Three schools take top awards in film showcase

Students from three schools took first-place honors in Las Cruces Public Schools’ first ever “Tell the Story Film Showcase.” The two-night, red carpet event was held earlier this month at Cineport 10 Allen Theatres, where LCPS students competed in 48-hour and 168-hour film competitions, LCPS said in a news release. The time divisions are based on how long the students have to complete the films.

The winners were

• Columbia Elementary School won first place in the 168-hour film competition elementary school division for its film “The Great Heist.” Filmmakers were Columbia Elementary students Jasmine Holland, Juan Castro, Adrian Trujillo, Nathaniel Franks, Angela Amaya, Kasidee Sedillo, and Mitzel Espinosa.
• Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy won first in the 168-hour middle school division for “Theft Mess,” by student filmmakers Promise Doyal, Aiden Wojtko, Calvin Chastine, Piper Gandy and Liana Brown.
• Arrowhead Park Early College High School took first in the 48-hour film competition with “Last Day,” by student filmmakers, Konnor Clifton, Aldo Gonzalez, Kcenia Gwaltney, Keyon Mamali, Axton Pollard, Nathan Willis and Denzel Wright.

In each division, students came up with a storyline; adapted it to a script; and filmed, acted in, directed, produced and edited the film. Each film included elements students had to incorporate in their films as part of the competition.

More than 200 student filmmakers participated in the showcase, LCPS said. Fifty-nine non-competitive films and seven competitive films were submitted.

Students, families and community members were invited to attend the showcase to see the final film products. The second night’s screening was followed by an awards ceremony.

LCPS.TV interviewed showcase award winners. Visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2qb4e2B-8I.

During the 2022-23 school year, LCPS installed a broadcast lab at every school site, the news release said.

“This K-12 initiative is the realization of the late Superintendent Karen Trujillo’s vision for LCPS – that all campuses would have the tools to tell the story of their school,” LCPS said.