Robert Redford Addresses YPW Members At Tallgrass Cinema Alfresco Screening Of All The President’s Men

WICHITA, KAN, August 14, 2008 – Independent film pioneer and screen legend Robert Redford through a written statement addressed the Young Professionals of Wichita (YPW) at tonight’s special Cinema Alfresco screening of the Academy Award winning film, ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN. Mr Redford stressed the importance of supporting the arts, including the Tallgrass Film Festival, taking place October 23-26th in and around downtown Wichita. The free screening concluded the 2008 season of Cinema Alfresco at the Brickyard in Old Town. Read on for a transcript of Mr. Redford’s statement.

“Greetings YPW members and thank you for coming out to support ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and the Tallgrass Film Festival. 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.

You are Wichita’s next generation of leaders and by showing your support for nationally-recognized events like the Tallgrass Film Festival, which takes place right here in your own backyard, you are setting an example for those who follow in your footsteps, about the genuine importance of supporting arts in your community.

This year, Wichita was honored by the Kansas Arts Commission as “Arts Community of the Year” and this October’s Tallgrass Film Festival, “Stubbornly Independent, " will continue its tradition of screening the very best of independent film from around the world. Please continue to bring your patronage and support to the film festival and help your Tallgrass grow.”

Founded in 2003 by the late Timothy Gruver, the Tallgrass Film Festival is a program of the Wichita Association for the Motion Picture Arts (WAMPA), a non-profit 501©3 arts organization dedicated to entertaining and enlightening audiences from America’s Heartland. Through the Festival, the Cinema Al Fresco Series, WAMPA Filmmaker Academy and Special Screenings, WAMPA spotlights the city’s venues, cultural attractions and artistic communities. WAMPA strives to foster the ever-growing local filmmaking community, sparking a dialogue among filmmakers and enhancing artistic expression.

Confirmed Sponsors for the 2008 Tallgrass Film Festival, which will take place in and around downtown Wichita October 23-26, include Warren Theaters, Emily Bonavia Trust, Integrated Media Group, Clear Channel Radio/Wichita, City of Wichita, Spirit AeroSystems, Kansas Arts Commission, Stella Artois, House of Schwan, Spangenberg Phillips Architecture, Greater Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau, Heavy Weather Entertainment, Wichita Downtown Development Corporation, WichitaTIX.com, JET Printing, National Endowment for the Arts, Scholfield Honda Presenting GreenGrass, Standard Beverage, Kansas Film Commission, The Brickyard, The Orpheum Theatre, KMUW, KPTS, Kansas Film Commission, Naked City, Wichita Magazine, Ulrich Museum of Art, CityArts, Showbiz Software, Cricket Communications, Rock Island Studios, Specs, Liberty Press, Old Mill Tasty Shop, Rock Island Studios, AT&T, Jean Garvey, Art Allen, WSU Shift Space, Old Town Association, Tangent Lab, The Sheppard Foundation, Bentley Meadows, Susan Moneypenny, Steve Anderson, Classic Real Estate, Emprise Bank, Eric Fisher Salon, and 360wichita.com.