High School Student Finds Time to Attend College and Make a Film

Micah Streeter, 17, is in the Class of 2019 at Rose Hill High School. As a junior in high school, he is also enrolled in college courses through the Early College Academy at Butler Community College. This program allows high school students to work toward their diploma and their associate degree simultaneously. In addition to his schoolwork, Micah had a short film debut at the Tallgrass Film Festival this fall.

Micah is a part of The Emerging Programmer Apprenticeship at the Tallgrass Film Festival, a free program that allows Wichita-area students, ages 12-18, the opportunity to learn the process of film-making. This program also gives these students a chance to become a part of a team that has an integral role in programming several screenings.

Micah and his team were in the 24-hour-film event, Down-to-the-Wire, a competition in which all movie shorts are written, directed, edited and shown in 24 hours. This was the 6th time the event, which had more than 300 participants, was held in Wichita. Micah’s group was one of 30 groups that participated. The 15-member, student-run team was mentored by professional volunteers. For this event, the group of students from area high schools decided to examine a social craze. Micah was chosen as the director. The group used four adult actors and five student actors to make “Fidget Sinners.” Micah, being the director, oversaw the entire project from beginning to end, hardly sleeping – as the short took 24 hours to write, film and edit.

“It’s a mockumentary,” Micah said. “It is an anti-fidget spinner film. We treated it like a heroin addiction.”

The film was a success, winning Best Actor and Best Use of Required Elements, and was chosen by the festival to kick off their 15th annual Tallgrass Film Festival, preceding the opening night feature film during this year’s 5-day event.

The students who worked on the film came from Wichita East, Bishop Carroll, Trinity Academy, Augusta, Rose Hill, Wichita Collegiate, The Independent School, Kapaun Mt. Carmel and Wichita Northwest high schools. “Fidget Sinners” is on Vimeo.com.