USI student-produced documentary wins at Victory International Film Festival

The Champ, produced by University of Southern Indiana Communication and Media student Colin Millsap, has won the Audience Award at the Victory International Film Festival this September. The Victory International Film Festival is held in Evansville, Indiana, every September and features exclusively local and international films.

Milsap's The Champ is a short documentary about local professional boxer Danny Thomas. The documentary explores his rise from an amateur fighter to a professional and the people who supported him along the way. It also covers his experience owning a gym to train others and how he uses it to give back to the community.

“Earning this award was definitely a surprise for me considering there were plenty of professionally made films in the festival,” says Millsap. “It serves as a good reminder that working hard on the things that you are passionate about can have great outcomes. Most of the skills I've gained to create my documentary have been through USI and the people I've worked with on campus, including professors and other students. If it weren't for that support, it would be much harder for me to be where I am now.”

Milsap, originally from Evansville, Indiana, will graduate at the end of 2026. This is his first time winning an award for his work. While multiple alumni and faculty have won awards at past Victory International Film Festivals, Milsap is the first USI student to be honored.

USI's Communication and Media Department emphasizes hands-on learning to position graduates to succeed on the personal, professional, social, and civic levels. Students develop the ability to produce messages and understand the impact of those messages, and this work prepares them for a rapidly changing and global workforce. Learn more about the Communications and Media Department.