4/10/2027 more to come!

The WIFI Film Festival brings real-world film industry experience to the Midwest. The festival is 100% free to the public. All funds raised go directly back into the festival, and the event is run entirely by volunteers.

Launched in 2019, WIFI received coverage from CBS, NBC, the Topeka Capital-Journal, and the Washburn Review. The inaugural festival screened a range of films, including Skin, directed by Guy Nattiv, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 91st Academy Awards.

In past years, WIFI has hosted Allan Holzman, director-editor of "Survivors of the Holocaust," along with filmmakers such as Sue Vicory and Academy Award-winning director Kevin Willmott.

This year’s featured guest is Sebastian Twerdosz, a Polish-American film producer and international film executive known for his work in global film production and distribution.

Our Story:
In 2017, Matthew Nyquist joined Washburn University’s Department of Mass Media as Assistant Professor of Film and Video. With a Hollywood background, he envisioned a program that would prepare students to bring Midwest stories to a national stage.

Supported by department chair Maria Stover and through an opportunity provided by Allan Holzman, the WIFI Film Festival was established in 2019, with Holzman serving as the first featured director.

The 2020 festival was canceled due to the pandemic. In 2021, WIFI returned featuring Ashley Maria’s Pioneers in Skirts and the panel Award-Winning Women Talk Film, arranged by Sue Vicory.

In 2022, featured guests included Allan Holzman, Sue Vicory, and Kevin Willmott. Screenings included The Mailroom starring Oscar Isaac and The Stylist directed by Jill Gevargizian.

WIFI operates as a standalone festival within the Topeka community while aligning annually with Washburn University’s WUmester theme to guide its educational programming.

Workshops & Reach:
WIFI offers free educational workshops in person and via Facebook Live. Past speakers include Allan Holzman, Kevin Willmott, and Ethan Jackson from V100’s Midday Show.

In 2022, 2,890 viewers tuned in on Facebook, including 647 for the Women in Film Panel and 331 for the Filmmaker Talk.

Mission:
To foster professional relationships by delivering international and Kansas student films in the Midwest and providing access to respected filmmakers.

Vision:
To break down barriers between the film industry and the Midwest.

Trustees:
Allan Holzman
Sue Vicory
Maria Stover
Ivy Sunderji

Mass Media Alumni Partners:
Darria Dennison
Ethan Jackson
Francesca Kelley

Press:
KSNT Morning Show, Topeka Capital-Journal, Majic 107.7, and V100 – The Midday Show.

Awards & Prizes

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Awards given by working Hollywood industry professionals:

- Allan Holzman Award for Special Achievement in Editing (Picked by Allan Holzman)

Allan Holzman is an award-winning filmmaker who has enjoyed success in feature and documentary films as both director and editor. He received the Governor’s Emmy Award for Special Achievement for the Ted Turner six-hour mini-series The Native Americans. He also won two Emmy Awards as director and editor of Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Holocaust, which was also honored with a Peabody Award for best documentary.

- Ivy Sunderji Screenwriting Award

Ivy Sunderji (credited as Ivy Mariel Pruss) is a writer, producer, and screenwriting professor. Her credits include eight produced episodes of television on two OWN series, Delilah, a critically acclaimed legal drama, and Greenleaf, the network's NAACP Image Award-winning flagship series.

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-Golden Bowtie – Best film overall (All Categories)

-Golden Ichabod – Best film by a Washburn student or alum

-Audience Award Narrative– Overall vote from the audience for best overall narrative film

-Audience Award Documentary – Overall vote for the best documentary

-Best directing – Narrative

-Best directing – Documentary

-Best Cinematography – Narrative

-Best Cinematography – Documentary

-Best Editing

-Best Sound Design

-Best performance by an actor

-Best performance by an actress

-Best production design

-Best costume design

-Special Achievement in Social Progress through film

-Excellence in Title Design

-Best film by a Kansas Middle/High school Student- Cash prize

Rules & Terms

1. Film must be in English or have English subtitles.
2. Film must have been completed on or after January 1st, 2020.
3. Film cannot have been previously submitted to WIFI.
4. Film must not be of pornographic nature. (This includes “torture porn”, which are films that feature violence in a gratuitous manner regardless of sexual content)
5. Film must not promote anything that is obviously immoral.

Rules Regarding AI:
1. Due to the Controversial nature of the use of AI, we disclose that there may be bias, whether implicit or explicit, towards the use of AI that may affect the ratings of any submission that uses it.
2. Any submission with use of Generative AI or Synthetic media technologies used to simulate performances, generate voices, or recreate likenesses of any individual must have written consent from that individual.

$100 prize goes to the best overall film.
20 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Keishi Suenaga

    Although I wasn't able to attend in person, I think WIFI Film Festival is a wonderful film festival.
    I was very happy with the high level of screening programming and the attentive support from the festival staff.
    I would be very happy if the audience and festival staff enjoyed my film, "Memories of the Future."
    I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the audience and festival staff!

    April 2026
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  • Richard Thompson

    First of all, thank you for producing such a well-organized festival with excellent communication! I also very much appreciated attending the Award Ceremony online/Facebook on Sunday. That, too, was expertly and professionally produced, featuring wonderful clips of each nominee and the award winner. For those of us unable to attend, it gave us a sense of the quality and variety of the films screened.

    I very much appreciate that my animated film was considered in other categories (cinematography, editing, directing, etc.), along with the live-action films.

    Thank you!

    April 2026
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  • Katie Amos

    What a wonderful festival, thank you so much for including 'The Silence of the Land' in your programme and for the amazing 4 award nominations. I wasn't able to attend in person coming from the UK, but I did tune into some of the online training sessions which was great to be able to do. I have to say the online Awards ceremony was a real highlight, so professionally done and a nice opportunity to see clips from the other nominated films. Great job WIFI I really enjoyed being a part of this from over the pond!

    April 2026
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  • Ram Kumar Bharatam

    I am verymuch thankful to the Jury Members and Organisers of WIFI Film Festival for Offlicially Selecting and screening our film A Stage In A Journey. I watched the Awards Function on line and felt that the awards were issued to the appropriate films which were very great. I congratulate the Festival Committee for decently organising the festival !

    April 2026
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  • Fred Eyriey

    C'est un festival très sympathique avec une jeune équipe de passionnée. Bravo !

    April 2026
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