Student Filmmakers Take Center Stage Nov. 6
October 19 2026
The next generation of filmmakers is ready for its close-up, and you’re invited to watch.
CSN’s 15th Annual Short Film Showcase returns Friday, Nov. 6, bringing 14 original films by 13 student directors to the big screen at the North Las Vegas Campus.
The free, public event celebrates the creativity, storytelling and filmmaking talent coming out of CSN’s Videography & Film Program. And this year’s lineup has a little something for everyone.
From a student racing to class in Late to a chilling attempt to bring someone back from the dead in The Summoning, the films span comedy, drama, horror and documentary storytelling.
Audiences will also get a glimpse of Las Vegas through a local architect’s eyes in Built on Change, explore the artistry and double life of a drag queen in La Dama, and follow an undocumented street vendor navigating racism and local regulations in Elotero.
Other films tackle deeply personal and timely subjects, including grief, family, identity and displacement. In Buried, a Palestinian-American filmmaker examines media bias and his family’s displacement in 1948.
And making the lineup is no small feat.
Each year, faculty nominate standout projects from their production classes. The films are then screened and judged, with only the strongest selected for the final showcase.
“These films represent the best of the best from our program,” said Keith Strausbaugh, program director of Videography & Film. “Tonight belongs to them.”
New this year: Audience members will have a say in the spotlight, with the showcase introducing its first Audience Award, voted on by attendees.
A program with an award-winning track record
The showcase is more than a night at the movies. For many CSN filmmakers, it’s an early step toward industry recognition.
This year alone, CSN’s Videography & Film students earned an impressive 25 Student Production Emmy Award nominations and 12 wins. Over the past 13 years, the program has collected 166 nominations and 80 wins, more than any other film program in Nevada or the Pacific Southwest Emmy chapter.
The program’s success extends beyond graduation.
CSN alumnus Hisonni Mustafa recently earned the Directors Guild of America’s Student Spotlight Award for Underrepresented Directors for his documentary, Legend Has It: The Remarkable Rise of Stephen McCain. According to Mustafa, the guild informed him he was the first community college student to receive the honor.
Mustafa was also selected as one of five filmmakers for the Tyler Perry Studios Dream Collective, receiving $30,000 to produce a short film at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. His accomplishments also include selection for the Writers Guild of America’s Veterans Writing Project and serving as CSN’s 2025 commencement speaker.
For this year’s student directors, the spotlight is now theirs.
Meet the films and filmmakers
Here’s the complete lineup for the 15th Annual Short Film Showcase:
| Film | Student director | Runtime |
|---|---|---|
| Sueños Irreales (Unrealistic Dreams) | Jazmin Pavon Ramos | 7:08 |
| Late | Nathan Tran | 2:52 |
| Built on Change | Quentin Borgstrom | 7:38 |
| After Hours Commercial Break | Mario Parra | 1:36 |
| Behind the Door | Christina Dietrich | 9:14 |
| Flicker | Julianna Rivera | 1:16 |
| The Night After | Quentin Borgstrom | 7:31 |
| The Summoning | Dominic Young | 1:28 |
| La Dama | Mayte Sanchez | 7:27 |
| Not Alone | Delia Inzunza Tarin | 3:05 |
| Elotero | Colin Flanagan | 9:46 |
| Buried | Ziad Doumani | 24:18 |
| The Memory of Us | Espen Lai | 2:59 |
| Best Buddy | Bruno Barraza | 4:36 |
Save your seat for the showcase
Friday, Nov. 6, 2026
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Location: North Las Vegas Campus, Building A, 1772 Theater
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Admission: Free and open to the public
Come support CSN’s student filmmakers, enjoy an evening of original storytelling and cast your vote for the first Audience Award. You might just be watching the work of a future Emmy-winning director.
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