Taos Youth Gain Experience in the Film Industry Through a State Competition | LOR Foundation
Complete Education

Taos Youth Gain Experience in the Film Industry Through a State Competition

Taos
  • Local Champion: NM Film Prize
  • Date Funded: March 22, 2022
  • Grant Amount: $6,160

The film industry has become a significant economic driver in New Mexico, and the NM Film Prize Junior New Mexico—a statewide competition in which students write and produce short films that are shown at a culminating festival—presents a valuable opportunity for youth to gain experience in the industry, opening pathways into higher education and careers in New Mexico’s growing film and creative sectors.

The problem for the 113 Taos students taking part in the competition is that in order to produce their 15 films, they need mentors with the technical experience (and equipment) who can help them produce and edit the films—and funds to attend the film competition in Española. University of New Mexico-Taos’ Digital Media Arts facility has both the staff and the equipment to help—so NM Film Prize staff and Taos educators reached out for help. LOR’s funding was used to hire film mentors to conduct workshops for Taos students and teachers using UNM-Taos’ media arts facility and also supported travel stipends for students and teachers to attend the film festival.

This project is fiscally sponsored by Taos Community Foundation.

Impact

Two Taos County students won big at the competition: Thirteen-year-old Questa homeschool student Tulsi Shaw won the Middle School Grand Prize Judge’s Award for Best Film for her film “Earth.” Her film also won the Best Middle School Animated Film award. The Sci-Fi Thriller award went to “Camp Sunshine” by Roots and Wings Community School. This project was led by eighth-graders Kyla Stow, Gabriel Chavez, Will Place and Ilan O’Donnell. (Read Tulsi’s interview with Taos News.)

In The News

Taos County Students Take Home Big Wins in Film Competition (Taos News)

Film Prize Junior New Mexico Festival Shows Off Youth Movies This Weekend (Taos News)

 

 

Contact our community officer in Taos. Meet Sonya Struck
More Education Solutions
Education / Cortez A Support Program Helps Cortez’s First Responder Families Build Resilience
Local Champion:
Dare to be You
Date funded:
October 25, 2024
Grant Amount:
$12,847
Education / Libby A Classroom Aids Gun Safety Education in Libby
Local Champion:
City of Libby
Date funded:
October 24, 2024
Grant Amount:
$25,559
Education / Lander A Little Equipment Helps a Popular Local Youth Math Club Grow
Local Champion:
Project Carpe Diem
Date funded:
October 16, 2024
Grant Amount:
$140
Education / Lander A Lander Puppet Show Spreads Kindness and Joy to the Community
Local Champion:
Project Carpe Diem
Date funded:
October 16, 2024
Grant Amount:
$5,000
Education / Cortez A Peer Support Program Uplifts Cortez Parents in Recovery
Local Champion:
Piñon Project
Date funded:
October 15, 2024
Grant Amount:
$15,900
Education / Lander Lander Launches an Affordable Community Dance Team for Youth
Local Champion:
Lander local
Date funded:
October 11, 2024
Grant Amount:
$6,333
See All solutions

Share a Solution

If you have an idea for improving quality of life in Cortez or Monte Vista, Colorado; Lander, Wyoming; Libby, Montana; Questa or Taos, New Mexico; or Weiser, Idaho, use this form to start a conversation with us.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.