WICHITA, KANS—Wichita Association for the Motion Picture Arts/Tallgrass Film Festival and Wichita State University’s International Education Office announces a special screening of the acclaimed British-Afghan documentary, “AFGHAN STAR” at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, January 28 in the CAC Theater at Wichita State University’s Rhatigan Student Center. Tickets are $9 general admission ($7 for seniors) with special prices of $5 for WSU faculty/ staff and $2 for college and high school students with I.D.

After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, pop culture has returned to Afghanistan. Millions are watching AFGHAN STAR – a Pop Idol-style TV series in which people from across the country compete for a cash prize and record deal. 2000 people audition, including three brave women. The viewers vote for their favorite singers by mobile phone and for many this is their first encounter with democracy. This timely and inspired film follows the moving stories of four young contestants looking for a new life. But their journeys take a terrifying turn as one young woman dances on stage, threatening her own safety and the future of the show itself. In Afghanistan you risk your life to sing.

“AFGHAN STAR” is the feature directorial debut of British director, Havana Marking, and is a joint production of Afghanistan and the U.K. The film is currently being shown at numerous theatres and festivals the world over and was the winner of the Best World Cinema Documentary Director Award and the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, where it held its American premiere in 2009. It continues to be one of the best reviewed films of the past year, still retaining a rare 100% on the “Tomatometer”, a compilation of the published film reviews of more than 200 top film critics at Rotten Tomatoes , resulting in a Golden Tomato Award. Most recently, it was named as Britain’s submission to the 2010 Academy Awards competition for Best Foreign Language Film of 09.

Tallgrass Film Festival’s acclaimed Third Thursday Screening Series returns in February.