Crafting New Futures: A Decade of FBA
The Feminist Border Arts Film Festival (FBAFF & FBA25) is proud to celebrate its 10th season and anniversary in 2025. This year, our decade-long theme, "Film and Media Arts: Crafting New Futures," invites us to explore how creative expression can shape and reimagine the world we strive to build.
Join us this Pride, on June 6-7, 2025, at the University Art Museum on the campus of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, just forty miles from El Paso, TX, Ciudad Juárez, and the U.S.-Mexico border. Our 2nd Annual Zine Fest (FBAZF) will run concurrently on June 7.
Over the past decade, FBAFF has established itself as an important platform for socially transformative work, rooted in the belief that film, media, and zines are powerful catalysts for change and community building. Our curation emphasizes not just content but also form, inviting works that explore innovative storytelling techniques. We care not only about what is being told but also about how it's being told, to whom, and by whom, all with the purpose of practicing feminist curiosity, fostering collective insight, and forming third or remixed space.
Submission Process: FBA25 welcomes submissions from students, independent creators, collaborators, scholar-artists, and seasoned filmmakers. This two-day festival and exhibition interrogates and expands upon conventional narratives relating to women, gender, LGBTQ+ communities, BIPOC, and positive social change. Through film, digital projects, and media, we foster critical engagement that spans both U.S. and global contexts.
We seek submissions that engage critically with social issues, push boundaries in storytelling, and envision radical possibilities through innovative and creative expression. We welcome submissions across genres, including narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated films that challenge the norms of storytelling, representation, and social engagement.
The festival defines “feminist border arts” as a practice that challenges the limits of conventional representation through telling stories from the edge—threshold visions from the margins that create new ways of understanding and transmit underrepresented ways of knowing. Selected pieces revive the promise of cinema, the possibility of film and media arts to open minds, create new vistas, and challenge dehumanizing forms of representation.
Selection Process: Submissions to FBA25 undergo a rigorous selection process. Our selection committee and reviewers are comprised of filmmakers, scholars, artists, activists, and interested persons with expertise in film, media arts, gender and sexuality studies, and social justice. Their collective insights ensure that the works chosen for the festival meet our high standards for artistic innovation, social relevance, creative, and critical thinking.
Judging Criteria: Submissions are evaluated based on a set of criteria that align with the mission and objectives of Feminist Border Arts. These criteria include but are not limited to:
Artistic Innovation: Originality in form and content.
Social Relevance: Significance in addressing issues related to gender, sexuality, social justice, and transformation.
Storytelling Technique: Skill in the craft of storytelling, whether through film, digital media, or other forms.
Thoughtful Exploration: Depth and nuance in exploring the subject matter, showing a well-considered approach and meaningful inquiry or narrative.
Audience Engagement: Potential for fostering critical thought and dialogue among festival attendees.
Filmmaker Participation: While we are unable to provide accommodations for filmmakers, we highly encourage your participation in the festival. Your presence enriches the dialogue and experience for all attendees. If your work is selected and you plan to attend, please inform us so we can maximize your engagement at the event.
Making the Scene: FBA25 is a unique convergence of creative minds, scholars, activists, and community builders, where meaningful connections are forged, and critical discussions are sparked. Whether you’re a curious cinephile, a filmmaker pushing the boundaries of storytelling, a scholar blending theory and practice, or a community member advocating for social justice, FBA25 provides fertile ground for collaboration and cross-disciplinary dialogue.
Context: Las Cruces and New Mexico have emerged as prominent filmmaking destinations, celebrated for their breathtaking landscapes, supportive local film communities, and rich cultural heritages. This crossroads of cultures and creativity offers an ideal setting for exploring themes of borders, identity, and social change through the powerful mediums of film and media arts, as well as for inspiring your next film or creative project.
The state is also home to 23 federally recognized Native American tribes, including 19 Pueblo communities, three Apache tribes, and the Navajo Nation. These communities have distinct languages, cultures, and histories, and their lands are interspersed throughout the state, creating a complex landscape of internal borders.
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Note: Festival and exhibition dates and the venue are subject to change under compelling circumstances. We are committed to providing a high-quality experience and will communicate any changes as soon as possible.
Attending the Event:
Las Cruces is situated in the Mesilla Valley, flanked by the Organ Mountains to the east and the Rio Grande to the west in the southern part of New Mexico. Visitors to Las Cruces often choose to fly into El Paso International Airport, located just 50 miles south, or Albuquerque International Sunport, which is about 225 miles to the north. Both locations offer convenient car rental options. Las Cruces Shuttle offers reliable transportation to & from El Paso Airport & Las Cruces.
The event takes place in the University Art Museum, located in Devasthali Hall, near the intersection of University and Solano Avenues in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA, on the campus of New Mexico State University. It is free and open to the public.
The building is equipped with disability-accessible features, including automatic doors, curb cutaways, elevators, and designated parking spaces for individuals with disabilities displaying a valid disabled placard or plate.
The University Art Museum does not currently require mask use, but masks are welcome. Please wear one at your discretion. Museum facilities have masks available on-site for those who need one.
UAM Phone: 575-646-2545
Free Parking Information: Free 1-Day & 1-Week E-Permits. You can print out a new permit up to 5 times per year.
Attendees can also enjoy free parking on campus, including the spacious Lot #30 located east of the Pan American Center. These complimentary parking areas are designated in brown on the campus parking map.
Remember, parking is free across campus after 4:30 pm. For or any additional questions, email parking@nmsu.edu.
Gender Neutral Restroom Available: For your convenience, a gender-neutral restroom is located in Devasthali Hall on the main floor.
Nursing Privacy Pod: A nursing parent's privacy pod (Mamava pod) is located on the main floor, to the left of the main entrance.
Accommodations Near NMSU: For those traveling from out of town, here are some nearby hotel options:
Comfort Suites
2101 S. Triviz Drive
575-522-1300
Courtyard by Marriott Las Cruces at NMSU
456 E. University Avenue
575-526-1722
Hilton Garden Inn
2550 Don Roser Drive
575-522-0900
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
2635 S. Valley Drive
575-527-9947
Ramada Las Cruces Hotel and Conference Center
201 E. University Avenue
575-526-4411
WoodSpring Suites Las Cruces
2080 S. Triviz Drive
575-528-2046
Las Cruces is conveniently located about 52 miles west of White Sands National Park. The drive typically takes just under an hour, making it easy for visitors to spend time exploring the gypsum dune fields of White Sands and the 2024 Feminist Border Arts Film and Zine Festival.
New Mexico has become a pivotal hub for filmmakers, celebrated for its landscapes and supportive local communities, as well as significant tax incentives that benefit film productions. We invite filmmakers, artists, and producers to check out Las Cruces and southern New Mexico for their next project, while they enjoy the festival.
FBA10 is sponsored by NMSU Gender & Sexuality Studies, University Art Museum, College of Arts & Sciences, Office for Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity, NMSU Global Campus, and Research, Creativity and Economic Development
Feminist Border Arts is a highly selective, university-affiliated film festival, deeply rooted in the interdisciplinary fields of Women’s, Gender, and LGBTQ+ Studies. We use film and media arts as essential tools for research, creative expression, and education. With less than 1% of submissions making it into our curated program, being featured is a significant achievement that reflects your work's contribution to pushing the boundaries of storytelling, representation, and social engagement. Our festival is committed to advancing critical conversations through the powerful medium of film, aligned with our mission to foster social justice and transformative creativity and learning.
Our awards are not monetary but carry deep significance within the context of our festival's mission. The categories may vary each year to reflect the unique focus and ethos of that season's festival.
Audience Awards: Chosen by festival attendees, these awards honor the works that most strongly connect with and captivate our diverse and engaged audience.
Jury Awards: Selected by an independent panel of judges, these awards recognize films that demonstrate exceptional artistic achievement and originality.
Directors' Awards: Chosen by the festival co-directors, these awards celebrate films that exemplify artistic innovation and make a significant social impact.
Advisory Board Awards: Determined by our advisory board, these awards recognize works that excel in social relevance, artistic excellence, and boundary-pushing creativity.
