Nevada Women’s Film Festival Turns into a Global Stage March 19-22

By Isabel M. Castro

Las Vegas becomes more than a glittering backdrop. It transforms into a global crossroads for bold visual storytelling. The public is invited to attend the 12th Annual Nevada Women’s Film Festival (NWFFest) at the Flora Dungan Humanities Building on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas main campus, March 19–22.

Hosted by the UNLV Department of Film, the festival transforms theaters, auditoriums, and classrooms into screening rooms, while hallways and patios turn into lively networking corridors. For four days, campus energy shifts into cinematic celebration, showcasing an unprecedented 72 films from 15 countries all by and about women. Conversations spark about creative trends, career paths, and what’s next for global storytelling. This is where stories and storytellers meet.

“This year is very exciting because we have more community and student involvement than ever before, both onscreen and behind the scenes,” says Nikki Corda, Executive Director and Founder of NWFFest. “Our local filmmakers, friends of the fest, students, and alums are all part of the team and contributing. Moving back to March has been challenging because it means mounting another festival sooner than usual, but it’s important to be back during Women’s History Month. Everyone is working extremely hard to create the most enjoyable experience possible for the community.”

A Lineup Built with Intention

The 2026 selections span narrative features, documentaries, shorts, experimental work, and episodic storytelling. The stories are bold, intimate, political, joyful, and deeply human. Together, they create a curated experience shaped by intention rather than trend.

“I’m extremely excited about this year’s lineup!” Corda shares. “Our dedicated programming team, Jennifer Dean and Eric Rice, along with our screeners, put tremendous care and thought into every selection.”

Produced by Women in Film Nevada and supported in part by the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, NWFFest continues its mission to amplify underrepresented storytellers while creating meaningful access for emerging filmmakers. The result is a festival that feels both global and personal, ambitious in scope yet grounded in community.

Honoring Excellence

This year’s celebration includes an extraordinary honoree.

“First off, we have an incredible honoree this year,” Corda says. “Emily Skyle-Golden is our Nevada Woman of Achievement. She is an award-winning writer, director, and producer whose projects have appeared on HBO, Disney+, and Hallmark, among others. She founded the Cordillera International Film Festival, named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World. Danette Tull will be sitting down with her in conversation, and we are really looking forward to that.”

As a Nevada Woman of Achievement, Skyle-Golden represents the excellence and leadership NWFFest celebrates. Her conversation with Tull promises behind-the-scenes insight, inspiration, and candid reflections from a filmmaker shaping the industry at the highest levels. For students especially, it’s a rare opportunity to hear directly from someone who has successfully navigated both creative and executive roles in entertainment.

Photo by Steve Byrnes

Industry in Focus: Four Dynamic Panels

Beyond the screenings, NWFFest expands its professional programming with four industry panels designed to foster meaningful dialogue about where film and Nevada are headed.

One anticipated highlight is The State of the Industry in Nevada, a powerhouse discussion featuring key leaders across entertainment and the arts. Moderated by Ashley Rapuano Sanchez and Keely Dervin, the panel will explore the region’s strengths, the evolution of Nevada’s creative infrastructure, and the future of entertainment in Las Vegas and beyond.

For students, emerging filmmakers, and working professionals, it’s an invaluable opportunity to hear directly from the voices shaping the industry locally and to understand how they can contribute to that momentum.

These panels underscore one of NWFFest’s defining qualities: it’s not just about screening films. It’s about building pathways.

A Full-Circle Moment for Filmmakers

What makes NWFFest uniquely powerful is its home base at UNLV. Students don’t just attend the festival—they see tangible examples of what’s possible within the very walls where they study.

For alumna Sanchez (UNLV Film 2016), returning as an official selection is deeply personal.

“NWFFest means so much to me as a UNLV alumna. It’s truly a full-circle moment,” she says. “We learned how to make films from tiny ideas in our heads to full productions in the very walls where the festival takes place. I’m so grateful to have three pieces in the festival this year, some of which I made with the same students I was in classes with at UNLV. Coming back to campus marks a new chapter of creative growth. We’re professionals in our craft now. I feel like I’m truly making my past self and all my mentors so proud.”

Photo by Steve Byrnes

Community, Collaboration, Creative Momentum

Filmmaker Shahab Zargari captures the festival’s spirit of collaboration. “NWFFest is a truly wonderful festival. I’ve attended many times, sometimes as an attendee, sometimes supporting friends, and sometimes as a fan wanting to meet incredible national filmmakers. I’ve been lucky enough to have films chosen in several seasons, including this year, with fingerprints on three selected projects: one documentary, one comedy short, and one personal project. I’m very excited to screen more films and network with the amazing filmmakers chosen this year.”

That range, attendee, supporter, filmmaker, collaborator, reflects what NWFFest does best. It builds community across disciplines and across nations. It invites audiences to celebrate stories while creating space for professional growth and artistic risk-taking.

Be Part of the Excitement

Whether an aspiring filmmaker mapping out your future, a working creative looking to expand networks, or an arts enthusiast who believes stories can shape culture, NWFFest offers a seat at the table.

The numbers alone are impressive: 72 films. 15 countries. One vibrant community gathered in the heart of Las Vegas.

But beyond the statistics, the festival offers something harder to quantify—creative momentum. It’s the spark that happens after a screening when strangers become collaborators. It’s the panel discussion that reframes a student’s career trajectory. It’s the moment of recognition when a filmmaker sees their work reflected in a room full of engaged viewers.

The Nevada Women’s Film Festival (NWFFest) is an annual event dedicated to celebrating and supporting the fair representation of women in film. Through high-quality programming, panels, and events, NWFFest has been at the forefront of conversations around equity and inclusion since 2015. Festival programming includes films by or about women that highlight diverse perspectives and provide a platform for historically marginalized storytellers.

NWFFest is a project of Women in Film (WIF) Nevada, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; all donations are tax-deductible. The festival is supported, in part, by the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. NWFFest is a FilmFreeway Gold Festival and is IMDb-qualifying. The festival is produced in partnership with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Department of Film.

Women in Film (WIF) Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that produces the Nevada Women’s Film Festival. WIF Nevada amplifies underrepresented voices and fosters equity in the film and screen industries through education, mentorship, and advocacy. By providing inclusive opportunities for creative expression, WIF Nevada cultivates a diverse and socially conscious film community while positioning Nevada as a leader in arts, culture, and education. WIF Nevada is a proud chapter of Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI).

Nevada Women's Film Festival, email: info@nwffest.com

When: March 19–22, check the website for program time schedules.

Where: UNLV Main Campus, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154

Parking Information: https://www.unlv.edu/parking/transporation/services/eventparking

For more information, visit nwffest.com and wifti.net. Follow on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.