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.
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.
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“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.”
Nikpay joined WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” for a festival preview.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Rob Ferrett: The movies you’ve chosen to show at this festival take place around the world. But with this “film, farm and culture” theme, there are things that people here in the Midwest can relate to. How did you go about choosing the movies that would be screened over the course of the festival?
Jila Nikpay: I started with the theme of our primal connection to the land. It’s a multidimensional theme about both our physical and spiritual connection. Our identities are related to where we live, our memories are held by the landscape, and we’re nourished by the food that is provided through the land. We’re inspired by the land that we live in.
RF: One of the films you’ve chosen is from Azerbaijan, called “The Return of the Projectionist.” It’s a documentary about a former film projectionist trying to revive cinema in a rural community. Do you see parallels with what you’re doing in Wausau?
JN: Yes. In fact, I really identified with the character. He has this old projector, and a big part of the film is trying to find a bulb for it and trying to find a [place] to host it. And those are the things I was struggling with — trying to find the right venue that’s centrally located. Of course, I found the Woodson History Center, which is lovely.
He has to find a place, get his projector going and advertise for it. He goes door to door talking to people, and then finally he finds an ally, a young man who’s an animator. Together, they project a film for the audience.
RF: Another part of this festival is helping people develop filmmaking skills. You’re hosting workshops and labs. What do you have planned?
JN: We’ll have four labs. Some of them are storytelling based: short narrative production and documentary. One is more about studio production, creating a commercial. And one is post-production for creating motion graphics.
Our facility is very complex in terms of the professional equipment we have. Our lab and studio [are] equipped with visual effects equipment and a green screen. So it’s a very intriguing place to learn hands-on skills, and we wanted to offer them so people get introduced to our video program.
RF: People might think that if they want to go see a film festival or learn filmmaking skills, they have to go to a big city. Make the case that we can do these things in somewhere like Marathon County.
JN: That’s one of the reasons I chose these independent films because all of these are centered on rural areas and villages and small towns. I hope it inspires future filmmakers to want to look around a little bit more carefully to find stories that are compelling and engaging right in Wausau and surrounding areas.
RF: What do you see in Wisconsin when it comes to support for the arts?
JN: As a filmmaker and artist, I lived in Minneapolis for a long time … Minnesota spends almost $10 per capita on arts, and so that really is helpful for growth of artists. Without that, resources for filmmaking or creating art aren’t easily available.
When I came to Wisconsin, it took me a while to find out that there are no grants or support for individual artists. I found out that in Wisconsin, we spend only 18 cents per capita for the arts. I was shocked. So I thought that maybe, as people who were already exposed to the generosity of art grants and fellowships, it’s our responsibility to bring it to [Wisconsin].
