Future Voices Festival 2026

Congratulations to all of the 2026 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 2026 Future Voices Festival is the 19th annual celebration of the top films and photographs from our Lensic Future Voices year-end competition. This year, New Mexico students from twelve 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.

2026 Award-Winning Films

Still from “A Second Too Late”

by Theater and Film Department Production

(Capital High School) / First Place, Narrative Category

Watch this year’s award-winning three-minute-long films!

2026 Future Voices Film Winners

Animation

First Place: The Chase, Patrick Riesterer (The Academy for Technology and the Classics)

Second Place: Tuned To You, Net De La Riva (New Mexico School for the Arts)

Third Place: Say No Before Its Too Late, Nataaní-Nigizhig Chee, with Ana Gallegos, Charlotte Woodhouse as voice actors (The Public Academy for Performing Arts)

 

Comedy

First Place: 4th Wall Brawl, Christopher Provenzano (Director) with assistant producers: Myah Iduoze and Carl Wingfield (Alamogordo High School)

Second Place: RACECARPEN, Cadence Louthan (The Public Academy for Performing Arts)

Third Place: The Interview, Theater and Film Department Production (Capital High School)

Documentary

First Place: Fishing, Gavin Trujillo (The Academy for Technology and the Classics)

Second Place: The Hermit of New Mexico, Adam Duva and Aubree Ware (Directors), with assistant producers: Phillip Longfellow-Jones, Issrael Vargas, Arianna Tucker (Alamogordo High School)

Third Place: A Shelter Story, Zaydin Vidal and Julian Simental (Alamogordo High School)

Experimental

First Place: Seek and Hide, Jude Smith Van-Winkle (The Public Academy for Performing Arts)

Second Place: Untitled, Eli Tager (New Mexico School for the Arts)

Third Place: Another Day, Joziah Garcia (Santa Fe High School)

Narrative

First Place: A Second Too Late, Theater and Film Department Production (Capital High School)

Second Place: Charlie, Charlie, Angel Alcantar, Ivette Villanueva, Leah Martinez, Ulises Aispuro Ponce, Jose Alcantar, Juliette Jordan (Española Valley High School)

Third Place: Unlucky, Savannah Martinez (Espanola Valley High School)

 

2026 Award-Winning Photos

Photo by Lucas Carrillo (Monte del Sol) / Second Place, Landscape Category

View this year’s winning photographs in this photo reel!

2026 Future Voices Photography Winners

Animal

First Place: Mena Gracie, Santa Fe Prep

Second Place: Ruby Rivas, Monte del Sol

Third Place: Net De La Riva, New Mexico School for the Arts

Honorable Mention: Jameson Alexander, New Mexico School for the Art

 

Humor

First Place: Hannah Ulibarri, Monte del Sol

Second Place: Mia-Bella Prentice, The Academy for Technology and the Classic

Third Place: Asa Bolin-Ryan, New Mexico School for the Art

Honorable Mention: Raylee Jennings, Alamogordo High School

Landscape

First Place: Clayton Selby, Mandela International Magnet School

Second Place: Lucas Carrillo, Monte del Sol

Third Place: Joseph Armijo, Monte del Sol

Honorable Mention: Harvey Romero Holden, Santa Fe Prep

Portrait

First Place: Anabelle Marzan, Alamogordo High School

Second Place: Weed Oak, Santa Fe Prep

Third Place: Ruby Rivas, Monte del Sol

Honorable Mention: HM: Mariella Archuleta, Monte del So

Street

First Place: Scanlan Owen, Santa Fe Prep

Second Place: Nolyn Ortiz, Monte del Sol

Third Place: Shannon Patterson, The New Mexico Academy for the Media Arts

Honorable Mention: Damien Brinegar, The Academy for Technology and the Classics

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
  • Christine Alexander, 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.

Center for Contemporary Arts

Enterprise Bank & Trust

Lineberry Foundation

Hankins Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

Newman’s Own Foundation

SLB Foundation

The Sulica Fund