The People Before Profit film and lecture series returns to the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice (202 Harvard SE) Thursday, Sept. 6. The Academy Award-nominated film My Country, My Country will be screened at 7 p.m. This eye-opening documentary explores the January 2005 Iraqi elections through the eyes of one seemingly ordinary Sunni doctor who decided to run for office. It’s a rare look at life inside occupied Iraq and a real testament to this vague concept we call democracy. The guest speaker will be Bob Anderson from Stop the War Machine. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.
Deadline Doom
Friday, Sept. 7, is the deadline to submit applications for the second round of the “New Visions/New Mexico” Contract Awards. Filmmakers interested in applying for contracts for up to $20,000 for the start or completion of shot-in-New Mexico film or video projects are advised to get up off their butts and get the appropriate paperwork to the State Film Office right away. Applications are available online at www.nmfilm.com.
Cowboys On Screen
The Lockheed Martin DynaTheater in the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (1801 Mountain NW) will pull the curtain back on its new large-format film Ride Around the World Saturday, Sept. 8. Ride Around the World is described as “a spectacular journey through time and across cultures that explores the rich traditions and legacy of the cowboy.” The film plays multiple times thoughout the day, so long as the museum is open. For more info, log on to www.naturalhistoryfoundation.org.
Hispanic Vets
Inspired (that’s the positive word for it) by the controversy surrounding filmmaker Ken Burns’ lack of Hispanic voices in his upcoming PBS documentary about World War II, the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services and the National Hispanic Cultural Center have joined forces to present two film tributes to our nation’s Hispanic veterans. On Sunday, Sept. 9, beginning at 2 p.m., the NHCC will screen two short documentaries: “Latino Stories of World War II” and “Colors of Courage: Sons of New Mexico, Prisoners of Japan.” The screenings are free to the public and will take place inside the Cultural Center’s Bank of America Theatre. This special event will begin with an introduction to the Legacy of Letters Project, in which the State of New Mexico Archives will help compile the personal stories of veterans in their own words. A second tribute, focusing on the films of Mexican-American documentary producer Hector Galan, will take place on Friday, Sept. 28. For more details, log on to www.nationalhispaniccenter.org.
