By Wilma Moore-Black
Learning a new craft while volunteering is a remarkable experience. Add an opportunity to be engaged with 113 worldwide filmmakers, see KAKE-TV friends, and five action-packed days of fun and great food—you’re in paradise. I’m talking about my first volunteering experience at the 19th annual Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, where 187 films were screened from 58 countries and in 18 languages.
Was I tired going into the festival? Yes! But it was worth it all. In fact, working for almost nine months in advance of the Oct. 20-24 festival as part of the 13-member Gordon Parks Advisory Board was automatic. The Tallgrass board and staff need community involvement. This was the first year for a new film category—Gordon Parks Outstanding Black Filmmaker award.
WPC members I saw were Naomi Shapiro, Cecilia Green, Ellie Keppy and Emily Christensen. Shapiro was busy as a City of Wichita employee-partner with the festival. It was during a festival reception at Botanica that I ran into Green and her husband. Thanks to them for donating an autographed Gordon Parks poster to The Kansas African American Museum earlier this year. Keppy was one of the first-class uber drivers for the VIP filmmakers attending the “stubbornly independent” festival.
For Emily and her husband, Mark, the film festival was like a second honeymoon. They’ve been attending the Tallgrass film festival as “regulars” for years and spent their first anniversary at Tallgrass in 2019. Emily stood out with sparkles in her eyes dressed in her most appropriate outfit for each night’s outing. They looked like lovers at first sight, and it was obvious they loved screening films together and were happy. 
Next to that experience was seeing former KAKE-TV employees Tina and Alex Walterscheid, JoAnne Lofland (and her husband, Art Busch), and John Scheck, who is still employed as a director after 37 years. At the Drury Hotel, the festival’s host hotel, I crossed paths with former “Good Morning Kansas” anchor Jan Gardner Binder who ensured hotel guests were satisfied with their stay.
My most treasured festival relationship came when I got to know Arietta Austin, the hospitality director for Tallgrass. She took over “handling” David Parks about six days during the festival so I could get some well-deserved rest in my home. David and I had been traveling to promote Gordon Parks’ works and the movie “Shaft” since Oct. 3. And, I can’t leave out connecting again with 
Will Williams, a longtime Tallgrass volunteer along with his wife; Williams taught me how to design and order grave markers during a stint at Maple Grove Cemetery.
It was so pleasant and relaxing at the hospitality rooms offered at The Drury Hotel and The Lux, a place equipped with delicious food from local food vendors several times a day, small group film discussions, gifts from festival sponsors and a place to screen films daily.
What a beautiful experience at each venue and journey during the 2021 Tallgrass Film Festival. Hats off to all who worked hard to make it happen for 9,000 guests, and we’re ready to do it again Sept. 28 to Oct. 2 in 2022. It will be the festival’s 20th anniversary.
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