Often described as a wicked good kid from Boston, Lela has been with the film festival since late founder Timothy Gruver invited her to Wichita in 2003. A bit of a vagabond, over the last 10 years she's lived in Los Angeles, Chicago & Denver before landing in Wichita. Her favorite films are just as varied and include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Muppet Movie and The Godfather Part II. In addition to 10+ years of experience in the entertainment industry in Hollywood, including marketing and publicity, she also holds a degree in the culinary arts. In her spare time, she can often be found in her kitchen producing, marketing and publicizing her culinary creations for her film festival compadres. How do you like them apples?

Erin likes to make things. All sorts of bizarre and wonderful things out of silver, glass, yarn, fabric, wood, pixels, video... whatever is handy. She's been making things for Tallgrass since 2005, when Tom asked her to do floral centerpieces for the galas, and hasn't stopped yet. She's also had a hand in making the screening copies of the shorts programs and several of the Tallgrass trailers over the years.  When not busy with all of that, she enjoys trashy B-movies, German Weimar cinema, costume dramas, and Xanadu.

As a 2012 intern for the festival, Amber had the time of her life and is thrilled to join the staff! Spawned in the sprawling metropolis of Newton, Kansas, she spent the majority of her formative years either dragging her mother to the local movie theatre or laboring backstage at numerous community/high school theatre productions. She is a 2005 graduate of Newton High School, a 2010 graduate of Hutchinson Community College, nearly a Wichita State film certificate holder, and a future KU film student. Amber watches the Oscars the way most people watch the Super Bowl and has seen every Best Picture nominee since 2004. When not studying or watching movies she can be found devouring books and decorating her Harry Potter room.

Gretchen has an addictive personality. Fortunately her obsessive outlet manifests itself, not in crack or meth, but in watching and organizing the films submissions and programming committee for the festival. Since she began volunteering for the festival in 2005, she has fallen crazy for the international narratives and the raw, edgy domestic indies. When she is not driving the rest of the staff crazy with it, her OCD is perfect for working at Tallgrass. Also, she knows all the best late night taco joints in town.

A graduate of the University of Kansas, Nick has spent his life in Wichita and has been with the Tallgrass Film Festival since the beginning, when he started as print traffic assistant.  Nick's passion for film grew in the 90's with indie auteurs such as Wes Anderson, The Coen Brothers, and Paul Thomas Anderson. His programming team wades through more than 600 submissions a year. Fortunately, for him, the festival is in October so he can still make time for March Madness.

Just running a little late...

When he's not covered in glitter, Tom can usually be found backstage, propping on set, or at home watching a film from his Southern women collection. Tom has been designing Tallgrass' legendary parties since 2003 when he turned a parking garage into an extravaganza that people are still talking about. Despite constant heckling from his fellow staff members, he remains a PC.

If it doesn’t sparkle, it had better be pink and fluffy or designed to be worn with stiletto heels.  When she isn’t locating a donor for a cool cuisine for a Tallgrass party or reception, Anne, a consummate closer, stays busy with several other non-profit organizations ….all the while, her tiara intact.

Francine is the best Box Office Director that Tallgrass has ever had. The girl can count, sort and organize like nobody’s business and we always call on her when we just need to get things done.  Francine has a knack for remaining drama-free amongst her hot-headed colleagues. When she's not selling tickets or counting money, you can usually find her adding to her shoe collection or singing her signature song “Killing Me Softly,” on the karaoke circuit.

Thane can best be described by his initials: TEC. If it plugs in, turns on, makes noise, shows pretty colors on the wall, well, that makes him happy. He connects equipment, ideas and people - and not always in that order. Allow him to tell you all about his trip to Chicago to scout all the shooting locations for the original Blues Brother's movie (not that horrible remake in 2000!). He speaks geek, but heck, someone on staff has to.

Gay has been surrounded by volunteers all of her professional life. Whether as a concert promoter, a community organizer or a Surgical Technician, she knows volunteers have contributed greatly to her success. (OK, maybe not actually in the OR, but in other areas of the hospital.) She has also been a volunteer many times herself: literacy teacher, ESL, softball coach, Mennonite housing...but her favorite experience? Working at the Sedgwick County Zoo in the African Veldt. 'Cause you just haven't lived 'til you've scooped elephant poop.

Arietta is the hostess with the mostess. Hospitality Director for nine years, this California girl has witnessed it all, and only done half of it (she says with a wink.) Ari can always be counted on for her fierce earrings and contagious laughter. From the moment they touch down in Wichita, every visiting filmmaker at Tallgrass is treated like a VIP thanks to this lady.

 

A hippie at heart, Danielle enjoys sharing her awesome-ness with the world.  Since her first year as a volunteer with Tallgrass in 2010, the VIP Filmmaker's Lounge has never been so rad.  When she's not busy being a mom, Danielle enjoys supporting other non-profit organizations within our community and will soon be graduating from Friends University.  Some of her movie fav's include Swingers and Requiem for a Dream... She's a little offbeat, and that's just how we like it.