“Remembering Forest Grove”, a documentary short produced by Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films were awarded a Mid-America Emmy® Award in the Educational (short form) category. The couple also won an Historical Documentary Emmy®, along with co-producer Garry McGee, for their feature-length documentary “Jean Seberg: Actress Activist Icon”. Both of the films had their broadcast premiere on WQPT- PBS.
“We could not be more pleased with the news of receiving the Emmy® awards for our documentary work. We were honored to just be nominated and did not anticipate winning,” said producer Tammy Rundle. “Our deep gratitude goes out to Lora Adams and WQPT-PBS for the qualifying broadcast and their ongoing interest in our work, and to all of the participants and supporters who made “Remembering Forest Grove" possible.”
Courtesy Forest Grove School No. 5.
"Remembering Forest Grove" highlights the history of education in the nation, one-room schools in Iowa, on-camera interviews with former teachers and students of Forest Grove School No. 5, and concludes with a visual summary of the successful seven-year restoration spearheaded by a group of local dedicated volunteers.
“The Emmy® win for "Remembering Forest Grove" is especially sweet to share with the determined, hard-working visionaries, like Sharon Andresen and Barb Andersen, and professionals, volunteers and donors, historians, teachers and students, who brought the educational icon back to life,” added director Kelly Rundle.
Forest Grove School was built in 1873 and closed in 1957. Restoration began in 2012 and was completed in 2019. Forest Grove School No. 5 is refurbished to its 1920s appearance and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Forest Grove is now open for tours during the summer months and educational classroom re-enactments for school groups via appointment.
"Remembering Forest Grove" is available to view exclusively at Forest Grove School No. 5. The restored schoolhouse is open for tours in the summer, and educational classroom re-enactments for school groups via appointment. Visit ForestGroveSchool.org for information.
Fourth Wall Films' Tammy and Kelly Rundle with their four Emmys.
Kelly and Tammy Rundle received a Mid-America Emmy® award for their environmental documentary “Over and Under: Wildlife Crossings” in 2021, and have received a total of twelve Emmy-nominations for their various film projects over the last decade. They are currently in post-production on their feature-length documentary “Resurrecting Forest Grove”. The film will premiere for the country school’s 150th Anniversary on the Putnam Giant Screen in Davenport, Iowa on September 23rd, 2023 .
For more information, visit ForestGroveMovie.com.
Our deep gratitude to WHBF-4's Jonathan Turner for sharing our good news about Remembering Forest Grove's Emmy nomination. We include an excerpt from his story and a link to read the rest. Cross your fingers for us on October 29th!
QC Filmmakers earn two new Emmy nominations
By Jonathan Turner, WHBF-4 Reporter
The Primetime Emmy Awards were given out Monday night, but Moline’s Kelly and Tammy Rundle have their eyes on the prizes to be announced in late October.
The independent documentary filmmakers — who own and operate Fourth Wall Films — have received two 2022 Mid-America Emmy nominations for their historical documentary films “Jean Seberg: Actress Activist Icon,” a feature-length film co-produced with Garry McGee; and “Remembering Forest Grove,” a short museum film.
Both of the married couple’s films had their qualifying broadcast premiere on WQPT-PBS.
“We are very excited to receive the news of two nominations and are grateful for the recognition for both films,” producer Tammy Rundle said recently in a news release. “Our deep gratitude goes out to Lora Adams and WQPT-PBS for the qualifying broadcast and for their ongoing interest in our work. We are grateful to all the participants and supporters who made these documentary films possible.”
Read the rest of the story HERE!
Resurrecting Forest Grove, a feature-length documentary produced by Fourth Wall Films, has been awarded a $2,500 grant from the Moline Foundation during its Spring 2022 cycle. The fiscal sponsor for the project is Truth First Film Alliance, Inc. The grant will partially fund post-production (editing) work on the new film project.
“Our thanks to the Moline Foundation for its support on Resurrecting Forest Grove," said the film’s producer Tammy Rundle. “The Moline Foundation has been very supportive of our work in creating enlightening and entertaining historical documentaries on important subjects based in the Quad Cities region and we are grateful.”
The Rundles first visited Forest Grove School in Bettendorf, Iowa in 2009 while filming snow scenes for their Emmy® nominated historical documentary Country School: One Room – One Nation. The school appeared to be on the brink of collapse and un-restorable. In 2012, a small group of local preservationists decided the 1873 Forest Grove School No. 5 in Bettendorf, Iowa could, and should, be saved.
Resurrecting Forest Grove, will cinematically tell the dramatic true story behind the seemingly-impossible task of restoring the vintage one-room school to its 1920s appearance. Footage and interviews gathered over a seven-year period will depict the problems they faced and the solutions they employed as they attempted to bring this rural icon back to life. The surprises and successes of this challenging restoration project are intercut with a vivid historical portrait of the 'Roaring 20s' in rural America.
Resurrecting Forest Grove is slated to premiere at the Putnam Museum in Davenport, Iowa in 2023. For more information about the new documentary, visit www.ForestGroveMovie.com and the film's Facebook fan page.
The Moline Foundation serves as a catalyst and leader in encouraging philanthropy and channeling resources to meet the needs of the Quad Cities and the surrounding area. It serves the donors, citizens, and non-profit organizations in the counties of Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Warren, Henderson, McDonough in Illinois, and Scott County in Iowa.
Truth First Film Alliance, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Moline, Illinois, promotes, supports, and encourages the production and exhibition of documentary films, and narrative films based on true stories, through public presentations and educational programs in the Quad Cities region. Free public programs include film screenings and discussions with visiting filmmakers and classroom visits to talk about film and filmmaking with students.
Fourth Wall Films is an Emmy-winning Northwestern Illinois-based film and video production company specializing in Midwestern historical documentaries for public television broadcast and national DVD and Blu-ray home video release and online streaming. Fourth Wall also provides limited theatrical, broadcast, and DVD distribution services, primarily for our own titles. In addition, the company provides commercial services to museums, PBS stations, and other film and video producers.
"Remembering Forest Grove”, a museum film produced by Emmy award-winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films, received the top Award of Excellence from the Iowa Motion Picture Association in the Education category on Saturday evening, May 14. The 10-minute film highlights the history of education in the nation, one-room schools in Iowa, on-camera interviews with former teachers and students of Forest Grove School No. 5, and concludes with a visual summary of the successful seven-year restoration spearheaded by a group of local dedicated volunteers.
Forest Grove School was built in 1873 and closed in 1957. Restoration began in 2012 and was completed in 2019. Forest Grove School No. 5 is refurbished to its 1920s appearance and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We’re grateful for this award that recognizes the creative quality of the film and the importance of this inspiring Quad Cities’ historic preservation project,” said director Kelly Rundle. The Rundles also won the IMPA Award of Excellence in the Education category for their documentary “Over and Under: Wildlife Crossings" in 2021.
The newly restored schoolhouse is open for tours on Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to noon, and Thursdays 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Docents guide tours through the one-room school’s fun exhibits and share details about the country school experience throughout the summer.
“Remembering Forest Grove” is available to view exclusively at the schoolhouse. Multiple shorter films about farming, history, and former students and teachers of Forest Grove School, are also accessible via an interactive kiosk in the museum.
Forest Grove School No. 5 is located at 24040 Forest Grove Drive, Bettendorf, Iowa. For more information about Forest Grove School No. 5, visit ForestGroveSchool.org.
Kelly and Tammy Rundle are the owners of Fourth Wall Films, a multi-award-winning and Mid-America Emmy award-winning independent film and video production company based in the Quad Cities. They are currently in post-production on the feature-length documentary "Resurrecting Forest Grove" which will premiere in the fall of 2023 for Forest Grove School No. 5's Sesquicentennial Celebration. Visit FourthWallFilms.com for more information.
We are pleased to announce that "Remembering Forest Grove" has been nominated for an Iowa Motion Picture Award! The short documentary was produced by Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films for Forest Grove School Preservation and is only available to view in the schoolhouse museum located at 24040 Forest Grove Dr, Bettendorf, Iowa. Visit https://forestgroveschool.org/ for museum hours and more information.
The Iowa Motion Picture Awards recognize outstanding creative and technical achievement in Iowa’s moving image production industry, in all its forms -- in 22 program categories and 25 craft categories. Nominated entries and winners will be recognized at the Iowa Motion Picture Awards Gala Ceremony on May 14 at The Bridgeview Center in Ottumwa, Iowa. Visit IMPA for more details.
Fourth Wall Films’ Kelly Rundle & Tammy Rundle have been producing, writing, directing and editing documentaries and other media projects for over 25 years. The Rundles are Emmy® Award winners, and the recipients of 8 Mid-America Emmy® nominations, more than two dozen film festival awards, Telly awards, humanities media grant awards, and dozens of film festival Official Selections.
The Rundles are currently in post-production on a feature length documentary, Resurrecting Forest Grove, which cinematically tells the dramatic true story behind the seemingly-impossible task of restoring the vintage one-room school to its 1920s appearance. In 2012, a small group of preservationists stood before the hollowed-out shell of the unique and historic 1873 Forest Grove School No. 5. In the shadow of the gray, windowless, sagging structure they decided it could, and should, be saved. Footage and interviews gathered over a seven-year period depict the problems they faced and the solutions they employed as they attempted to bring this rural icon back to life. The surprises and successes of this challenging restoration project are intercut with a vivid historical portrait of the 'Roaring 20s' in rural America.
Resurrecting Forest Grove is partially funded by a grant from Humanities Iowa, and the The National Endowment for the Humanities. The fiscal sponsor for the documentary project is Truth First Film Alliance, Inc.
Click HERE to learn how to contribute to the documentary film project and add your name to the credits.
Resurrecting Forest Grove is slated for release in 2023 for the 150th anniversary of the school!
April is Fundraising Campaign Month for Resurrecting Forest Grove, the new feature documentary by Emmy award-winning Fourth Wall Films.
Watch the brief video below. Then CLICK HERE for details on how you can contribute to the documentary project &
have your donation DOUBLED by a special MYSTERY CASH MATCH.
Thank you very much for your support!
The one-hour Humanities Iowa program — “Resurrecting Forest Grove, Or the Impossible & Improbable Restoration of a Roaring ‘20s Country School” — will include a Q&A with the Rundles, Iowa historian Leo Landis, and Forest Grove preservationist Sharon Andresen. Viewers can attend the event via Fourth Wall Films’ Facebook page.
READ the rest of the story HERE!
Mid-America Emmy® award-winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films in Moline will preview excerpts from their new documentary “Resurrecting Forest Grove” during a free online Humanities Iowa presentation Tuesday, December 28 at 6:30 p.m. The one-hour program, “Resurrecting Forest Grove, Or the Impossible & Improbable Restoration of a Roaring ‘20s Country School”, will include a Q&A with the Rundles, Iowa historian Leo Landis, and Forest Grove preservationist Sharon Andresen. Viewers can attend the event via Fourth Wall Films’ Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Fourth-Wall-Films-173844695995934.
The Rundles first visited Forest Grove School in Bettendorf, Iowa in 2009 while filming snow scenes for their Mid-America Emmy® nominated historical documentary Country School: One Room – One Nation. The school appeared to be on the brink of collapse and unrestorable. In 2012, a small group of local preservationists, coordinated by Andresen, decided the 1873 Forest Grove School No. 5 could, and should, be saved.
Resurrecting Forest Grove will cinematically tell the dramatic true story behind the seemingly-impossible task of restoring the vintage one-room school to its 1920s appearance. Footage and interviews gathered over a ten-year period will depict the problems they faced and the solutions they employed as they attempted to bring this rural icon back to life. The surprises and successes of this challenging restoration project are intercut with a vivid historical portrait of the 'Roaring 20s' in rural America.
"It has been an exciting experience to watch and document the ‘resurrection’ of Forest Grove over the past seven years,” said producer Tammy Rundle. “It took a dedicated and hard-working group of visionaries to bring the school back to life. It is an inspirational story that will make you think twice about saying, ‘It can’t be done.’"
Resurrecting Forest Grove received partial funding from Humanities Iowa and is slated for release in 2022.
For more information about the new documentary, visit www.ForestGroveMovie.com and the film's Facebook fan page.
Fourth Wall Films is an Emmy award-winning independent film and video production company formerly located in Los Angeles, and now based in Moline, Illinois.
JOIN THE JOURNEY AND SUPPORT RESURRECTING FOREST GROVE
We are in the final phase of post-production (editing) on our new Fourth Wall Films documentary feature film Resurrecting Forest Grove and could not be more excited! Now the REAL fun begins as we start selecting from all of the footage gathered over the last eight years and edit the story of Forest Grove School No. 5's history and rebirth.
We are once again in FUNdraising mode. The Film-Fundraising Campaign goal is $3,500 and we sure could use your help!
We accept donations of all levels, starting at $5! Your contribution will fund a portion of the cost of the post-production phase of Resurrecting Forest Grove.
How to contribute and the cool "perks"offered, details about the film project and campaign updates can be found by clicking HERE.
Thank you for considering supporting "Resurrecting Forest Grove"! We are very grateful to all of our generous contributors and sponsors!
You are never too old to swing!
Filmmaker Kelly Rundle of Fourth Wall Films joined his parents Ken and Arlene on the swings at Forest Grove School No. 5 after a wonderful tour of the historic site. They viewed the short museum film, Remembering Forest Grove, reminisced about their own country school memories, rang the school bell, and then PLAYED! If the Giant Stride had not been locked down, it is possible they would have given it a whirl.
Do like the Rundles. Tour Forest Grove School! See the film! Ring the bell! Play on the swings! Saturdays 9A-11:30A. Free to the young and young at heart. 