Film Farm & Culture Festival Coming to Wausau

Tuesday, July 15th, 2025 -- 8:00 AM

(Beatrice Lawrence, Wisconsin Public Radio) At a brand new film festival, characters like a Soviet-era film projectionist, a farmer-turned-vegan and a Pink Floyd fan living in the Amazon rainforest will light up the screen at Wausau’s Woodson History Center.

According to Beatrice Lawrence with Wisconsin Public Radio, starting on Friday, July 18, Northcentral Technical College will host the first Film Farm & Culture Fest.

The festival will feature eight independent films screened across four weekends, all exploring rural life and people’s relationships with the land in cultures around the world.

It will also offer opportunities for attendees to learn filmmaking skills in four film labs. Festival organizer and filmmaker Jila Nikpay teaches video production at Northcentral.

She wanted to introduce her students to the value of film festivals for up-and-coming artists. Her festival idea turned into a mission to amplify Wausau’s film community. “I’m hoping to bring the independent film lovers and independent filmmakers together for support and exchange of ideas,” Nikpay said.

Nikpay wanted a festival theme that captured the unique identity of Wausau. “[It’s] rooted in Midwestern culture: agriculture, forestry, farming and cattle,” Nikpay said. “Wausau is very diverse, too. So it’s kind of bringing [those] two sides of Wausau together.”

Read the interview with Nickpay here: https://www.wpr.org/news/wausaus-first-film-farm-culture-fest-amplify-city-film

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