About KCUFF

Our Mission

The Kansas City Underground Film Festival exists to bring underseen and underappreciated independent films to the Kansas City community.

To fulfill that mission, our philosophy centers around removing obstacles for both filmmakers and moviegoers. That means:

  • No required admission fees or tickets

  • Waived submission fees for local filmmakers and project of particular need

  • The lowest submission fees of any film festival in Kansas City (often half of other festivals!)

  • No restrictions on runtime or genre

Our Organization

The Kansas City Underground Film Festival operates under the umbrella of Film Society KC which is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Film Society KC aims to build a more vibrant film culture in Kansas City by supporting local filmmakers and theaters, organizing educational programs and events, and creating unforgettable movie experiences for film enthusiasts. The society's mission is to promote and enhance the art of cinema, and to bring people together to celebrate the magic of film.

Our Team

Willy Evans - Festival Director/Co-Founder

He/Him

I care about movies because they’ve changed my life. When I was younger, someone told me, “In five years, you’ll be the same person you are now, except for the places you go, the people you meet, and the books you read.” I’ve found that to be mostly true, with one important addition: the movies I’ve watched.

Film has a unique power to transport us and place us inside another person’s experience. It’s a strange and beautiful thing that a sequence of images can do this, and so many artists have used that power to communicate in ways no other medium allows.

I’m especially drawn to films that challenge what cinema can be. Most films rely on narrative, and we often tell ourselves stories to make sense of the world. But I’m interested in work that asks whether we can face life without those stories, and what it looks like when film breaks away from that instinct.

As president of Film Society KC, I’m proud to be part of a community that treats film as an art form. Some of my favorites include Weekend, Jeanne Dielman, Chungking Express, Cache, Your Sister’s Sister, and Hard Ticket to Hawaii. You can usually find me watching festival submissions or running the box office at the Stray Cat Film Center.

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Kari Bingham-Gutierrez - Co-Founder/Head of Screening Committee

She/Her

I've always enjoyed movies, but my love for film probably didn't begin until I started co-hosting a movie discussion radio show/podcast with Willy. Recently, I took a quiz to figure out which Bojack Horseman character I'm most like. My result of Diane and my resulting disappointment should tell you all you need to know about me. I currently work as a Circulation Supervisor at the Olathe Public Library.

Some of my favorite movies include: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Synecdoche, New York, and Only Lovers Left Alive.

More often, though, you'll catch me watching Rom-Coms, terrible Netflix Originals, or binge watching the latest reality show obsession.