Overview

Partnerships and Sponsor Benefits

“Local art-driven events like the Tallgrass Film Festival not only have a positive impact on Wichita’s economy but also add to the quality of life in this city.” — Robert Redford

"As a company, we believe that a strong, diverse cultural community is essential to securing a vibrant future for Wichita and South-Central Kansas." - Barry Schwan, President/CEO, House of Schwan, on why he's invested in the Tallgrass Film Association since 2003.

Click here to download the 2013 TFA Sponsorship PDF.

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TFA approaches our sponsorships as true partnerships – designed to meet the needs and returns of each individual investor, the festival, and the attendees – by learning more about each sponsor’s marketing objectives. As a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization, your contribution is partially tax-deductible. Whether you want to make a big impression at the annual festival or create a year-round impact – contact us to continue the conversation.

The Tallgrass Film Festival positions Wichita as a hip and cutting edge community with cultural vitality. It provides a positive impact on Wichita’s tourism industry and brings world class cinema to Wichita — programming that is equal to that found at larger, urban and prominent festivals. The filmmakers who visit the city each year go on to become cultural ambassadors not only for the festival, but also the city and the very nature of a film festival serves as a recruitment and rentention tool for young professionals.

Today, anyone can watch a movie anytime, anywhere – from a smart phone to the living room – but these are solitary experiences. Tallgrass strives to preserve the cultural tradition of film viewership as a communal adventure. Movies bring us together: they entertain, spark conversation, build community and forge new relationships; and there is no better way to experience this than with an audience of film afficianados and the filmmakers who have a story to tell.

Tallgrass Film Festival provides a fun and affordable option for local and regional vacationers and provides a unique and dynamic entertainment option for Wichitans. The festival provides sponsors access to a passionate, diverse, educated and media savvy audience, and offers unique ways to expose a business or brand to a new, engaged and captive audience.

TFA presents year-round programs and partners with many community groups and like- minded non-profits to promote film-related events.

STUBBORNLY INDEPENDENT

Ten years ago, the term “independent film” was not nearly as ubiquitous as it is today. An “indie” is a movie that is produced outside the Hollywood studio system – often less commercially-driven and with a focus on storytelling versus big budget theatrics. TFA and the Tallgrass Film Festival serve as a voice and a venue for these smaller films and filmmakers that may not otherwise have the opportunity for a theatrical screening in the region. We asked some of our visiting filmmakers what being “stubbornly independent” means to them:

“In a business where art and commerce are in constant conflict with one another, being stubbornly independent represents the freedom to create without restrictions or censorship and clearly tilts the balance in favor of the art.” – James Choi, Director, FAITH IN DESTINY

“It’s the need to create, no matter how limited the resources are. The mentality that anything is possible with only a camera and actors.” – Ken J. Adachi, Director, DEAD DAD

“It’s to take that leap of faith in yourself, and your cast and crew against all that is logical and standard, for the love of film and storytelling. And to pave the new way of ‘how things are done.” – David Spaltro, Director, THINGS I DON’T UNDERSTAND

“It means that I will find ways to make things happen and to create new ways of distributing my movies even if everyone keeps giving me the same spill of what sells and what doesn’t. I refuse to take no for an answer.” – Korinna Sehringer, Director SHOUTING SECRETS

AUDIENCE DEMOGRAPHICS: WHO ATTENDS THE FESTIVAL?

The typical Tallgrass attendee is:

Female
College Educated
Married
Household of 3+
Annual income $70,000 – 100,000
Uses Social Media multiple times per day
Regular attendee of cultural events (concerts, theater, museums)
Supporter of local arts and businesses
Avg. Tallgrass Facebook follower: Male/Female Ages 25-34

BRAND IT, OWN IT

TFA & the festival offers our partners many unique branding opportunities. From Filmmaker Labs to Special Screenings, Galas to Green Carpet, we’re proud to put your name in lights. As a presenting sponsor of a specific event, your brand will be included in all marketing and promotional materials, as well as on-site. We’re also open to creating a completely custom branding opportunity based on your product and services. In 2012, Fiat of Wichita showcased their “immigrant” commercial by becoming the presenting sponsor for all World Cinema films. Their :30 spot played before all foreign films and a fleet of vehicles were on display during the festival outside the Orpheum Theatre. Attendees were invited to “shop” the vehicles, sit in them, and have their photographs taken.