Submit to Tallgrass
The 21st Annual Tallgrass Film Festival will take place October 5-8, 2023. Submissions are open.
The waiver request period is now closed. Please check back next year for updates. Any request for waivers will be ignored.
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 21st annual Tallgrass Film Festival is specifically seeking films to feature in the following special programs and spotlights:
Feature-length film with no traditional distribution deal at the time of the festival. Open to films of any production budget from any country from any genre with a director that self-identifies as Black, African-American or part of the African-Diaspora.
Vortex Animation, Experimental, and VR Short Films
This is for all animation, experimental, hybrid or virtual reality projects.
Murmurations
The Murmurations category is open to short and feature films that meet the following requirements: fifty percent of production is based in Spain OR writer, director, or producer is based in Spain; the original voice is in Spanish or one of the co-official languages of Spain (Basque, Catalan, Aranese, and Valencian); and subtitled in English language.
Feature films directed by women (Replaces the former DOXX category)
Stubbornly Independent Films
Domestic, narrative features made for under $750,000 USD with no traditional distribution.
Timothy Gruver Spotlight on Kansas Filmmakers
Kansas filmmakers submit for free—see below for official rules.
Joel Fein Emerging Filmmakers Program
Short films from filmmakers (19 and younger) may submit for free—see below for official rules
Tallgrass Film Festival Will Grant Cash Awards in the Following Categories:
- Stubbornly Independent: $5,000 and one-of-a-kind Tallgrass tap handle
- Female Filmmaker Spotlight: $5,000 and award
- Gordon Parks Award for Black Excellence in Filmmaking Presented by Cargill: $5,000, $15,000 value Panavision Camera Rental and an award
- Vortex Award $500 Sponsored by Mark & Lynda Carrier-Metz
