2024 Silver City Community Film Festival. Pictured left to right, Sharla Lefkowitz-Oberg, Sarah Zamora, Kim Ryan. October 2 - 5, 2025
Silco Theater
311 North Bullard Street, Silver City, NM 88061
Submitted by Silver City Community Film Festival
After a successful launch last October, the Silver City Community Film Festival is slated to present twice as many independent, regionally produced films as last year. The selections were culled from nearly four times as many submissions.
According to Festival Director Kim Ryan, organizers were confident last year's inaugural event would draw out a lot of hidden cinematic talent but they were "pleasantly surprised" that, in its first year, they were able to fill three days with original, locally-made content.
Better yet, she added, attendees said they were impressed with the quality of the films and had a great time throughout the weekend. "I really feel like it exceeded my expectations."
This year, festival organizers decided to expand the entry eligibility boundaries beyond Grant County by inviting filmmakers from a wider geographic area - from El Paso west to Tucson and Albuquerque south to Chihuahua. Ryan said inviting submissions from the surrounding area is a logical extension of the community. "There is a real kinship with our neighbors here in the Southwest," she said.
Once again, the number and quality of submissions surpassed their projections. As of the official deadline there were 130 entries. Of those, 58 have been selected to screen over four days, October 2 - 5, at the Silco Theater, located at 311 North Bullard Street in historic downtown Silver City.
According to Ryan, 23 of the films were made by local filmmakers, the balance come from Las Cruces, Albuquerque, El Paso, Tucson, Texas, Colorado, Santa Fe and Taos. The festival will also highlight seven films created by 15 local students who participated in a youth filmmaking workshop presented by the Silco Theater and Silver City MainStreet Project this summer.
Filmgoers will be able to buy full-weekend, full-day or individual block passes. While the entire slate has yet to be finalized organizers are planning to offer blocks of documentaries, narratives, music videos and animated films.
New additions to the festival this year will include a discussion with visiting filmmaker Jill Orschel whose film "Snowland" was recently selected as a finalist at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. Orschel also established a filmmakers showcase in Park City, Utah that nurtured local filmmakers for more than 15 years.
The Saturday screenings at the Silco will be topped off with a guest festival showcase from New York City presented by the Ridgewood Off-Kilter Film Festival at Whiskey Creek Zocalo.
Finally, after Sunday's festival awards ceremony, there will be a farewell ice cream social at June June's, on Bullard Street in downtown Silver City.
Ryan, whose responsibilities also include year round programming at the Silco Theater, admits there are a lot of logistics involved with programming such a diverse slate of films but it has been rewarding. "It is so important to be able to showcase people's independent creativity. The festival films are refreshing after dealing with only big-studio productions. It really touches my heart and I hope it ignites even more creative expression."
For additional details about the Silver City Community Film Festival bookmark the website: www.silvercityfilmfest.org and/or follow the event on Facebook and Instagram.
