Middle schooler’s debut film earns invitation to Banff Film Festival
- Wrangell Sentinel
- Oct 23
- 4 min read
By Jonathon Dawe
Wrangell Sentinel
Seventh-grader Ayla Harris wasn’t enrolled in the filmmaking elective at Stikine Middle School last year, but that didn’t stop her from knocking on a door, pitching a project and teaching herself how to piece a film together. A month later, she had a documentary — and now an invitation to participate in the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Canada in November.
With a running time of approximately five minutes, the newly edited version will be screened during the Milk Run Music Festival in Wrangell in May 2026.
Her teacher, Laura Davies, who teaches science, math and computer science at Stikine Middle School, said Harris’ determination made the difference.
“I have an open-door policy for students who are motivated to learn,” Davies said. “So, when Ayla came to me last year and said she wanted to make a documentary, I said she could.”
Harris turned her camera toward home. Her film tells the story of her great-grandfather, Tom Gillen Sr., and how he began to uncover and embrace his Native heritage later in life. It’s a personal portrait, one that weaves family history with questions of identity.
“She did such a good job,” Davies said. “I’m so proud of her.”
Several Wrangell students submitted films for Banff, but Harris was the only one selected. The recognition, she and her teacher said, is less about winning and more about what happens when a young person decides a story matters and figures out how to tell it.
“It took me about a month to make the film,” Harris said. “I kind of taught myself as I went, and I got help from my friends.”
That peer support is exactly the kind of environment Davies tries to build. Her classroom and after-school programs encourage students to try, to swap feedback and to problem-solve together — even when the teacher is still learning, too.
“I like the collaborative approach,” Davies said. “I’m still learning a lot about making films, too. And when a student is motivated like Ayla, they will do what it takes to get their questions answered.”
Harris said the process confirmed what she enjoys most about documentary work. It isn’t the gear or the edits. It’s sitting with someone long enough for a story to unfold.
“I just like hearing people’s stories and hearing about what they have been through,” she said. “I’ll keep doing this all the way through high school, but I don’t know about college or after that.”
Finishing the film while her great-grandfather could see it mattered to her. She said she hopes it becomes part of the stories her family passes down.
“I just wish my great-grandmother was still alive so I could do the same with her,” Harris said.
Davies said she sees a steady source of encouragement behind Harris’ drive.
“Her parents, Jake and Rachel, are incredibly supportive of her,” she said. “They have high expectations for her, and I think that has helped keep her motivated with everything she does.”
Harris is already outlining her next project. She wants to document the history of the former Wrangell Institute Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school, which operated until 1975 at the site where the Alder Top Village (Keishangita.’aan) subdivision is being developed.
The subject is sensitive for many Alaska Native families who were affected by the era of boarding schools, Harris said, and it deserves careful attention.
“I think it’s important and people should know about it,” she said. “It’s a story that needs to be told.”
The Banff Mountain Film Festival began in 1976 as a one-day gathering for climbers and outdoor enthusiasts in Banff, Alberta, Canada. It has since grown into a major international festival and touring program that showcases films about mountain culture and the outdoors.
For Wrangell students, the path to festivals like Banff has been paved by a growing local filmmaking scene. In February, Wrangell high schoolers Jackson Pearson and Silje Morse joined Davies at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. They were invited by See Stories, an Alaska nonprofit that works to build inclusive communities through film and storytelling.
Stikine Stories, Wrangell High School’s documentary film club modeled after See Stories, has collaborated with the nonprofit since 2022. With grants and equipment purchases, Davies said, the program now gives middle and high school students the tools to develop story ideas, gather interviews and edit their work into films.
Harris’ selection for Banff reflects that momentum, Davies said, but it also shows how quickly a student can grow when the right project comes along.
“Sometimes a student finds a story that’s personal and they’re off,” Davies said. “Ayla is an inspiration to me, and all of these kids inspire me.”
There is still a practical hurdle to clear before Harris can attend the festival: getting there. Davies and Harris are fundraising to pay for travel and related costs.
“We’re about halfway there, but we have about $3,000 more that we need to raise,” Davies said. “I’m just excited to see how quickly everything has come together so far.”
For now, Harris is balancing school with planning, revisiting her film with fresh eyes and taking notes for what comes next. Whether she keeps making documentaries beyond high school, she said, will depend on the stories she finds — and the people willing to share them.
• This story was originally published by the Wrangell Sentinel.
