Future Voices Festival 2023
Congratulations to all of the 2023 Future Voices Festival film and photography winners!
Lensic Future Voices encourages middle and high school students across New Mexico to tell their stories through original photographs and short films. Guided by a team of industry experts, the Lensic provides students with the support they need to create high-quality projects.
The 2023 Future Voices Festival is the 16th annual celebration of the top films and photographs from our Lensic Future Voices year-end competition. This year, New Mexico students from eleven schools submitted their work for consideration. Our panel of expert judges selected the top entries in a variety of categories. We proudly present those winning films and photos below.
Please support Lensic Future Voices! This Lensic education program is funded by contributions from the community. Your tax-deductible donation encourages a new generation of creativity and self-expression and plays an important role in the future of performing arts. To donate, please visit our Education Programs donation page. We appreciate your support.
2023 Award-Winning Films
Still from “Help Me Rise Above” by Amanda Younis (Public Academy for Performing Arts, Albuquerque) / First Place, Animation Category
Watch this year’s award-winning three-minute long films!
2023 Future Voices Film Winners
Animation
First Place: Help Me Rise Above, Amanda Younis (Public Academy for Performing Arts)
Second Place: Pan Tostado, Fatima Quiroz, Julia Lopez, Vianney Garcia (Aspen Community School)
Third Place: A Day in the Forest, Lilly Jarrett (Lyndon B. Johnson Middle School)
Comedy
First Place: The Usual, Director(s) Kiara Salinas, Erick Prieto Chavira, and Diego Anaya (Española Valley High School)
Second Place: Just a Normal Day, Georgie and Anthony (Aspen Community School)
Third Place: The Golden Spoon: Amateur Cooking Competition, Jayden Saiz and Rosa March Martinez (Academy for Technology and the Classics)
Documentary
First Place: Good Medicine (Allin Azee’ ), Sami Straits (New Mexico International School)
Second Place: A Hidden Treasure, Ava Katko (Academy for Technology and the Classics)
Third Place: Arts and Inspiration, Nickolas Baca (Public Academy for Performing Arts)
Experimental
First Place: Perfectitude Soliloquy, Jazmin Salim (Lyndon B. Johnson Middle School)
Second Place: New Shoots, Fresh Shoots, Shootings Shorts, Thank You to the Academy, Solar Emperor, Evolution of Cat, Mixing Our Essence, Girl, No Sound Bar, Corruption, Normal Nature Walk, Collaborative Group Film (The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and Basement Films)
Third Place: Comfort of Static, Mari Botero (Lyndon B. Johnson Middle School)
Narrative
First Place: You Belong, Alexandra Lilly (Public Academy for Performing Arts)
Second Place: Shitsíí (My Hair), Mosiah Silentwalker (Public Academy for Performing Arts)
Third Place: The Jacket, Brayan Arevalo and Juan Maestas (Española Valley High School)
2023 Award-Winning Photos
Photo by Izaak Buetens (Santa Fe Prep) / Second Place, Manipulated Category
View this year’s winning photographs in this photo reel!
2023 Future Voices Photography Winners
Animal
First Place: Sage Barna-Ritter, Mandela International Magnet School
Second Place: Abigail Olsen, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Third Place: Jack Elling, Mandela International Magnet School
Honorable Mention: Kenna Flores, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Architecture
First Place: Catalina Jimenez, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Second Place: Anaya Gonzalez, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Third Place: Mae Waltz, Mandela International Magnet School
Honorable Mention: Isaiah Montoya, Santa Fe Prep School
Black and White
First Place: Lauren Gonze, Santa Fe Prep School
Second Place: Maisie Auer, Mandela International Magnet School
Third Place: Alondra Rodriguez, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Honorable Mention: Aylin Bermudez, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Color
First Place: Clayton Selby, Mandela International Magnet School
Second Place: Anaya Gonzalez, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Third Place: Shanti Lambert, Mandela International Magnet School
Honorable Mention: Jacob Peltz, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Humor
First Place: Kaiya Casares-Robledo, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Second Place: Rowan Strauss, Mandela International Magnet School
Third Place: Jaelynn Pereira, Mandela International Magnet School
Honorable Mention: Ophelia Grafe, Mandela International Magnet School
Landscape
First Place: Shanti Lambert, Mandela International Magnet School
Second Place: Mosiah Silentwalker, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Third Place: Lola Kark, Santa Fe Prep School
Honorable Mention: Nico Spangenburg, Mandela International Magnet School
Manipulated
First Place: Rowan Strauss, Mandela International Magnet School
Second Place: Izaak Buetens, Santa Fe Prep School
Third Place: Anaya Gonzalez, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Honorable Mention: Destiney Montoya, New Mexico Academy for the Media Arts
Most Original
First Place: Oliver Winkler, Santa Fe Prep School
Second Place: Cora Bixby, Santa Fe Prep School
Third Place: Sami Straits, New Mexico International School
Honorable Mention: Fiona Ferber, Santa Fe Prep School
Portrait
First Place: Alex Wohlberg, Santa Fe Prep School
Second Place: Ella Browne, Santa Fe Prep School
Third Place: Jack Gose, New Mexico Academy for the Media Arts
Honorable Mention: Shannon Patterson, New Mexico Academy for the Media Arts
Street
First Place: Dahlia Reyes Newell, Santa Fe Prep School
Second Place: Avalon Dzurec, Mandela International Magnet School
Third Place: Arianna Giannelli, Santa Fe Prep School
Honorable Mention: Dawn Anaya, Mandela International Magnet School
Special Thanks
A huge thank you to the dedicated team that makes the Future Voices Festival happen each year!
- Marcella Ernst, Future Voices Program Manager
- Reid Callanan and Santa Fe Workshops
- Jonathan Lowe and Video Magic
Thanks to ALL of the students and teachers who participate in the Future Voices Festival and our monthly photo and film contests.
We thank the following for their generous support of Lensic Future Voices and other Lensic Performing Arts Education Programs.Melville Hankins Family FoundationSanta Fe Community FoundationJoan VernickConnie and David Girard-diCarloCity of Santa Fe Arts CommissionNewman’s Own FoundationLa Luz FoundationThe Sulica FundThe Linton Family Charitable FundDel Norte Credit UnionPNM Resources