All Screenings Take Place at The Silco Theater – 311 N Bullard Street, Silver City, NM
FIND FESTIVAL PASSES HERE
TICKETS FOR INDIVIDUAL BLOCKS BELOW
Thursday, October 1
7:00-9:00
Opening Night – PRESERVED
Directed by Ben Clark
SPECIAL THANKS TO TOM AND NAN NOAKER
Uplifting and hopeful, 94-minute Preserved unveils Vermejo—a 558,000-acre living laboratory where rarely seen wildlife behaviors unfold: bears stealing mountain lion kills, microscopic life thriving in seasonal potholes, and animals adapting to a rapidly changing world. In this feature-length documentary, scientists, ranchers, and conservationists reveal how the seemingly impossible has been achieved here, from North America’s largest native trout restoration to the return of beaver, elk, and bison. Rich in discovery and layered with human history, Vermejo stands as the pinnacle of conservation in the U.S.—and a bellwether for what’s possible elsewhere.
In 1996, media mogul Ted Turner purchased this vast expanse in northern New Mexico and launched an ambitious conservation vision. Vermejo’s iconic Park Plateau has been home to Indigenous communities, roaming herds of bison and elk, and has witnessed civilizations rise and fall. In the 19th century, mining stripped the land, leaving scars that would take generations to heal.
Shot over more than 130 days, Preserved takes viewers deep into this breathtaking landscape, following the passionate stewards working to restore this thriving, biodiverse ecosystem. In an era of wildfires, drought, and species collapse across the American Southwest, Vermejo is living proof that restoration is not only possible—it’s happening. And it’s a blueprint for what comes next.
Featuring insights from leading conservationist Kris Tompkins, wildlife ecologist Sophie Gilbert, beloved author Craig Childs, and Vermejo’s on-the-ground experts Gus Holm, Lance Bernal, and scene-stealer Roy Pillmore.
Friday, October 2
FEATURES FRIDAY
12:00-2:30
SUNSET MEMORY
Directed by Pedro Antonio Espinoza
When three friends experience a quarter life crisis, they turn upon an invisible house that grants them the ability to live their deepest desires. Runtime 130 min.
3:00-5:00
LAND WITH NO RIDER
Directed by Tamar Lando
In a remote corner of Southwestern New Mexico, the last remaining cowboys eke out a fragile survival between industrial and protected lands. Their herds diminished, these aging stewards of the land live in a shrinking world of isolation, vulnerability, and rugged beauty. A poetic story of intimacy with the land, LAND WITH NO RIDER captures a wisdom rapidly disappearing from the American landscape. Runtime 80 min.
Q&A TO FOLLOW
6:00-8:00
SCCFF CELEBRATION PARTY
@ SEEDBOAT COLLECTIVE, 214 W Yankie Street
OPEN TO ALL! JOIN US FOR A LIVELY EVENING OF MUSIC WITH THE SIDEWIDERS, FEATURING ROGER, KAS AND BILLY.
DRINKS BY OPEN SPACE BREWERY
SPECIAL THANKS TO SEEDBOAT COLLECTIVE AND OPEN SPACE BREWERY
Saturday, October 3
10:00-11:00
ANIMATIONS / MUSIC VIDEOS / 72-HOUR FILM CONTEST WINNERS
RUNTIME 35:26
SILVER CITY ZOOMIE – DIR. ANDY MAHAN
DEAD BALLERINA – DIR. DUSTY DEEN
WHERE ONE GOOD PIANO WENT TO DIE – DIR. KATE BROWN
PEARL’S BIG ADVENTURE – DIR. NAN CHALAT NOAKER
EL MATADOR – DIR. AVA BLANCO
OVEREDUCATED – DIR. THE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT
A SPECTACLE – DIR. SARAH DOMINGUEZ
MY ANCHOR – DIR. ESCHER BOWERS & RAFAEL VIGILANTICS
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A PORTAL? – DIR. DUSTIN HAMMAN & ESCHER BOWERS
HAY – DIR. KAELYN DOHERTY
Q&A TO FOLLOW
11:30-1:15
DOCUMENTARIES
RUNTIME: 93:45
CASUALTIES OF OIL – DIR. MONICA CHAVARRIA
WHY SHOULD A CANVAS BE PERFECT? THE ARTWORK OF PHIL VOLK – DIR. RICHARD RIECKENBERG
THE REMAINS OF COMPASSION – DIR. MAXIMILLIANO NEALON
ANCESTRAL SKIES – DIR. PETER MONRO
FIRE WORK – DIR. ESCHER BOWERS
Q&A TO FOLLOW
2:00-3:30
NARRATIVE SHORTS 1
RUNTIME: 75:35
ME AND MY DOG – DIR. HIERONYMUS BOGS
PLANET X – DIR. ALEX KNIGHT
THE WEIGHT OF THE BADGE – DIR. JOHN MARRS
FRESH INC – DIR. JON BARR
STACKS – DIR. SHANON MUEHLHAUSEN
A FAMILY MATTER – DIR. RYLEE NORMAN
Q&A TO FOLLOW
4:00-6:00
STUDENT FILMS
RUNTIME: 75:55
NEARLY THERE – DIR. NANCY FLORES
UNIVERSE ACADEMY – DIR. DANIEL CADENA
GARY’S DAY – DIR. ELLA DANIEL
THE LAST BAND ON EARTH – DIR. HARRISON BLUSHING
THE CREED – DIR. CELSO ACOSTA
SWELTERING HEAT…AL SUR DEL NORTE – DIR. NATA AGUILAR
THRESH/HOLD – CEO MINDSET – DIR. GABRIEL FARLEY
THRESH/HOLD – JEREMY – DIR. GABRIEL FARLEY
BITE BACK – DIR. ISABELL RODRIGUEZ-ARMIJO
Q&A TO FOLLOW
7:00-9:30
SPECIAL EVENT!
GARY FARMER AND THE TROUBLEMAKERS, FOLLOWED BY A SHORT FILM AND CONVERSATION WITH GARY FARMER
@ WHISKEY CREEK ZOCALO, 11786 US-180 East, Arenas Valley, NM
**TICKETED EVENT. WE HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS FOR FILMMAKERS AND VIP PASSHOLDERS.
(IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND JUST THE FILM AND CONVERSATION, THIS WILL BE FREE AND OPEN TO ALL, BEGINNING AROUND 8:30 PM.)
SPECIAL THANKS TO WHISKEY CREEK ZOCALO
Sunday, October 4
10:00-11:00
R-RATED NARRATIVES
RUNTIME 41:00
LET ME GO – DIR. DANIEL QUINTANA
NOT EXACTLY STRANGERS – DIR. RYAN ROX
LATE NIGHT AT VIDEO-SMART – DIR. DUSTIN TIDWELL
ROAD HEAD – DIR. SAM FLEIG
Q&A TO FOLLOW
FREE AND OPEN TO ALL!
11:00-12:00
PANEL DISCUSSION: “CREATING IN DIVIDED TIMES”
PANELISTS:
MAXIMILLIANO NEALON – FILMMAKER, SILVER CITY, NM
RYAN ROX – FILMMAKER/ACTOR/EDUCATOR, LAS CRUCES, NM
LINDA CHAPPEL – ARTIST/GALLERIST, SILVER CITY, NM
MODERATED BY ANA TRINIDAD – ACTOR/PRODUCER/MEDIA LITERACY TEACHER
12:15-1:30
NARRATIVE SHORTS 2
RUNTIME 54:58
REBEL HEART – DIR. REBECA DURAN
TRAINING WHEELS – DIR. SKYLER CARREON
BECOMING BILLY – DIR. RAEN LEVELL
FALLEN – DIR. BENNETT BARTHELEMY
STALL’D – DIR. JAMES RODRIGEZ, MATTHEW ATKINS, TERYN BERNICKE, CHERRITA THAO
FREE AND OPEN TO ALL!
2:00-2:30
YOUTH FILMMAKING WORKSHOP FILMS
RUNTIME 12:40
EVIL PATTI – DIR. JUBILEE CLINE, WILLIAM COYLE
THE LEGEND OF EGGBERTO – DIR. LAW STURDEVANT, BRUNO AGUIRRE, JUNIPER AUBRY, JOSEPH GOTTSCHALK
STRANDED – DIR. WALELA DAVIES, GRACIE HILL
WHISKEY CREEK ZOCALO LIVE MUSIC – DIR. ZADRIAN BAKER
FREE AND OPEN TO ALL!
2:30-2:45
AWARDS!
3:00
JOIN US FOR ICE CREAM AT JUNE JUNE’S, 820 N BULLARD STREET, FOR A FESTIVAL WRAP UP. ALL ARE INVITED!