Interview with Melanie Addington, Executive Director of the Tallgrass Film Festival

Before the Tallgrass Film Festival opens on October 5th in Witchita, Kansas, and virtually, I hopped on a Zoom call to interview Melanie Addington, the Executive Director of the festival.

Listen to the interview using the audio player, or scroll down to read the transcribed interview.

If you're interested in attending the Tallgrass Film Festival, you can buy tickets for the in-person or virtual experience here.

You can follow Melanie on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Threads⁠, and ⁠Facebook⁠. You can also follow Tallgrass on ⁠Instagram,⁠ ⁠Twitter⁠, and ⁠Facebook⁠.

If you want to become a Patron, head to ⁠⁠Patreon.com/AustinBMedia⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠AustinB.Media/support⁠⁠ for more information.

Thanks to Ambula Bula, Brian Skuttle, Joseph Davis of ⁠⁠⁠SiftPop⁠⁠⁠, Matthew Simpson of ⁠⁠⁠Awesome Friday⁠⁠⁠, and Thom Blackburn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for supporting Austin B Media on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Austin: Hello, everyone, my name is Austin Belzer, and welcome back to another one of my interviews. Today, I'll be discussing the 2023 edition of the Tallgrass Film Festival, which, and let me know if I've got this wrong, Melanie. it takes place both physically in Wichita, Kansas, and virtually through Eventive of October 5th through October 8th.

Melanie Addington: You got it all right.

Austin: Okay. I looked it up beforehand just to make sure. And my guest is Melanie Lynn Addington, who, if you don't know, is the executive director of the festival.

Melanie: That's right. Yeah. Okay. Also correct. You've done your research.

Austin: Okay. But yeah, let's get to talking about the Tallgrass Film Festival, which by the way, thank you for inviting me to cover it. And just this crazy time that is like the end of the start of fall film festivals. But yeah, with that, let's see, just give us like a quick overview of the films that are playing at Tallgrass.

Melanie: Yeah, so we have a little over 184 films selected from about 1600 submissions from around the world.

And we have things that were made locally here in Wichita, Kansas, all the way to things made pretty much anywhere, any country you can think of. And we do a wide variety. So we try and make sure there's something for everyone. So we obviously have documentary features and we have documentary shorts and those cover a wide range of subjects.

Anything from mental health to, oh, I can't think of another one. There's a lot of mental health this year. And then we have narrative, and then within that, we have horror, we have comedy, we have a little bit of everything. And then, we do what we call Vortex, which is our animation and experimental category.

For those of you who Vortex Sutra. And so, Vortex is a name we claim affectionately here in Wichita.

Austin: Okay. I was wondering about that because in my mind, when I was looking at Eventive because I'll be covering virtually, I was like, is that their version of Sundance Next?

Melanie: It's really no. I do love Sundance Next, but it is really something I adopted from my old festival in Oxford, Mississippi, the Oxford Film Festival.

We also had a. A hybrid animation experimental category because really it's people working outside of the traditional model of film, and it a lot of things cross over and so it's really nice to be able to show both and some are definitely lean a little bit more experimental and some lean definitely a little more just traditional animation But there's a lot of in-between in there

Austin: Yeah, and I guess speaking about theming, that actually rolls into my next question beautifully as if you planned it or something, but I talked with Thomas Stoneham-Judge from ForReel.

In fact, the podcast episode is now out for TIFF and I asked him what the theme of TIFF was. And I want to repeat that same question but for Tallgrass.

Melanie: Yeah, so we always have the same theme every year pretty much since the beginning, stubbornly independent. We really lean into that.

We try not to have a lot of studio films. In fact, I don't think we have a single one. We have one short that's been bought by HBO this year. That's it. Everything is very independent. And we do bring distributors in who then really do pick up films here, but we try and really not just do what everyone else is doing on the festival circuit and try and find those hidden gems that don't have the traditional support or the sales agent or the PR rep.

And then, of course, we also have some that are getting lots of PR, like Chasing Chasing Amy, which is an amazing film. It's just, for us, it's always about being stubbornly independent.

Austin: Yeah, and yeah, speaking of Chasing Chasing Amy, I'm probably going to try and see that and I might try and see Your Fat Friend.

I missed that. So good as well. Yeah. And I think Playland's showing here too.

Melanie: It is, yeah. We have that, and then also, the Soda Jerk film, which is really fun...Oh my gosh, I'm blanking on the name. That's terrible.

Austin: Look, I get it.

Melanie: Yeah, there's so many of them and we're in itinerary mode, so I remember their name, not their film at this point.

Austin: Yeah, and I guess with that, what would be your favorite selections of the program this year?

Melanie: Yeah, we really have a wide variety that I like this year. I'm very excited. And the one I really fought to get is The People's Joker, speaking of TIFF.

Austin: Oh, nice.

Melanie: Where it world premiered a while back. What an amazing, stubbornly independent journey that film has had. Literally fighting up against the big guys and winning. So if people don't know about The People's Joker, it world premiered at TIFF, oh gosh, two years ago now.

Austin: Yeah.

Melanie: And Warner Brothers immediately got it shut down. And so they had an intellectual property lawsuit really for the past two years, and then finally actually won the battle classic David versus Goliath.

And so they've been able to start playing festivals. So they played Outfest. I think they're playing Fantastic Fests this week, and then they're playing us, and then they just keep going. And so Vera Drew, the filmmaker, is coming. I'm just really enthralled by her story. So I'm really happy to highlight that film.

Austin: Yeah, and I guess on the flip side, I'm always interested to see because I know you talked about this right before, we follow each other on social media.

Melanie: Yeah.

Austin: And you, before you announced the program, or Tallgrass rather, you said there was like a few that you were fighting to get that you just couldn't get.

Melanie: Yeah, we had a couple that we did lose.

And then we had a couple that are still coming but, like the stars can no longer come because while I'm very excited, the writer's strike is now over, the SAG-AFTRA strike is not over. And we're bearing very supportive of all of our union. Folks and making sure that we're doing things above the board.

So any film we have and anyone who's attending, we've gotten cleared through SAG and really just trying to do the right thing while everyone's fighting for Justice.

Austin: Yeah, and I guess briefly touching on that as we're recording this today, the writer's strike ended, which is amazing.

Melanie: Yeah, that's just really cool.

Austin: And I guess that already covers my question of if there's any considerations or shifts you're making at Tallgrass.

Melanie: I don't know that we get a lot of producers at our festival, which is lovely. I love having producers here and a lot of them are sometimes producers, writers, or directors-writers. And so it does open up really on the stage just some more questions that we can focus in on story and process but in terms of who's attending, I don't think we're suddenly having more screenwriters coming

Austin: Yeah, and that makes sense because even when I was making the questions for this, I was like, it might be too soon for that.

Melanie: It is a little, yeah, we're always right on that cusp. And but all the fall festivals have been very creative. Like the shorts have been cleared. So like, we have filmmakers like Barry Corbin and Jim Beaver coming because they have a short. So you could still have a little bit of celebrity status at your festival.

Heartland has, I think, Matthew Modine coming because he's producing a documentary. There's still ways of supporting film, but see, our festival's always been about filmmakers connecting with their audience, and that's not changing because of the strikes.

Austin: Yeah, and I think that's an important distinction to make because it's, I think, you have some festivals like South by Southwest where a lot of the focus is networking, just meeting people.

Melanie: Yeah, and we do that too, but obviously South by is massive. Your sales festivals. They're there because distributors are looking to buy your film or you're having meetings. For us, it's really about filmmakers being celebrated and having fun. We literally have to tell them to go to bed and stop doing karaoke at 6 a.m. usually. It's really more about the celebration of film here.

Austin: Yeah, that, that reminds me of what a lot of the feel around, I don't know if you're familiar, Slamdance.

Melanie: Oh, I love Slamdance.

Austin: Yeah, me too. Ever since I got invited like three, two, three years ago, something like that.

Yeah, they're wonderful. I actually just recommended two films. It was Jerry...Starring Jerry As Himself. And then another film from Tribeca, Our Son.

Melanie: Oh, yeah.

Austin: To the director of Something You Said Last Night. Which go check out that interview. But yeah, something else we talked about, Thomas and I, on that latest TIFF podcast.

We always want to hear a little bit from programmers, and I would if you have any insights like from the festival programmers is there anything the programmers would like us to know?

Melanie: Yeah, I always, and I actually try, I built an alliance here in Wichita and try and help filmmakers with this because it's so important.

Two things. Your ego will get you nowhere in this industry. You're going to get rejections because it's a numbers game. When there are a thousand other shorts in line for 25 spots. Of course, a lot of good films get rejected. Ask for the feedback, network, and maybe go to the festivals. You really want to get into meet the filmmakers that they're choosing, see the films they're choosing, and really learn from the experience.

Don't just take your first rejection slip and go, Oh, that's it. I'm not a filmmaker. I'm so disheartened by filmmakers that don't realize sometimes the rejection is something that really hurts us to send out because we, we cut some films that are like, Oh, if we just had one more venue if we just had one more of this.

So a lot of good films get cut because there's just so much more access to film equipment which I love. I love the democracy, democratization of the film industry, but it also means a lot more content. Oh, sorry, the bad C word a lot more films to have to peruse and a lot more films to have to cut.

So we also, my other big thing is, if the filmmaker's taking a risk and putting their heart into it, or if they're just following the numbers of what they think a good film that will get into a festival should be. In general, films, we have a one through ten scale. Very rarely do we get nines and tens.

Very rarely do we get ones. Most films just land in the middle. It was good enough. It was adequate. It was not memorable. And that is no fault of the filmmaker other than. They're not putting that risk and they're not putting that heart into their story.

Austin: Yeah, a term I like to use, and maybe this is the wrong term, is sometimes I'll refer to something as aggressively fine.

Melanie: That's perfect. I love that term. Aggressively fine.

Austin: But two things that come to mind when you're talking about feedback were two interactions, one with a publicist recently. And then one with the actual filmmaker. One with the filmmaker was for First Date, the Sundance film. Yeah. I had seen it when it generally released, I think last year or the year before.

Time is a construct.

Melanie: I know. I feel like it's still just 2020 at this point. We should just all give up. It's 2020.

Austin: Yeah. And. When I sent out the review link, it got to Magnolia Pictures, but I think I was working some way with the director, and he emailed me to personally thank me for taking the time to review it.

Melanie: That's great.

Austin: Which was really great. And then the story on the publicist's side was there's this film coming out that, as a reality of being a reviewer, sometimes you can't get to everything. Especially in a festival, which you said 142.

Yeah, like you can't get everything. So I've had to send two separate emails to this guy saying, Hey, I'm sorry, I really can't cover this again. So maybe when it comes to VOD, we can coordinate something because, especially with these smaller films, what I find is important to talk to publicists about is saying, Hey, it's not personal.

I just don't have the time.

Melanie: Yeah, especially with the shoestring-budget indies.

Austin: Where they really need all the publicity they can get, really

Melanie: Yeah.

Austin: and festivals like this. I don't know how what the budgets are for these films, but a film like Playland is going to get a massive boost.

Melanie: Yeah, our stubbly independent category is any film under $750,000 budget. Anything else on the different categories can be any budget, but we really do try and keep it. Really similar to the Film Independence Spirit Award budget number.

Austin: I was gonna ask about that because I kept, I was hearing you say stubbornly independent and I'm like, Are you unofficially the Film Independent Spirit Festival?

Melanie: No, not at all. We have no correlation. Other than I am a member and support them.

Austin: Damn. Yeah. I voted for the last two? Three years? Something like that?

Melanie: Yeah. They're great. They're doing great things. I love them.

Austin: Yeah, I really hope I'll be interested to see this year's slate, especially with the strikes, and seeing how that affects things.

Melanie: Yeah, but there's been some really strong indie films in the spring circuit, so I'm really excited to see what gets celebrated.

Austin: Yeah, I-I just rented Past Lives.

Melanie: Oh, have you, you haven't seen it yet, have you?

Austin: No.

Melanie: Oh, it's my favorite film this year so far.

Austin: Absolutely. Mine's STILL: A Michael J. Fox Story.

Melanie: I do love that. I did see that back in January for Sundance, and I actually reviewed that too, and it was really well done. I think, okay, I will say this is my favorite narrative of the year so far.

Austin: Okay, I think, yeah, I think, what was my favorite narrative? I think it was John Wick[Chapter 4], surprisingly.

Melanie: Okay, you have to see Past Lives first. Or somewhere around there. You're gonna have to see Past Lives before you pass judgment on your favorite.

Austin: Oh, for sure, that's why I keep my 2020 ranked list private on Letterboxd until March of the next year.

Melanie: I actually met a filmmaker that didn't know what Letterboxd was the other day, and I was like, how? it is literally what all I do, it's my entire personality.

Austin: Yeah. What are you doing if you didn't spend entire days writing down lists...it's funny. I keep referencing the previous podcast, but Thomas wanted to know what my favorite films that premiered at Sundance were. So I went from every, like every film I've ever watched and put 'em in ranked lists.

Melanie: Oh.

Austin: And for every year that I've seen a movie in.

Melanie: Amazing.

Austin: So I spent like an entire day this week, the entire Monday, putting that list like back to 1900 something. Oh, amazing. Like 1930 or something. But anyways go check out Letterboxd if you want. I'll probably have...

Melanie: And you're not even sponsored by them, we're just talking about them a lot.

Austin: If they want to sponsor me, yeah, maybe, if they want to sponsor me, I won't say no to money. I'll never say no to money, for those who follow me, I just put out a thing where, hey, if anyone has the money, could they just donate a PS5 to me? Because I need to play Spider-Man 2.

Melanie: Yeah, it's important.

Austin: It's important, priorities, but speaking of priorities getting back into Tallgrass. I'd love to hear your suggestions both for physical and virtual attendance of Tallgrass for maybe first-time people.

Melanie: Sure. For first-time people, especially if you are from out of state, there's less films available, but there are still films which is great because you can see a lot of the stuff anywhere you are in the world.

And Chasing Chasing Amy is actually virtual for one week, and I think it's important to be seen. I, I don't know. There's so many good ones. Playland is virtual. I love Your Fat Friend. I really love The Woman of Stars and Mountains, which is about a woman from Mexico that ended up in Kansas.

And was put into a mental institution, and then they said that she didn't speak any language that anyone could understand. And so they just kept her in there for almost 15 years, and finally, a woman volunteering realized she just speaks Spanish. It is the most bizarre true-life documentary. It is wild to me.

And then there's some really great ones that have already played other festivals, like Join or Die, but I think it's really great.

Austin: It's on my list, actually.

Melanie: It's wonderful. We're doing that conversation with Barry Corbin live in person, but then we're going to put it up virtually along with his short film Trail End.

So that'll be nice. Yeah, it just depends on what you want to do virtually. And then all of our shorts are available virtually, and really, there's some really solid work in there. A little-known comedian, Ricky Gervais, has a short film. So we're excited for that. And then, in person, it's, that's why we have a grid, and my suggestion is always three plans.

Yeah, option A: what you really think you want to see. Option B is the, okay, if that doesn't work out, and I didn't like it, I'll go see this. And then option C is...Okay, I missed everything because I ended up talking to people in the VIP lounge for four So what do I catch online? And so it's really part of it is like having a plan But also being able to let go of the plan while you're at a festival It's just as good as life advice.

You have to go with the flow but also have some idea of what you're trying to go for. But really, the big thing with festivals, for me, always, and I've, I have been doing this for 20 years, so I'm not a newbie, but it's okay if you really aren't digging the film. It's you don't have to go trash it, but just walk out and try a different film, and that's the joy of festivals that's all my advice.

Austin: Yeah, and I think that last bit is probably the best part because during Sundance 2021, there were a lot of films I just was not vibing with.

Melanie: Yeah, and that's okay. I think it's great. Especially with virtual, you have time to be just like able to go through some things and find some gems that you wouldn't have discovered otherwise, because sometimes a log line, you're like, I don't know, that doesn't look good. And then it's amazing.

Austin: So yeah, so I guess my tip, at least for just general festivals. I've only gone to a few, but all virtual, so that's where my strengths lie. I would say first go look at the virtual schedule, look at the logline, and then if there's anything you're interested in, bookmark it.

Put a bookmark folder, and then when it gets closer to when you need to order it and get your pass or whatever. Look at it again. And if that second time you look at it and you're like, I really want to see, this is a really nice concept. Maybe it's got a really cool log line, or you think the image looks cool on Eventive, then just watch those and then go.

Like just explore.

Melanie: That's why we do a virtual pass. That is literally only $50. All it does is cover the unlock fees, but I want people to watch these films and appreciate them, and discover something new. So it really, it's a ridiculous value. But we do pay what you can because we split the sales with our filmmakers.

And so some people will, instead of the $7 minimum, we'll give 20 bucks and then the filmmaker gets $10. So, it's nice to help support our indie filmmakers.

Austin: Yeah, and, yeah, I definitely think that's admirable because I feel like especially if we were, like, pre-strike or stuff like that, I think it, just, it's I feel like a lot of cast and crew don't get enough credit.

Agreed. Yeah, anything they can get is great. But yeah, let's see. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about regarding Tallgrass? Anything I missed out on? Because I probably did.

Melanie: We should mention to people they can go to tallgrassfilm.org and buy their virtual pass or come to Wichita for a weekend.

Austin: Yeah. Come to Wichita. It's fun. Yeah. And, and also having worked in Kansas movie theaters, there's a lot of AMCs out there. Maybe you catch a movie.

Melanie: Yeah, we do have an AMC. We also have what used to be the world's largest IMAX. A few more have been built since, but yeah, and that's a Regal, which is great.

Austin: Oh, is it not the Studio 28? No, that's an Olathe.

Melanie: That's in Olathe. Yeah. It used to be Warren Theaters and then he sold it to Regal. And so they have two, they used to have three, but they shut one down recently, which is heartbreaking for everyone. And then AMC. And then we have a microcinema. So we show all the stuff no one else will show, like Memoria and different things like that.

Austin: Oh, when I tell you I'm never going to see that movie. Yeah. Cause it's only in theaters, right? Yeah. And I'm like, Neon, what are you doing?

Melanie: Eventually, they'll get tired of that shtick, I think. But it is, yeah, it. It's so uncomfortable with an audience. And I think that is absolutely part of the point. But yeah, it would be nice for that film to be a little more accessible.

Austin: And plus, it's not like, speaking on that uncomfortable with audience thing, I feel like Neon's movies are those ones where you're like...

Melanie: That's their brand. Let's make you uncomfortable.

Austin: Yeah, and you're like, okay, maybe let's watch this when it comes out on digital or Hulu. And just shut all the blinds and everything.

Melanie: I don't know, sometimes, it's good if you can get out to be uncomfortable with other people sometimes. And if you can't, I think it's important, especially for this industry, to make sure that films are accessible to as wide an audience as possible.

Austin: Yeah, and especially living in an area, personally, for me, Where that isn't an option.

A lot of indie movies do not play here. I don't know if you've ever been to the area, but We've got two theaters and that's it. And they're run by the same guy. Could we get some A24 movies, at least? Just one? I know,

Melanie: I know...

Is so important for this film industry, and it has been for a long time, but the distributors haven't quite caught on, so...

Austin: Yeah, but with that said, I want to I don't want to take some...any more of your time because I know it's a busy time.

Melanie: It is a busy time, but I appreciate you letting me just talk about movies for a few minutes.

It's fun.

Austin: Yeah, it's always nice to talk about movies all the time. But with that said, thank you all for watching or listening, however you did this. If you enjoyed this...if you're listening to this as a podcast because I know people like listening to interviews as a podcast. Please subscribe and leave a rating interview wherever that applies.

I know Spotify has it, Apple Podcasts, I don't know where else, but wherever that exists, subscribe and leave a rating.

Austin: You can follow me on social media @ Austin B Media, everywhere except X because they won't give me that handle, so I have to put an underscore at the end of it, so just remember that underscore, then I just want to take some time to thank my Patrons. Ambula Bula, Brian Skuttle, Joseph Davis, whose work you can find on SiftPop, Matthew Simpson of Awesome Friday, and Thom Blackburn, who gave me the idea to do this discussion style format. So, if you would like to become a Patron, go to patreon.com slash AustinBee Media or austinb.media/support, or I think you can also go to join.austinb.media to become a Patron. And then, if you like listening to this as an audio podcast, because I recently found out that if I upload this as a video episode, it doesn't, it won't play the audio, it'll just play the video so if you like audio you can connect your Patreon and Spotify accounts together to listen to these discussions 24 hours in advance of everyone else.

Melanie: Oh, that's cool.

Austin: Yeah, that is really cool. When they announced it in March at the Spotify Stream On event, I was super stoked. And I'd also be interested to hear from my Patrons. What do you think about the Spotify Patreon linking? Let me know in the comments of the Patreon post. But with that said, Melanie, I'll see you on the social networks.

Oh, probably right after. Where can people find you, by the way?

Melanie: Me, personally, I'm usually Mel Addington on everything. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and then on Tallgrass. We're just Tallgrass or Tallgrass Film everywhere,

Austin: Awesome. I hope people check it out. Even if it's just like going into the event of thing and watching a movie or two.

I saw The Flying Sailor, one of the shorts. So go, maybe go check that out. If you didn't see that when...

Melanie: It was, I think it was in my front runner.

Austin: But with that said, thank you again, Melanie, I'll see you on social media everywhere.

Melanie: Bye.

Austin: Bye.

Until next time!