Now approaching its 15th incarnation, the LFS-produced Flyover Film Festival is once again drawing near. The lineup will be revealed at the annual Preflight Party on June 20, and opening night for the festival kicks off July 23. Over five action-packed days, the fest will once again provide a showcase for fascinating and fun indie films from around the world, as well as a selection of the region’s best homegrown work.
Each year, LFS enlists the help of a local artist for their take on the “Flyover” festival theme to create a unique work of art for the festival poster. To help summon the new visual identity for this milestone year, the LFS Board of Directors enlisted the help of Louisville artist Richard Sullivan, whose recent forays into Keith-Haring-and-Niki-de-Saint-Phalle-inspired whimsical abstraction have captured the attentions of gallery-goers both here in the Commonwealth and online.
A former pitching prospect for the Atlanta Braves, the SCAD-trained fine artist was just putting the final touches on his 2025 Flyover Film Festival design when we caught him by phone last month, mulling over the illustration’s ultimate color palette. Luckily for us, he was able to pull himself away from the drafting table just long enough to chat about what to expect and what led him to this very special assignment.
RICHARD SULLIVAN
Matt Warren (Louisville Film Society): To start with, how did you get involved with designing the poster for the Flyover Film Festival this year?
Sullivan: Alex [Alexandra Reinnoldt, Louisville Film Society Board of Directors] reached out, out of the blue. Over the past year I’ve developed a completely new artistic style and voice and she noticed my stuff on Instagram and liked it. I’m excited, because it’s one of the first projects I’ve gotten to do with my new style. People can be down on Instagram and social media in general, but I think it can be a great tool for finding artistic collaborators. It’s just a double-edged sword–you don’t want to be on [social media] a lot but as a visual artist it’s a great way to connect.
How far are you into the design process? Do you have a concept already?
I’ve got the final [version] halfway done. It’s very whimsical. I’d say my style now is sort of light and absurd, but there’s also a lot of symbolism. I wanted to make it so that you would instantly recognize it as a film festival, basically. There’s a little bit of a film noir aspect to it, some repeating patterns. And it plays into being in Louisville, of course. My inner child’s playing around, basically.
Is there any sort of central image that you’re exploring?
The lightning bolt has come up a lot in my work. I think it just kind of directs your eye downwards. And I love the fact that, playing with all this abstract imagery, you can kind of lead the viewer on this narrative journey.
Let’s take a step back. What’s your background as an artist?
I grew up in Louisville and was an athlete for most of my life, a baseball player. But I was always in art school or art class, so I was always in the middle of these two worlds. And I’ve always really felt like an outsider in both of them. But I found my way to the Savannah College of Art and Design. SCAD. I got recruited there as a baseball player, ironically. They did have a sports program, and at the time I didn’t realize how lucky I was–how fortunate that I was able to continue both of these passions. I excelled as a pitcher there and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves. I spent six years in the minor leagues. I still had a year of school left [after I finished playing]. This was around 2014, and that’s when my art career kind of blossomed, because I didn’t have to focus on baseball anymore.
I always think artists who have a more eclectic background are far more interesting than those who don’t.
You’re right. You have to have so many experiences, being an artist. The work you produce is kind of like a way of life, just being able to perceive things around you and being freed up enough to use your creativity. For a long time I worked as a sports artist, and that was amazing. I had a lot of success in that realm. But I think COVID really allowed me to take a step back and realize, “Oh, I’m not very happy doing this.”
In terms of this new style that’s been reinvigorating your work, what was the process leading up to that breakthrough?
I just started exploring some things in my studio. It was very subconscious. Like emotions and memories, deep-seated subconscious things were coming out in the studio. At first it was really stop-and-start. It was uncomfortable. So I had to let it go for a second. It’s almost like dipping your pale in the well and seeing what comes up. Over the winter I had this breakthrough where things just started to flow. It felt like I turned on the tap and instead of, like, mud and gunk and all this stuff coming out the water was flowing–just sort of stream-of-consciousness. When I’m drawing it’s playful but also absurd and kind of dark and sexual, in a way.
Do you have any thoughts about Louisville’s place in the film industry?
I have a lot of friends in the film industry here. It’s been interesting to see all the folks that are moving here from New York and LA and finding a home in Louisville and feeling like, “Oh, I’m safe here.” That’s really exciting to me, as a creative person. It’s really become such a creative hotspot.
That’s my story. I moved here from Los Angeles last year and I’m really excited by everything going on here.
I mean, it’s slow. It’s taken me years and years to sift through who my people are here. But yeah, the film industry in Louisville is pretty tight knit.
Last thing, what are you looking forward to at Flyover this year?
As far as being a part of the festival, I’m just really excited to see it come to life. I love the fact that you and so many people are coming here and making this a destination spot for film. I love seeing the energy that comes from people who aren’t locals being in Louisville, seeing who’s interested in film here in Kentucky.
For more information about Richard Sullivan and his art, visit his official website. To learn more about the 2025 Flyover Film Festival, attend the Preflight Party on June 20 (free with RSVP) and keep up with us online.
