SILVER CITY, N.M. — Seven short documentary films made by New Mexico State University students will headline the Gila Film Showcase this weekend. It’s part of a week of festivities hosted by the U.S. Forest Service for the 100th Anniversary of the Gila Wilderness.

The event celebrates the first federally designated wilderness in the country, which happens to be in New Mexico.

“One of the things that we’re most excited about is just sharing with audiences the beautiful work that the students did,” says NMSU professor and Gila Film School director Ilana Lapid.

Back in 2022, leaders with the Gila Film School took a trip to the wilderness with 13 student filmmakers.

“Our intention from the beginning was to use the power of visual storytelling for conservation, and to involve a diverse group of young filmmakers from various backgrounds, some of whom had never really experienced wilderness before,” Ilana said.

Seven short films came out of that trip. Each explores the relationship between people and the wilderness.

Screenings will be:

• Saturday, June 1 at 4:30 p.m. at the Silco Theater
• Sunday, June 2 at 1 p.m. at the Silco Theater

You can watch the trailers for the films here. A list of Gila 100 anniversary events can be found here.

For more information on the Gila Film Showcase, click here.