Film festivals are, traditionally, rather highbrow affairs. Genre-busting films are debuted, cinematic trends are discussed, famous filmmakers are feted and abstract golden statuettes are handed to various French, Senegalese and Kazakhstani directors. It’s safe to say that the company behind such movies as Blood Sucking Freaks and Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid would not be sponsoring a film festival of that nature. No, TromaDance New Mexico is not your father’s film festival.

Gov. Bill Richardson announced last week the winner of the “New Visions/New Mexico” Contract Awards. Fourteen New Mexico-based film/media projects have received contracts ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. This money will be used by the winning producers, directors and writers to start or complete various narrative, documentary, animated and experimental works. In the Documentary category, the winners were Marcos Baca of Albuquerque (The Zia’s Heart); Jimmy Baca of Albuquerque (Rising from the Ashes); Joseph Concha of Taos (Smokey and the Snowballs); Elke Duerr of Albuquerque (Wolves in New Mexico--The Great Divide); Ramona Emerson of Albuquerque (Gambling With Our Future); and Florentina Garnanez of Santa Fe (Yellow Fever). In the Animation category, winners were Catherine Friday of Albuquerque (The Sands of Time) and Kevin Ulrich of Edgewood (The Restoration: Rise of Zerad). In the Narrative category, winners included Jocelyn Jansons of Santa Fe (The Baby Monitor); Riyanka Kumar of Santa Fe (Mercury in Retrograde); Margot Segura of Las Vegas (Lipstick Princess); and Craig Strong of Santa Fe (La Bola Blanca). In the Experimental category, winners were Stephen Ausherman of Albuquerque (Kammer 2.1) and Melissa Henry of Albuquerque (Navajo Wool: As Told By Baa Baa).

One of the first rules of documentary filmmaking is: “Find a great subject.” Scott Galloway and Brent Pierson have certainly done that with their sunny-side up character study A Man Named Pearl.

Your hometown alternative paper has run Tony Millionaire’s “Maakies” comic strip for ... well, a really damn long time. Now, after, like, a freaking decade or something, Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim animation block has turned the cult hit comic into a weekly series. Just goes to show you how far ahead of the curve we are here at the Alibi. Or something.

“Dear Food Network: Thanksgiving Leftovers” (Food Network 7 p.m.) Thanksgiving’s a week away and already we’re worried about what to do with the leftovers?

“Larry the Cable Guy’s Star-Studded Christmas Extravaganza” (CMT 10 p.m.) Note: The word “star” is, in this instance, applicable only below the Mason-Dixon Line or in select NASCAR markets.

“The Clone Wars” (Cartoon Network 10 p.m.) Star Wars fans rejoice! Jar Jar Binks finally appears on “Clone Wars.”