About the Fest

Ninth annual WYO Film Fest, October 1-4, 2026

Welcome to the WYO west

Founded in 2018, the WYO Film Festival (WYOFF) is a celebration of independent film where creativity and storytelling meet modern hospitality and old-west charm. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Bighorn Mountains in Sheridan, Wyoming, the festival brings together filmmakers of all experience levels and engaged audiences for a weekend of cinematic discovery and genuine connection. Each year, the WYO team curates a world-class program of independent narrative features, documentaries, and short films, cultivating a vibrant creative community rooted in the spirit of the modern West.

Community

We’re dedicated to building community around the celebration of independent film in Wyoming.

For the fun of film

We organize social events and parties throughout the weekend to provide filmmakers and festival-goers an opportunity to connect over the love of film.

Education

We’re committed to growing the next generation of Wyoming filmmakers through educational outreach and the Future Filmmaker program in collaboration with WYO PLAY.

Diverse Voices

We’re committed to providing a platform for diverse voices. Our programming features unique stories from many different perspectives.

Festival Programming

The WYO Film Festival receives hundreds of film submissions each year from around the world, which are narrowed down to the best selections representing a wide variety of styles and genres from documentary features and short films, to after dark genre films, animation and more.

Are you a filmmaker interested in submitting a film?

The WYO Film Festival accepts film submissions exclusively through FilmFreeway. Learn more about submitting to the film festival or click the link to visit our FilmFreeway page to get started.

Learn More

Feature Films

16%%

Short Films

84%%

Documentary/Non-Fiction

46%%

Narrative Films

54%%

Native/Indigenous Voices

13%%

Wyoming Filmmaker/Film

22%%

Animated Films

22%%

Fest Highlights

Parties and social events

Our social events during fest weekend offer fest attendees, sponsors, and filmmakers alike to connect in a more intimate and meaningful way and include the anticipated opening kickoff party, pre-screening happy hours, filmmaker receptions, and more.

Educational Outreach

We collaborate with local organizations and schools to facilitate educational outreach opportunities, connecting our traveling filmmakers directly with the community.

Outdoor playground

Sheridan is nestled near the Bighorn Mountains where outdoor recreation knows no bounds. From backpacking the endless trails or fishing pristine mountain waters, Sheridan is the trailhead to outdoor adventure in Wyoming.

World class venue

Our home theater, The WYO, was originally built in 1923 as the Lotus, a vaudeville theater. The WYO Performing Arts & Education Center is the perfect place to screen world-class film and is located in the heart of downtown Sheridan.

Engaging discussion

Stick around after each screening for engaging discussions and dialogue on each film as our attending filmmakers participate in question-and-answer sessions led by our fest director.

Diverse programming

We’re proud to screen films of all different genres and types from documentary features and fictional shorts to music videos, cartoon animations, and beyond. Each year we receive hundreds of film submissions and narrow down selections to the best of the best for our audience to enjoy.

Welcome to Sheridan

We’re biased, but we don’t think there’s a better place for a film fest than Sheridan, Wyoming (OK, Park City’s pretty great too.) Downtown Sheridan, where modern hospitality meets old-west charm, is home to dozens of unique shops, restaurants, galleries, and cafes, and some of the Mountain West’s most legendary watering holes.