Hendren Night—Aaron Hendren, New Mexico's “most beloved and best-looking filmmaker” (his press release, not my words), will be saluting himself by screening a series of shorts at the Santa Fe Film Center on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Short films to be screened include “Stuck,” “How to Make Friends and Be Popular,” “Lentigo” and “Fetish.” Hendren is currently focussing on making a feature film and this one-time-only screening promises to expose audiences to his no-budget work with “guns, fish, tattoos and the occasional masking-tape bikini.” The screening gets underway at 7:45 p.m. The Santa Fe Film Center is located at the former Cinemacafe site (1616 St. Michael's Drive in Santa Fe). For more information, log on to www.santafefilmfestival.com/filmcenter or visit Hendren's home page at www.eggmurders.com.
Reel World
Community College Film Festival—Sightings is described as a “first-ever video competition and exhibition for students in New Mexico's two-year colleges.” The festival is being organized by Santa Fe Community College and the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe. Screenings of accepted works will run in conjunction with an exhibition at SFCC highlighting careers in film production in New Mexico. Prizes will be awarded in three categories: documentary, narrative fiction and experimental. The winning works will be screened in a gala awards night at CCA on March 10, 2006. Deadline for entries is Dec. 1, 2005. Entry forms and more information can be found at Santa Fe Community College's website (www.sfccnm.edu) or by contacting Anne Farrell at (505) 428-1693.
Reel World
Thomas Comes to Town—The governor's office recently announced start-up on the 34th feature film to shoot in New Mexico since Richardson took office. Doubting Thomas is described as a family comedy about a 12-year-old boy prone to telling tall tales who overhears a plot to kidnap the president's daughter. When no one will believe him, it's up to our titular hero to rescue her. The film is being written and directed by Mark Blutman, a writer and producer from the early-'90s sitcom “Boy Meets World.” The film is expected to begin shooting very soon. It will shoot for 30 days in and around Albuquerque and is expected to employ 50 New Mexicans. Cast has not yet been formally announced, although young actress Annasophia Robb (who starred as Violet Beauregarde in the recent Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remake) apparently announced she was part of the cast.
