrative Shorts Programmer

Canan Turan holds a BA in Film Studies from the Free University Berlin and an MA in Screen Documentary from Goldsmiths College London. Her graduation short film “Kıymet“ (2012) and the feature-length documentary “From Here“ (2020) by Christina Antonakos-Wallace, which Canan is the creative producer of, were shown at international film festivals. After over 10 active years as a filmmaker, Canan now works as a freelance curator, currently for Berlinale Generation and Tallgrass Film Festival, as well as an independent researcher, film educator, consultant, critic, speaker and moderator. She is committed to anti-discrimination, equity and intersectionality in cinema and the film industry. In her podcast „film.macht.kritisch." Canan talks, alone and with guests, about the *other* cinema that focuses on marginalized perspectives and challenges the status quo by telling stories beyond othering, stereotypes and tokenism: a truly anti-discriminatory, intersectional feminist, queer and decolonial cinema. Canan started working as Head of Communications at the German Anti-Discrimination Association in August 2024. She lives in her hometown of Berlin.

Canan Turan

Narrative Shorts Programmer

Alex Megaro

Documentary Shorts Programmer

Alex Megaro is a filmmaker best known for producing/editing DRIFTWOOD, winner of the Slamdance Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Feature. He produced & edited 2 seasons of his VICE documentary series SOURCE MATERIAL as well as produced the Sheffield Doc Fest and AFI Docs official selection 8:08 HOW WE RESPOND. In 2023 Alex directed the multi-award winning documentary short KRUSH THE WRESTLER about the king of underground fetish submission wrestling, an official selection at 24 international film festivals including a few in predominantly Catholic countries, a phenomenon he finds "rather delightful."

Alex Megaro

Documentary Shorts Programmer

Brian Ratigan

Vortex Shorts Programmer

Brian Ratigan is an award-winning director and film curator. He is the founder of Non Films, a label for ephemeral animation and experimental cinema in New York City. Ratigan is established in the film festival circuit as a programmer and juror for the Slamdance Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Chicago Underground Film Festival, Indie Memphis, and the London Indie Festival, among others. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Moviemaker Magazine, 1883 Magazine, and film festivals worldwide.

Brian Ratigan

Vortex Shorts Programmer

Board of Directors

Jennifer Rygg

I’m a self-employed Design Professional with a degree in Architecture from the University of Kansas. I spend my days designing and creating vibrant, beautiful and functional spaces for both commercial and residential clients. As an art enthusiast and supporter, I have been honored to be a part of the Ulrich Alliance Board and serve on the Wichita Art Museum Building Committee. Both positions allowed me to further participate in our burgeoning and vibrant art community. I look forward to serving on the Tallgrass Board.

Jennifer Rygg

Board President for 2025

boardpresident@tallgrassfilm.org

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

President-Elect for 2026

Stacy Ward Lattin

Hopping Gnome Brewing Company

Stacy owns a microbrewery and taproom with her husband Torrey. While he focuses on brewing the beer, Stacy works on marketing, operations, and business development. Hopping Gnome Brewing is located in Wichita's historic Douglas Design District where Stacy has served as board President, helping to plan and organize events including the Wicked Brew Tour and Small Business Saturday. She has served on several community boards, including The Women’s Network and Know Your Worth Women's Leadership Conference, and has been involved in various committees including the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce Small Business Committee, and the Mayor's Small Business Advisory Board. Stacy has a background in nonprofit management and received a Master's in Organizational Leadership from Fort Hays State University. Stacy believes that collaboration and building relationships are keys to growing a successful small business.

Stacy Ward Lattin

Secretary

Kenton Hansen

Roll20

Kenton has been involved in Tallgrass events for more than 20 years, attending many festivals and participating in Take36.

In Wichita, Kenton has helped create communities like Startup Wichita and devICT, which bring people together to develop technologies, start new businesses, and share ideas. He’s good at connecting people and making big projects work. He loves storytelling and the arts and how the two intersect with film.

By day, Kenton is the Head of Product Management and Design at Roll20, the best way to play tabletop roleplaying games online.

Kenton Hansen

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

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

Kimberly Henderson

CRNA

Kimberly Henderson is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist (CRNA) who relocated to Wichita with her daughter Emma in 2013. In addition to her Master of Nursing, she also has a bachelor’s degree in theater with a focus in acting. Kim is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, serving in her local chapter as corresponding secretary. In her spare time, Kim is an avid pickleball player and loves to do all kinds of water sports including swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, jet skiing, and snorkeling. She is a lifelong lover of live music, performances, and movies and is thrilled to serve this year on the Tallgrass Board.

Kimberly Henderson

Board Member

Anna Heustis

Koch Industries

Anna is a North Dakota native who relocated to Wichita for work but stayed because she fell in love with Wichita. She is a CPA and spends her days working at Koch Industries as a tax accountant. In her free time you can find her enjoying Wichita’s food and wine scene, exploring all the art and culture Wichita has to offer (including catching a film at the Tallgrass Film Center) or volunteering with the Junior League of Wichita.

Anna Heustis

Board Member

Mark Janzen

Kubera Venture Capital

Mark Janzen is a software engineering executive and entrepreneur living in Wichita, Kansas. Having founded multiple technology companies including Janzen Software, Windemere Capital, and Applianz Technologies, Mark currently works as a consultant to software companies and a partner with Kubera Venture Capital. Mark is a native Kansan and graduate of Bethel College in North Newton. He is a mentor to startup founders in both Wichita and Seattle and active in several charities including the board of the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita

Mark Janzen

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

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

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

Todd Ramsey

Apples & Arrows

Todd is the founder and chief strategist of Apples & Arrows, a branding agency in Wichita, Kansas. As the son of a coal miner and a rodeo clown, Todd learned from an early age the values of digging deep and doing whatever it takes to capture people’s attention. These values inform his desire to help clients uncover, articulate and celebrate their unique brand story. Todd is an ESTP on the Meyers Briggs personality type indicator, and according to the Clifton Strengths Finder, his top five strengths are Woo, Communication, Strategy, Adaptability and Maximizer. These facts aren’t highly relevant for a bio, but do serve as interesting tidbits to know about someone. He currently serves on the Wichita Community Foundation and Wichita Art Museum boards, and is an active participant in the Wichita creative scene, including the Take 36 Film Race competitions.

Todd Ramsey

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

Alicia Sanchez

Spirit AeroSystems

Alicia Sanchez is a passionate advocate and social entrepreneur committed to guiding leaders and organizations to foster a culture of inclusion. She currently serves as the Global Culture, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion manager for Spirit AeroSystems. Alicia obtained her master’s degree in Business Administration from Friends University, and she is a current doctoral student in the higher education leadership program at Wichita State University. She is the past board chair for the Wichita Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and she currently serves as a commissioner for the Kansas Human Right Commission, is a City of Wichita District Two Advisory Board member and serves on several non-profit boards. In the past several years, she has been recognized as the 2019 Wichita State University Young Alumni of the Year, a 2018 Wichita State President’s Distinguished Service Award honoree, a Leader in Diversity and Inclusion, a Woman in Business, and a 40 under 40 honoree by the Wichita Business Journal, and as a Community Champion by the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission. In her free time she enjoys traveling, watching classic 80’s movies, and spending time with her two sons.

Alicia Sanchez

Board Member

Caleb K. Wilson

Academic Partnerships

Caleb K. Wilson

Board Member

Todd Ramsey

Apples & Arrows

Todd Ramsey

Board Member

Jonathan Wood

Margaritas, Owner

Jonathan Wood

Board Member

Alicia Sanchez

Spirit AeroSystems

Alicia Sanchez

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

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