Washburn International Film Institute

FESTIVAL DATE: APRIL 11-13, 2019, WASHBURN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

In 2017, Matthew Nyquist, an experienced filmmaker, joined the Department of Mass Media at Washburn University as an assistant professor in film and video. Nyquist’s Hollywood background gave him a vision for a film program that would encourage and help prepare Washburn students to take their stories from the Midwest to a national stage through film.

Nyquist’s dedication and enthusiasm for the mass media program was shared by his colleagues in the department and championed by Maria Stover, the chair of the Department of Mass Media. Through a unique opportunity provided by Allan Holzman, acclaimed Hollywood filmmaker and lecturer at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, the idea of a film festival at Washburn was born and the very first WIFI Film Festival will feature Holzman’s documentary on DACA and immigration.

In August 2018, the  Department of Mass Media faculty created an internal organization  called the Washburn International Film Institute,  or WIFI for short. Under the direction of Nyquist, a dedicated leadership comprised of Washburn faculty and valuable community members was formed. 
Each year, the WIFI Film Festival adopts a theme that it promotes through its work in the community and on campus. This year, the festival has adopted Washburn University’s spring 2019 theme: Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Action. The featured film at the 2019 WIFI Film Festival, by Allan Holzman, will express these ideas as it looks into DACA and immigration in the United States.

Our Mission

WIFI is dedicated to promoting and celebrating film production, stories from the Midwest, and education at Washburn University, in the Topeka community, and in the state of Kansas. Its leadership holds to the mission statement of Washburn University and sees WIFI as an organization that will allow the department to foster and engage in relationships that will enhance students’ lives and help them in their development as productive and responsible citizens. 

At the core of WIFI’s inception is the belief that cinema is one of the most democratic arts with its ability to reach large audiences on an accessible and inclusive level.   
Each year, the WIFI Film Festival adopts a theme that it promotes through its work in the community and on campus. This year, the festival has adopted Washburn University’s spring 2019 theme: Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Action. The featured film at the 2019 WIFI Film Festival, by Allan Holzman, will express these ideas as it looks into DACA and immigration in the United States.

Our Vision

We hold the guiding principle that students at Washburn, Topeka community members, and Kansans should have a place to showcase and promote their work and come together to celebrate stories from the Midwest in film and artistic expression. We believe there are unique stories that can only be found in the Midwest, and particularly in Kansas. We support filmmakers in producing and creating stories from the Midwest that need to have a voice in our world and we advance the impact of those stories.

2019 WIFI Film Festival Partners:

Washburn University Partners:

Student Life

College of Arts and Sciences

Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Washburn Student Government Association

The Department of Music

The Department of English

The Department of Theatre

The Department of History

The Department of Art

The Department of Political Science

Community Partners:

The Mulvane Art Museum

KTWU