Meet the Programmers/Meet the Filmmakers

Friday, October 17, 10-11:15 am 

Moderated by Crickett Rumley, Panels Director

Panelists: Tallgrass Interim Executive Director Sierra Franklin-Morton, Programming Director Andre Seward, Documentary Shorts Programmer Alex Megaro, and Vortex Shorts Programmer Brian Ratigan.

 

Join us for an informal mix-and-mingle session with the crackerjack team behind our Stubbornly Independent programming and you, the filmmakers of Tallgrass 2025! You’ll learn how to make the most of your festival experience, hear more about the films screening this weekend, and get to talk to each other in a setting more casual than a Q&A and quieter than 3 am karaoke. Please note this event is for the following pass types: Filmmaker, Jury, Industry, Media & Staff.

 

Panelists:

 

Sierra Franklin-Morton, Interim Executive Director. Sierra 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.

 

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.

 

Alex Megaro, Documentary Shorts Programmer, is a filmmaker best known for producing/editing WTO/99, which had its world premiere at the True/False Film Festival, and Driftwood, winner of the Slamdance Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Feature and the Virginia Film Festival’s Programmer Award for best feature. He produced and edited two seasons of the VICE documentary series Source Material as well as produced the Sheffield Doc Fest and AFI Docs official selection 8:08 How We Respond. Alex edited episodes of the VICE on Showtime documentary series and co-produced the series In The Cards, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2023 Alex directed the multi-award winning documentary short Krush the Wrestler.

 

Brian Ratigan, Vortex Shorts Programmer. Brian 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.

 

Crickett Rumley, Panels Director. The founder and senior director of the Film Festival Department at the New York Film Academy (Los Angeles campus), Crickett Rumley has guided filmmakers to official selections at festivals ranging from Sundance to Bronzelens and to wins and nominations at the Student Academy Awards, the BAFTA Student Film Awards, the DGA Student Film Awards, and the College Television Awards. Now in her fourth year as Tallgrass’ Panels Director, Crickett regularly teaches workshops and serves on juries for festivals around the U.S. She is on the board of the Film Festival Alliance and chairs their Education Committee. 

 

The Film Festival Landscape 

Friday, October 17, 1:30-2:45 pm

Panelists: Lela Meadow-Conner, Gray Rodriguez, Crickett Rumley 

 

Need some clarity around your goals for film festivals? Come hear these festival pros explore key differences between short and feature runs, what festivals are looking for and challenged by these days, how the festival circuit intersects with the realities of distribution, and what that new Film Festival Alliance logo on FilmFreeway means for you. Whether you’re an emerging filmmaker or a seasoned pro, this session will provide insights and information to help you navigate the evolving festival world with purpose. 

 

Panelists:

 

Lela Meadow-Conner connects storytellers to opportunities, and stories to audiences.  She’s the founder and CEO of mamafilm, which nurtures bold, socially conscious stories about women and identity —through a maternal gaze.Her work centers intentional curation, creative producing and distribution & exhibition consulting to cultivate community for film makers and goers. She’s the President of Art House Convergence, a coalition of independent exhibitors connecting, amplifying, and advocates for mission-driven cinemas; the co-founder of The Popcorn List, an annual compilation of exceptional films that have yet to secure distribution; and the co-founder of rePROFilm, which connects storytellers and advocates who celebrate bodily autonomy. 

 

Gray Rodriguez is the Director of Communications for Film Festival Alliance, an organization dedicated to connecting, supporting and advocating for film festivals worldwide. With more than a decade of industry experience, Gray has immersed herself in the film festival world since 2010, starting as a volunteer and working her way through various positions at events including Tallgrass, Bentonville, and the Sundance Film Festivals. Her journey has given her hands-on experience with both online and in-person festivals, providing insights into everything from marketing to operations to programming. Passionate about fostering connections within the indie film community, Gray enjoys exploring innovative ways to showcase cinema. Whether you’re a filmmaker navigating the festival circuit or simply curious about the industry, she’s always eager to share her knowledge and exchange ideas about the ever-evolving landscape of independent film.

 

Crickett Rumley. The founder and senior director of the Film Festival Department at the New York Film Academy (Los Angeles campus), Crickett Rumley has guided filmmakers to official selections at festivals ranging from Sundance to Bronzelens and to wins and nominations at the Student Academy Awards, the BAFTA Student Film Awards, the DGA Student Film Awards, and the College Television Awards. Now in her fourth year as Tallgrass’ Panels Director, Crickett regularly teaches workshops and serves on juries for festivals around the U.S. She is on the board of the Film Festival Alliance and chairs their Education Committee. 

 

Trends and Topics in Documentary Filmmaking

Saturday, October 18, 10-11:15 am

Moderated by Alex Megaro

Panelists: John Alexander, Sue Ding, Arlin Golden, Lorraine Sovern

 

Documentary filmmaking is evolving faster than ever—driven by shifting audience expectations, emerging platforms and technologies, the rise of AI, and new ethical considerations. In this panel, working documentarians will dive into current trends shaping the field and challenges facing doc filmmakers today, from access to funding to maintaining creative integrity to topics in advocacy, style, and storytelling.

 

Panelists:

 

John Alexander is an Emmy-winning filmmaker and editor who co-owns and operates the production company and post-production house Crook & Nanny Productions with JC Guest, whose work has been seen on PBS, Hulu, Epix, Sundance Channel, Amazon Prime, NFL Network, Paramount+, and on television and in cinemas worldwide. After graduating from Harvard University, Alexander and Guest’s feature debut, “Bender,” a thriller on America’s first serial killing family, won a Golden Strands award for Outstanding Cast before being distributed in North America, Asia, Africa and Europe to cult status. As an encore, his feature documentary, “This Is Love,” winner of the Raindance Spirit Award and Best International Documentary in Rome, broke attendance records screening at 50 international film festivals, where it won numerous top prizes, before its streaming debut on Amazon Prime. Most recently, Alexander and Guest’s internationally distributed PBS documentary on Louis Armstrong’s secret daughter, “Little Satchmo,” won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary (Southeast). Alexander has been a guest director at the American Film Institute, an invited filmmaker instructor by the National Endowment for the Arts, a jury member and masterclass leader for film festivals across Europe, and a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

 

Sue Ding is a filmmaker and visual artist based in Los Angeles. Her work explores race, gender, and diaspora through the lens of visual culture and place-based storytelling.

 

Sue directed and edited the short documentaries The Claudia Kishi Club (SXSW ’20), Makeover Movie (IDFA ’23), and How the West Was Fun (True/False ’25). Her films can be found on Netflix, PBS, The New York Times, and Vimeo Staff Picks. She is also the recipient of an Emmy Award, Edward R. Murrow Award, and numerous film festival awards. In 2023, she was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film.”

 

Arlin Golden is a Bay Area-based documentary filmworker, serving as co-director of Video Project, a non-profit distributor of documentaries, as well as director and programmer of Drunken Film Fest Oakland, a free annual event bringing invigorating independent shorts to local bars. He’s also co-host of “Wiseman Podcast,” a continuing series on the films of Frederick Wiseman. Arlin’s documentary shorts have screened in festivals internationally; his most recent, Balloon Boy (Tallgrass, ’23), was named a Vimeo staff pick.

 

Lorraine Sovern. Voted one of Orlando Magazine’s Women of the Year 2024, Lorraine Sovern is an award winning multimodal filmmaker with an MFA from University of Central Florida. She’s spent many years programming for Florida Film Festival, Brouhaha Film & Video Showcase, Central Florida Jewish Film Festival and the Central Florida Film Slam which she led since 2019 until relocating to New Mexico in 2025. Shifting from her background in screenwriting and narrative production, she currently specializes in experimental documentary with a focus on personal essay.

 

Alex Megaro, Moderator. Alex is a filmmaker best known for producing/editing WTO/99, which had its world premiere at the True/False Film Festival, and Driftwood, winner of the Slamdance Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Feature and the Virginia Film Festival’s Programmer Award for best feature. He produced and edited two seasons of the VICE documentary series Source Material as well as produced the Sheffield Doc Fest and AFI Docs official selection 8:08 How We Respond. Alex edited episodes of the VICE on Showtime documentary series and co-produced the series In The Cards, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2023 Alex directed the multi-award winning documentary short Krush the Wrestler.

 

Film Financing for Uncertain Times

Saturday, October 18, 11:30 am – 12:45 pm

Moderated by Arlin Golden

Panelists include: JC Guest, Vickie Kline, Shawn Rhodes, Christa Rude Vazeos

 

Financing a film is one of the biggest hurdles indie filmmakers face. In this panel, we’ll do a deep dive into how fiscal sponsorship through a non-profit agency works, as well as touch on grants, private investors, in-kind support, and other financing options. Our panelists will share what has worked for them and what hasn’t, so that you’ll come away with insight and tips to support your fundraising efforts and attract fiscal partners.

 

Panelists:

 

JC Guest is an Emmy-winning writer and producer. With John Alexander, she founded Crook & Nanny Productions, where she has recently supervised post-production of features including Open Field with the San Francisco 49ers, The Sunshine Dreamer with Mel Gibson and Joe Rogan, God As My Witness and numerous commercial projects, including for Verizon and TV One. An invited guest of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Southern Circuit of Independent Filmmakers, she has led master classes in producing strategies in Europe and the United States. JC graduated cum laude from Harvard majoring in English with a minor in Visual Studies.

 

Vickie Kline is the visionary behind NonprofitGO, an organization dedicated to mentoring and educating nonprofits to achieve sustainability, build capacity, and enhance their impact. Since founding NonprofitGO in 2018, she has played a key role in supporting over 200 organizations, helping to infuse more than $14.3 million into the nonprofit sector through grant funding and fiscal sponsorship. Through strategic guidance and hands-on support, Vickie empowers nonprofits with the tools and knowledge they need to strengthen operations and better serve their communities.

Shawn Rhodes has produced and directed over 350 television episodes and 5000 commercials, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards with one win, 6 Billboard Music Video Awards including a win, and numerous KAB awards. He has worked for CBS, FOX Sports, ESPN, and Univision as well as America’s Most Wanted (ABC), Snapped (Oxygen), and Vengeance (HLN).

Producer of five films, his film “This is Love” was in 45 international film festivals including London, Rome, Madrid and Lisbon and won 15 international awards on the way to qualifying for the Academy Award competition. His film endeavor “Little Satchmo” enjoyed a World Premiere at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece, has been in over 80 International film festivals, aired nationally on PBS in March of 2022, and won the Southeastern Emmy for Best Historical Doc. Shawn’s film “The Sunshine Dreamer” opened last year’s Tallgrass Film Festival.

 

Christa Rude Vazeos is a Wichita, Kansas native who has worked for over 30 years as an international model, writer, and film producer. She began her career in Paris, France, at age 16 and has worked in major couture markets worldwide, including New York, Milan, and Tokyo. She is trilingual and has lived on every continent except Antarctica, spending ten years in Paris and twenty in Athens, Greece. Currently, she splits her time between Greece and Kansas.

 

While the majority of her time in film making has been in front of the camera working for companies such as Ford, L’Oreal, Nestle and General Electric, Christa has produced films such as the independent feature, The Sunshine Dreamer as well as a children’s health & wellness show, Nutrition Navigators. She is also a Personal Branding Coach and Model Mentor, and has just finished her first book in a coming of age story, recounting her early experiences.

 

Arlin Golden, Moderator. Arlin is a Bay Area-based documentary filmworker, serving as co-director of Video Project, a non-profit distributor of documentaries, as well as director and programmer of Drunken Film Fest Oakland, a free annual event bringing invigorating independent shorts to local bars. He’s also co-host of “Wiseman Podcast,” a continuing series on the films of Frederick Wiseman. Arlin’s documentary shorts have screened in festivals internationally; his most recent, Balloon Boy (Tallgrass, ’23), was named a Vimeo staff pick.

 

Where Are They Now? Last Year’s Tallgrass Winners Today

Saturday, October 18, 1:30-2:45 pm

Moderated by: Crickett Rumley   

Panelists: Chris Cole and Kelsey Taylor

 

At Tallgrass 2024, filmmaker Chris Cole walked away with the Jury Award for his poignant rap comedy Terminally Ill. Kelsey Taylor took home both our Stubbornly Independent and EDA awards for To Kill a Wolf, her modern re-imagining of “Little Red Riding Hood.”

 

What have our award-winning alumni been up to since then? From successful festival runs to distribution deals to new projects, they’ve both been busy, gaining lots of knowledge that they can’t wait to share with you, the audience and filmmakers of Tallgrass 2025. Get ready to ask questions and get inspired! 

 

Panelists:

 

Chris Cole. In Rancho Cucamonga, CA (yes, that’s a real place), Chris learned how to make films as a child by forcing his siblings to act in parody rap videos. His passion for storytelling, music, and off-color comedy has led to his previous work as a freelance music journalist, and Video Producer at GQ and Apple. His work has been supported by the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation, Issa Rae’s Short Film Sundays, the Middlebury Script Lab, MTV, and BET. In 2021 and 2022, he was selected as an SFFILM Filmhouse Resident to develop his feature film “Rolling Stone”, which was selected for the SFFILM Rainin Grant in Spring 2020. He holds an M.A in Arts Politics from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, in addition to a B.F.A in Film and Television from Tisch. His short film “Terminally Ill” is a Vimeo Staff Pick, and won the Audience Award and Oscar-qualifying Jury Award for Comedy at Aspen Shortsfest, and a silver screen Young Director Award for Creative Use of Sound. “Terminally Ill” is a proof of concept for his feature film “Fonzel and Gloria”, which received the Rainin Grant for Development in 2024.

 

Kelsey Taylor. Raised in the wilds of Eastern Washington, Kelsey Taylor attended Loyola Marymount University, earning a degree in Film Production and minors in both Film Studies and Music.

 

Kelsey’s career began as a cinematographer and camera assistant, building a strong foundation for visual storytelling before transitioning into directing. Her breakthrough sci-fi short, ALIEN: SPECIMEN, was created through an initiative with 20th Century and has accumulated over 6 million views.

 

Kelsey’s debut feature film, TO KILL A WOLF, is a modern reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood told through the lens of sexual grooming. The film premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2024 and will be hitting Regal Cinemas in summer 2025.

 

Kelsey is a DGA member, represented by Bellevue and commercially by Eleanor, recently crowned “The 2024 Production Company to Watch” by AdAge. Kelsey was selected by Film Independent as one of six fellows in their 2024 Episodic Directing Intensive.

Crickett Rumley, Moderator. The founder and senior director of the Film Festival Department at the New York Film Academy (Los Angeles campus), Crickett Rumley has guided filmmakers to official selections at festivals ranging from Sundance to Bronzelens and to wins and nominations at the Student Academy Awards, the BAFTA Student Film Awards, the DGA Student Film Awards, and the College Television Awards. Now in her fourth year as Tallgrass’ Panels Director, Crickett regularly teaches workshops and serves on juries for festivals around the U.S. She is on the board of the Film Festival Alliance and chairs their Education Committee.