In 2022, Ilana Lapid of New Mexico State University’s Creative Media Institute, led a group of 13 student filmmakers and others on a 17-mile backpacking trek into New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness. The Gila Film School excursion was in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Gila’s designation as the world’s first wilderness area. Three of seven planned documentaries will be screened, along with previews of four others. They explore different aspects of the Gila Wilderness, from its rich history to current preservation efforts. Tales of the Gila Trout (directed by Patricia Soto), Legacies of the Gila (Noah Montes, Gayla Lacy), and Stewardship of the Gila (Ingrid Leyva, Ezekiel Soliz, Sigidavid Trevizo) and the trailers serve as a celebration of and cautionary tale about this majestic place and those who’ve worked to preserve it. Field producer Simon Sotelo and some of the students will take part in a Q&A. — Doug Pullen

Rated: PG