Reel World

Climb and Watch

The 2008 Taos Mountain Film Festival will open Thursday, Oct. 9, with Locals Night. Slideshows and movies from New Mexico characters will launch this annual festival of high-altitude culture and outdoor sporting. The festival continues through Sunday, Oct. 12, with film screenings and panel discussions at the Old County Courthouse and La Fonda Hotel, both on Taos Plaza. This year’s guests include National Geographic writer Jon Bowermaster, 10-time Mt. Everest summit climber Dave Hahn, El Capitan conquerer Glen Denny, Dalai Lama media coordinator Tseten Phanucharas and ultralight trike flyer/photographer Chris Dahl-Bredine. Dozens of films and videos will unspool over the course of the weekend, covering topics like African peak climbing, Antarctic exploration, ancient Peruvian ritual, Tibetan independence, kite skiing, BASE jumping and the history of Greenpeace. For complete information on films, times and ticket sales, log on to mountainfilm.net.

Mas Movies

Instituto Cervantes at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (1701 Fourth Street SW) has proudly begun its third annual Cine en Construcción film series. The series runs every Thursday at 7 p.m. through Oct. 30. The goal of this ongoing series is to promote recent films from Latin America. This year’s selection of films includes La Sombra del Camiante (Colombia), Otra Vuelta (Argentina), Próxima Salida (Argentina), Fuera de Juego (Ecuador) and Pueblo Chico (Argentina). Próxima Salida will be presented by the director, Nicolás Tuozzo, on Oct. 16 followed by a Q&A. All films are in Spanish with English subtitles and are free to the public. For more info, call 724-4777 or visit albuquerque.cervantes.es for more info.

NM Black Expo

The 2008 New Mexico Black Expo takes place Oct. 10 and 11. Music, entertainment, informational booths and vendors will be used to promote an open discussion regarding the unique contribution African-Americans make in the larger New Mexico community. On Friday, Oct. 10, there will be a screening of the film Souls of Black Girls (soulsofblackgirls.com) at the African American Performing Arts Center on the Expo New Mexico grounds. After the screening, Los Angeles-based filmmaker Daphne Valerius will answer questions about her film. Also part of this panel discussion will be UNM Africana Studies Director Dr. Sherri Burr, UNM Ph.D. Candidate Christopher Brown and journalist Gene Grant. For more info on the Black Expo, log on to oaaa.state.nm.us.

More Death

Viz Pictures is releasing the live-action, anime-inspired sequel Death Note II: The Last Note this Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 15 and 16, in select digitally equipped theaters. You can catch the Japanese horror/fantasy film locally at Cottonwood Starport and at Century Downtown starting at 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets early by visiting deathnotefilms.com. Luckily, the Alibi has five tickets to give away each night of the screening. If you want one, log on and be one of the first 10 to post a comment to this article!