Opening Night

Friday, April 24th, 10:00 - 11:30 AM

Location: University Galleries (link on map) 

Everyone has a story. Maybe you have a story you have been longing to tell, but you don’t know how to begin. The truth is, storytelling (or making a film) is not as complicated as it seems. Join the team behind this year’s Foxtail Film Festival’s feature film ALL OF THE ABOVE to hear the steps they took to get to their first feature and participate in this interactive storytelling workshop that guides you through turning your very first creative idea into reality. 

Allison Walsh (they/she) is an independent documentary filmmaker and fine artist. Some highlights for their bio: Walsh’s work explores the complexities of identity, culture, and spirituality in the rural Midwest. To go with their debut feature documentary, All of the Above, Walsh plans to pilot the film and accompanying educational resources at national conferences for educators and administrators, through their Interfaith America Innovation Fellowship (2026), with the goal of cultivating more informed and inclusive classrooms. After joining the art collective YAKU, Walsh established her home base in Peoria, Illinois. There, she launched the production company Aluma Media to employ and mentor emerging filmmakers so they can tell underrepresented stories throughout the Midwest. One last noteworthy tidbit: Walsh is the founder and director of the Big Picture Peoria Film Festival - now accepting entries!

Linghua (Lily) Qi (she/her) is a Chicago-based filmmaker dedicated to amplifying voices from the Midwest, with a passion for visual storytelling that explores the depth of human experience and reflects social issues that shape our communities. A few highlights from her bio: She is a 2026 Interfaith America Innovation Fellow, which is connected with her role as producer and co-writer of ALL OF THE ABOVE. With the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc), she curates and produces micro and short documentaries centered on the Asian American experience and community-driven stories, as one of the co-leads of the storytelling initiative. She has worked on the Emmy-nominated, award-winning docuseries ASIAN AMERICAN RESILIENCE AND BEYOND, co-produced by WORLD Channel and the Asian American Documentary Network. Most recently, she co-produced the OUR STORIES, OUR VOICES series, an A-Doc Storytelling Initiative film series emphasizing hyperlocal governance, grassroots activism and participation, community movements, creative approaches to civic engagement, and elder and emerging voices in AANHPI communities across the United States. She has worked on visual projects for the BBC, CNBC, Belt Magazine, Global Citizen, AARP, among others.