The New Mexico Filmmakers Showcase is returning to Guild Cinema, Oct. 12 through Oct. 14. The annual event is designed by the New Mexico Film Office as a way to spotlight the creative talent of local, independent filmmakers. It’s a first-come, first-served platform for artist of all levels, screening films of just about any length or genre. The best works will be selected to participate in a tour of theaters and public access channels around the state. So, if you’ve got a short, feature, documentary, animation, experimental film or whatever, and you’d like to nab a little local exposure, here’s your chance. Entering your film is free. The deadline is Friday, Sept. 14, at 5 p.m. Entries postmarked after that deadline will not be accepted. To download an entry form, go to the revamped Film Office website.
Reel World: 2 Guns Shoot 2 Guns Shoot
Although feature film production in the Land of Enchantment remains in a lull thanks to uncertainties over the state’s tax incentive and reimbursement programs, there are still a few productions passing through. Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington, for example, will be stopping by the Land of Enchantment in late August and early September. The duo is shooting the heist thriller 2 Guns , which is based on the comic book series by Steven Grant. Wahlberg and Washington play a couple of undercover cops posing as mobsters. Baltasar Kormákur, who directed Wahlberg in the hit Contraband , is helming the project. The film has been shooting in New Orleans most of August but is expected to spend at least a couple weeks here. It will employ about 100 local crew members, 10 principal actors and lots of background talent. This is Washington’s second visit to New Mexico after 2010’s The Book of Eli . The film will shoot in and around Albuquerque and Santa Fe through the middle of September.
Reel World: Calculating The Odds Calculating The Odds
Mine That Bird, an independent feature film about the longshot New Mexico-trained horse that captured the 2009 Kentucky Derby, is just about ready to start shooting in the Las Cruces / Sunland Park area. Before cameras have even started rolling, though, the film has gone through a name change. It’s now known as 50 to 1 —the odds the now happily retired gelding was given for the historic race. Academy Award-winning producer Jim Wilson ( Dances With Wolves ) will be directing. Principal photography will take place from early September though October. Some 100 local crewmembers, 30 actors and more than 500 background extras will be employed.
