ROCK THE FUTURE 2025!
The annual UNM-Taos
Film and Digital Media Fall Showcase.
All five events are FREE, but seating is limited at the Wildflower Playhouse (nights 1-4),
and we sell out quickly. You must have a ticket, so reserve yours today!
Join us for Rock the Future, a five-day film and digital media arts showcase, featuring powerful short films and artwork, inspiring panels and engaging demos. A rich selection of offerings highlights the next generation of UNM-Taos storytellers and their unstoppable spirits lighting up the screen, stage, and fandom realms! Bold and creative, they stand ready to reclaim, reframe, reimagine, and rock the future!
Monday – Thursday, December 1-4, 2025
Wildflower Playhouse
1339 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 87571
6 – 9pm each evening
Friday, December 5, 2025
UNM-Taos Klauer Campus
Padre Martinez Hall, ABCD Classroom
2:30 – 5pm
Check out the Schedule Below
for Nights 1-4, and Reserve Your Tickets Today!
Night 1:
All Things OTaosuCon!
Get ready to turn up the energy at the UNM-Taos FDMA Rock the Future Showcase, kicking off with Night One: All Things OTaosUCon — a celebration of pop culture, creativity, and student innovation.
Our first evening introduces you to OTaosuCon — Taos’ brand-new fandom and pop culture celebration — coming Feb 21 & 22, 2026 at UNM-Taos Klauer Campus! Get the inside scoop on the fest with hands-on sessions, including Artist Alley secrets for setting up a booth that sells, three live cosplay demos to bring your characters to life.
We’ll also feature an exclusive sneak peek at a new “mini comic con” artist portal and app in development.
Whether you’re an artist, cosplayer, or pop culture enthusiast, this intro evening is your launchpad into OTaosuCon and the rest of our showcase!
Night 2:
Creators Without Borders
Join us for the second night of our showcase when we feature the panel, “Creators Without Borders, Episode 1: Beyond the Label.”
This panel features multidisciplinary artists who’ve broken free from traditional career paths. Discover how to think like a creative entrepreneur as panelists share insights on finding new opportunities and carving out your niche in the media landscape.
Featuring Jo Rae Di Menno (music publicist, former publicity director, SXSW), Dia VanGunten (writer and creator of Pink Zombie Rose, a series of graphic novels), J. Alex Morrison (experience designer, technologist, labor organizer, and advocate for ethical and accessible technology), and Isaiah Galante (audio engineer, filmmaker).
Moderated by Maggie Duval, FDMA Project & Events Coordinator.
Read more about the panel and the bios of our incredible guests, here.
Night 3:
Future of Filmmaking in Northern New Mexico
Join us for the third night of our showcase featuring a panel on The Future of Filmmaking in Northern New Mexico followed by the screening of Student Capstone Films.
This evening will host another engaging panel, The Future of Filmmaking in Northern New Mexico, featuring local and regional experts moderated by FDMA Department Chair, Peter Walker and Film Student/Actress, Veve Alarid. Explore how culture, technology, and place are converging to shape the next generation of filmmakers. The evening crescendos with a premiere of capstone films by advanced UNM-Taos FDMA students — stories born in the mountains, made for the big screen.
Night 4:
The Grand Finale
Celebrate the Grand Finale of our four-day Film and Digital Media Arts event!
Experience an unforgettable night of student creativity featuring Soundtracks of Taos (Intro to Digital Media Arts), The Taos Time Bank and Emergency Medicine Scenarios (Video Production), Digital Destinies (Digital Illustration), and three standout films from our Directing and Cinematography classes.
The evening closes with a powerful one-woman manifesto performance by Arabella Larson — a bold, inspiring finish to an incredible semester of storytelling, art, and imagination.
Night 5: INDIGENOUS STUDENT FILMMAKER SHOWCASE
Please join UNM-Taos and the Continental Divide Trail Coalition in recognizing the power of storytelling within the Taos Pueblo community as Indigenous students in the Film and Digital Media Arts program share their work and discuss the impacts, strengths, and stories of their land and people.
Featuring student filmmakers Crucito Concha, Kasey Brooke Romero, and Kenyon Rainer in a panel discussion on Indigenous storytelling, and creative expression.
REMINDER THAT THIS FREE EVENT IS AT UNM-KLAUER CAMPUS – PADRE MARTINEZ HALL ABCD (NOT DOWNTOWN CAMPUS) AT 1157 County Road 110, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557, FROM 2:30 – 5:00 PM. You do not need to reserve a ticket.