Have you ever been to a film festival in Kansas?
Chances are that part of the festival circuit may have evaded a fair few of you. But anyone who has been to Wichita's Tallgrass Film Festival can tell you it's a shame if you haven't been. Tallgrass is quickly rising through the ranks of regional festivals to become the must-go film festival for the Midwest. While their stubbornly independent programming has expanded a bit in the last couple years to include a few more films with distribution, the quality level is top notch and they still pride themselves on playing some of the year's best undiscovered gems. We took a peek at the festival's program and selected 5 can't-miss picks covering both the slightly bigger and somewhat smaller films on offer.
The fest kicks off tonight and more info can be found at their website.
Red, White & Wasted
Directors Sam B. Jones and Andrei Bowden-Schwartz take you deep into red state territory with this look at a family who love to drive big trucks in deep mud. This visceral documentary premiered at Tribeca.
Bonus Pick: If you like the sound of Red, White & Wasted, don't miss Davy Rothbart's truly stunning decades-spanning documentary 17 Blocks.
First Love
It's perhaps a bit surprising to see a Takashi Miike film pop up on the Tallgrass program, but this gangster pic from the Japanese fave is just as full of heart as it is guns blazing action. It's sure to be a hit with the Wichita audiences.
Bonus Pick: If you like First Love, check out Bong Joon-ho's Palme d'Or winning masterpiece, Parasite
Midnight Traveler
Self-shot by director Hassan Fazili, this touching documentary is a a first-hand tale of the immigrant experience in current-day Europe. After the director and his family are forced to flee Afghanistan, the heart-pounding search for asylum causes Fazili to go to incredible lengths for his family's safety.
Bonus Pick: If you like the sound of Midnight Traveler, check out Mexico City ambulance doc Midnight Family.
Ms. Purple
Justin Chon won over audiences across the festival circuit with his LA-infused black and white drama Gook. His follow-up is set in LA's Koreatown and features Tiffany Chu as a hostess forced to reconnect with her estranged family.
Bonus Pick: If you like the sound of Ms. Purple, check out fellow LA Asian Pacific Filmmaker Emily Ting's wonderful Go Back to China.
In Fabric
If it wasn't clear form his films Berberian Sound Studio or The Duke of Burgundy, Peter Strickland has a bizarre sense of humor. His most recent film is the story of a haunted dress and the havoc it wreaks.
Bonus Pick: If you like the sound of In Fabric, check out the Bobcat Goldthwait tribute screenings of World's Greatest Dad and Shakes the Clown.