Founder, exec director of Tallgrass Film Festival
Timothy Oliver Gruver, founder and exec director of the Tallgrass Film Festival in Kansas, died Aug. 9 after collapsing outside his home in Wichita, Kan., and suffering a grand mal seizure. He was 33.
Tallgrass is a celebration of independent film in Kansas, serving as a cultural haven for filmmakers in the Midwest. Gruver, a Native American, was born in Topeka, then adopted and raised in Wichita. After receiving a degree in film studies at Brigham U., he moved to Los Angeles and began his film career at DreamWorks Animation. He became known on the festival circuit and subsequently worked as a manager for OutFest in L.A. and the Los Angeles Film Festival. He also directed numerous shorts, and co-founded Wild Indians Film Production Co. with Lela Meadow of Los Angeles. In 2002, he returned to Wichita and founded the Wichita Assn. for the Motion Pictures Arts, of which the Tallgrass Film Festival is a program. Most recently, he was in the midst of planning the festival’s third run. The 2005 Tallgrass Festival will launch in late October, dedicated to the memory of its founder. He is survived by his parents, brothers and sisters. Donations can be made to the Tallgrass Film Festival, c/o Conlee, Schmidt & Emerson, 200 W. Douglas, Suite 300, Wichita, KS 67202.
