WICHITA, Kan.—Wichita Association for the Motion Picture Arts (WAMPA) and Tallgrass Film Festival will present a screening of the Finnish film “Mother of Mine” as part of Tallgrass Third Thursdays. This historical narrative, selected as Finland’s nominee for the 2005 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, screens at 7:30 p.m., May 21 at the Warren East Theatre, 11611 E. 13th St., in Wichita, Kan. Tickets for the screening are $9 general admission and $7 for students and seniors.

During World War II, more than 70,000 Finnish children were evacuated to neutral Sweden to avoid the conflict. “Mother of Mine,” from award-winning director Klaus Haro, tackles this painful segment of history in the story of 9-year-old Eero, a child who increasingly feels abandoned by his biological Finnish mother as well as unattached to his Swedish surrogate mom. When he is returned to Finland, his confusion intensifies.

Filmed in Finland and Sweden, the film runs 111 minutes and is subtitled in English.

This screening will be the film’s Kansas premiere, but during its run in more than sixty-five festivals, the emotionally-charged tale garnered more than twenty festival awards and nominations.

“The choice to screen “Mother of Mine” was one of the easiest that the Tallgrass progamming committee has ever had to make,” said Shan Jabara, Director of Acquisitions and Special Screenings for WAMPA/Tallgrass. “Unfortunately, when we contacted the producers to invite it to the Festival in 2007, they had suspended festival screenings. Fortunately, we found another way to bring the film to Wichita, and what better month to show it than in May.”

Bring your mother, the mother of your children or a special mother you know and share this touching film in honor of Mother’s Day.