Feminist Border Arts Film Festival to be held on International Pride Day

Leah Romero, Las Cruces Sun-News
·3 min read

New Mexico State University will present the eighth annual Feminist Border Arts Film Festival in-person this month, a one-day event held on International Pride Day.

The 2023 FBAFF is a collaborative project sponsored by NMSU Gender & Sexuality Studies; University Art Museum; Office of Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity; College of Arts & Sciences; Stan Fulton Endowed Chair; Department of English and Department of Art.

This year’s festival will feature 60 short films from U.S. and transnational filmmakers who represent the spectrum of genders and underrepresented perspectives.

“In our festival, we take great pride in showcasing a selection of U.S. and transnational short films that navigate the complexities of identity and difference, taking a socially-engaged stance through film. We concentrate our efforts on unifying narratives around women and LGBTQ+ topics, stimulating a rich dialogue about diverse representation,” said M.C. Jonet in a news release. Jonet is the FBAFF co-founder and associate professor of gender and sexuality studies at NMSU.

Films will be screened from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 28 in various rooms of the University Art Museum. The date is also significant because it is International Pride Day and the 54th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots of 1969.

The Stonewall Riots were a pivotal moment in the rise of LGBTQ+ rights around the world. On early June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club, in Greenwich Village, New York City. Police dragged out employees and customers of the club which sparked patrons and neighbors to riot. The protests lasted for six days.

"We find ourselves in a time when the fight for reproductive rights has gained renewed urgency following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and when laws targeting transgender individuals and the broader LGBTQIA+ community are increasingly prevalent,” said co-founder Laura Anh Williams, in a news release. “It is precisely these challenges that can serve as catalysts for learning and solidarity, inspiring collective efforts to construct better worlds together.”

In the news release, she said work from six NMSU students and several alumni filmmakers will be featured this year. The festival itself is dedicated to Emilia Rueda this year. Rueda was a student of Jonet’s and was a victim of intimate partner homicide in September 2022.

Rueda’s film, “Hand of Colonialism,” will be screened at 1 p.m. during the festival in a special in memoriam program. The full festival schedule includes:

  • 10 a.m.-noon – Interventions, Experimental Film and Art Video

  • 10-10:55 a.m. – Global Animations, Socially Conscious Animated Shorts

  • 11-11:55 a.m. – Digital Storytelling, Video as Story and Research Method

  • 1-1:55 p.m. – In Memoriam: Emilia Rueda, Digital & Material Storytelling

  • 2-3 p.m. – Transnational Cinemas of Protest & Gender Justice, Socially Engaged Film Shorts

  • 5:15-5:45 p.m. – Mixer Screening: Reel Trans Women, Transnational Trans Documentaries

  • 6-8 p.m. – LGBTQIA+ Hemispheres, Queer, Trans, Intersex Short Film

The FBAFF is free and open to the public in the University Art Museum located in Devasthali Hall, 1308 E. University Ave. More information about the festival and individual films can be found online at fba.nmsu.edu.

Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Feminist Border Arts Film Festival to be held on International Pride Day