SW New Mexico News

Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS) recently held its inaugural "Tell the Story Film Showcase," celebrating student filmmakers' achievements. The event, a two-night red carpet affair, was hosted at Cineport 10 Allen Theaters. Students participated in two film competitions: the 48-Hour and 168-Hour categories.

Columbia Elementary won first place in the 168-hour competition for the Elementary School division with their film "The Great Heist." The team consisted of Jasmine Holland, Juan Castro, Adrian Trujillo, Nathaniel Franks, Angela Amaya, Kasidee Sedillo, and Mitzel Espinosa.

Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy secured first place in the Middle School division for their film "Theft Mess," created by Promise Doyal, Aiden Wojtko, Calvin Chastine, Piper Gandy, and Liana Brown.

Arrowhead Park Early College High School claimed a gold trophy in the 48-hour competition with their film "Last Day." The filmmakers included Konnor Clifton, Aldo Gonzalez, Kcenia Gwaltney, Keyon Mamali, Axton Pollard, Nathan Willis, and Denzel Wright.

Participants competed across three divisions: elementary, middle, and high school. They were tasked with developing a storyline that they adapted into a script before filming and editing it within either a 48-hour or 168-hour deadline.

Over 200 students took part in the showcase. Among them were creators of both competitive and non-competitive films. All entries had to incorporate specific elements as part of the challenge.

Community members were invited to attend screenings on both nights of the event. The first night featured screenings of all submitted films. The second night concluded with an award ceremony recognizing outstanding student work.

"LCPS.TV interviewed the award winners for comprehensive coverage of the first-ever Tell the Story Film Showcase."

This initiative is part of LCPS's broader vision to equip every school site with broadcast labs. Spearheaded by Dr. Karen Trujillo's vision during the 2022-2023 school year, it aims to enhance students' storytelling abilities through media production.

In collaboration with various educational and media partners including LCPS Career Technical Education Team and New Mexico State University among others, LCPS launched this showcase as part of its commitment to advancing skills in broadcast media and filmmaking.