Iowa Motion Picture Association gives “Remembering Forest Grove” Museum Film Top Award of Excellence
“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. 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 Sharon Andresen and a dedicated group of local volunteers and craftspeople.
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.
Tammy and Kelly Rundle own Fourth Wall Films in Moline.
“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. The museum film was funded by several generous donors.
Forest Grove School No. 5 is located at 24040 Forest Grove Drive, Bettendorf. 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 2023 for Forest Grove School’s sesquicentennial celebration. Visit FourthWallFilms.com for more information.
