Submit to Tallgrass
The 23rd Annual Tallgrass Film Festival will take place October 16-19, 2025. Submissions opened December 1, 2024 and extend until July 2025.
Festival Requirements
In addition to showcasing the best of independent cinema from around the globe, including documentary, narrative, world cinema, animation, LGBTQIA+, retrospective, and premiering films, the 23rd annual Tallgrass Film Festival is specifically seeking films to feature in the following special programs and spotlights.
STUBBORNLY INDEPENDENT – USA Produced Narrative Feature
Stubbornly Independent Submissions must be a US Domestic narrative feature film with a budget of up to $750,000, without traditional theatrical domestic (inside the USA) distribution during the festival screening. Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
GORDON PARKS AWARD FOR BLACK EXCELLENCE IN FILMMAKING – FEATURE
To be awarded to a feature-length film with no traditional theatrical USA distribution deal at the time of the festival. Open to films of any production budget from any country or genre with a director who self-identifies as Black, African-American, or part of the African Diaspora. The award winner receives a Panavision $15,000 camera rental package and $5,000 cash from Cargill. Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
GORDON PARKS AWARD FOR BLACK EXCELLENCE IN FILMMAKING – SHORT
To be awarded to a short film of any production budget from any country or genre with a director who self-identifies as Black, African-American, or part of the African Diaspora.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Documentary feature films may be foreign or domestic. Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Documentary short films (under 40 minutes) may be domestic or international. Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
KANSAS FILMMAKER FEATURE FILM
Kansas feature filmmaker films may be documentaries, narrative, animation, or experimental films. Kansas filmmakers may submit their films and have any entry fees waived. Filmmakers MUST submit a valid Kansas address, connection, and identification to qualify for this category. For each major cast/crew Kansas connection, please include the name, title, and city in the Kansas connection. Include this eligibility information in your cover letter when you submit it. Films submitted in this category that do not fulfill this requirement will be withdrawn. Kansas filmmaker shorts and feature films are eligible to win the Best Kansas Filmmaker awards (doc short, narrative short, feature). Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
KANSAS FILMMAKER SHORT FILM
Kansas filmmaker films may be documentaries, narrative, animation, or experimental films. Kansas filmmakers may submit their films and have any entry fees waived. Filmmakers MUST submit a valid Kansas address, connection, and identification to qualify for this category. For each major cast/crew Kansas connection, please include the name, title, and city in the Kansas connection. Include this eligibility information in your cover letter when you submit it. Films submitted in this category that do not fulfill this requirement will be withdrawn. Kansas filmmaker shorts and feature films are eligible to win the Best Kansas Filmmaker awards (doc short, narrative short, feature). Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
MURMURATIONS FEATURE FILM
Murmurations is named in honor of the mural PERSONNAGES OISEAUX by Catalan artist Joan Miró, which hangs at the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University. This category aims to explore and highlight the connection of Ibero-American art to Kansas. Films in this category must be produced in a country part of Ibero-America OR whose writer, director, or producer is based in one of those countries so long as the film is in a language spoken in said country (excluding English). Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
MURMURATIONS SHORT FILM
Murmurations is named in honor of the mural PERSONNAGES OISEAUX by Catalan artist Joan Miró, which hangs at the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University. This category aims to explore and highlight the connection of Ibero-American art to Kansas. Films in this category must be produced in a country part of Ibero-America OR whose writer, director, or producer is based in one of those countries so long as the film is in a language spoken in said country (excluding English).Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
MUSIC VIDEOS
The Music Video category is for original music videos (a visual accompaniment tied to a piece of music. Songs must be the ORIGINAL composition of the band or musician featured in the video. Covers will not be considered. Submitters MUST have the rights to participate in the festival. Maximum length of 10 minutes. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
NARRATIVE FEATURE FILM
Fiction feature films may be narrative, animation, experimental, domestic, or foreign. Films entered in this category are eligible to win a cash prize. Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
NARRATIVE SHORT FILM
Narrative short films (under 40 minutes) may be domestic or international. Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility
THANE CHASTAIN EMERGING SHORT FILM (K-12 only)
Films submitted in the Emerging Filmmaker Films category MUST be works written, directed, and shot by students – 18-YEARS-OLD AND YOUNGER at time of production. This category is not for university or college filmmakers. Adult supervision is limited to advisory capacity. Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility. Anyone without a valid STUDENT ID will be removed from the category.
VORTEX- Animation
This is for shorts that feature primarily animated content or stop-motion animation. Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
VORTEX- Experimental
Our Experimental programming highlights avant-garde short films that go beyond form and function. These films often reject traditional narrative structure and filmmaking tools and seek to convey a meaning or story through an unconventional and usually abstract application of the film medium. Experimental films (with few exceptions) do not have the linear, conventional story structure you would find in narrative or documentary shorts. If your film does not heavily employ abstract or non-narrative tools, it may not belong in this category. Films may be invited to compete in more than one category. The festival reserves the right to determine final category eligibility.
