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The New Mexico Film Office Announces the 2017 NM Filmmakers Showcase Awards Ceremony and Free Screening

Santa Fe, N.M. – Today, the New Mexico Film Office announced that the 2017 NM Filmmakers Showcase awards ceremony, a panel of 2016 winners and free screening, will be held in Albuquerque, NM. The NM Filmmakers Showcase is an annual event featuring a vast range of creative talent from New Mexico residents from around the State.

The Saturday (11/4) evening awards ceremony will announce the winners of each award category and will also include a panel discussion with the 2016 NM Filmmaker Showcase winners (6:30 pm – 8:00 pm). On Sunday (11/5) afternoon (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm) we will screen the winning films in their entirety. Below are a list of nominees and this year we are excited to include a “Wild Card” award. The “Wild Card” award is a submitted film receiving the highest judges score outside of the top nominees. The two-day event will take place on Saturday, November 4th and Sunday, November 5th at the National Hispanic Cultural Center/Bank of America Theatre, 1701 4th Street, SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102.

Comedy Category:

“Beth is Not A Cat” – dir. Christopher Michael Roybal, Albuquerque, TRT 3 min. A tale of a girl – who thinks she’s a cat – and the cat who loves her, despite all of that.

“Georgia O’Keefe and Me” – dir. Robert Belinoff, Corrales, TRT 5 min. Love and art in the age of Trump. Chaos and order compete as a married man falls for an artist ingénue. Art prevails.

“The Merry Maids of Madness” – dir. Phillip Hughes, Albuquerque, TRT 1 hour 39 min. After walking out of her wedding for a sandwich, Beatrice decides to take a break at the Stratford Home for Rest and Rehabilitation. Beatrice soon realizes that if she wants to get out, she’ll need a plan and the help of her unusual cohorts. A feature length comedy inspired by the women of Shakespeare.

“Trampoline Act” – dir. Megan Menetrey, Santa Fe, TRT 3 min. The vibrant Pansol County is hosting a talent show this month, and a young, energetic civilian has high hopes of taking home the gold trophy with his new gymnastics act featuring not one, not two, but ten trampolines. But will his tendency to rush in be his downfall?

Documentary Category:

“Horse Shelter Diaries” – dir. Donna Wells, Santa Fe, TRT 1 hour 5 min. Nine horse trainers took 9 horses that had never been saddled and ridden and trained them for 100 days then competed at the Gimme Shelter: Trainers’ Rally for Rescues event at the National Day of the Cowboy celebration. Over 1200 people witnessed what a difference a little training can make in the lives of these horses. The individual personalities of the rescue horses and the role of the trainers in their lives is the focus of the new documentary. Most horses end up at the Shelter because they have never been taught boundaries or skills. Wells said she was touched to see that all the trainers were genuinely invested in the welfare of the horses. “These horses are priceless,” trainer Erica Hess told the filmmaker, “and I feel like we’re just mining the gold that is in each of them.”

“Lessons Learned From One Life” – dir. Jean E. Stevens, Ranchos de Taos, TRT 15 min. An absurd view of growing up in the fifties and sixties in Southern California. Original soundtrack composed by the Director.

“The Other Side of Possible” – dir, Ryan Paulk, Deming, TRT 17 min. A U.S. Marine combat vet overcomes the battles of a post-war life through the world of Ultra Marathons and Stage Racing. Follow Thomas Karlick through the rugged 163 mile Trans-Pecos Ultra Marathon and witness the spectacle that is human endurance and sheer will power.
“Una Nueva Tierra (A New Land)” – dir. Jesse Fisher and Jackie Munro, Santa Fe, TRT 1 hour 26 min. Una Nueva Tierra (A New Land) traces the struggles of three families living without access to water or electricity on the outskirts of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“Una Nueva Tierra (A New Land)” – dir. Jesse Fisher and Jackie Munro, Santa Fe, TRT 1 hour 26 min. Una Nueva Tierra (A New Land) traces the struggles of three families living without access to water or electricity on the outskirts of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Drama Category:

“CUTS” – dir. Antonio Weiss, Santa Fe, TRT 34 min. Human traffickers get what they deserve. A woman helps some girls escape the clutches of human traffickers. On an impulse driven from past experience, her decision takes a shocking and life-changing turn for all involved.

“Doc” – dir. Dave Witt, Las Cruces, TRT 24 min. Liz ‘Doc’ Roberts is a homeless former Army combat medic struggling with memories from her deployment to Iraq. She can’t let go of the love she felt for a fallen Soldier. Her only coping mechanism are the pills given by the local Veterans Affairs psychiatrist. Little does Liz know that it isn’t the pills that are helping, but her dog that was given to her by a fellow Veteran. Through the help of her psychiatrist, fellow Veteran, and dog, Liz, takes her first steps towards recovery.

“Fortress Home” – dir. Travis Armstrong, TRT 14 min. A bomber crew and a cat fly home to the United States at the end of the Second World War in Europe. For some, going home is the hardest part of the war.

“The Time That Remains” – dir. B.T. Crue, TRT 14 min. High school bully Eddy avoids going home at every opportunity. When he is there, he faces abuse from his step-father, Bobby, who suffers from PTSD and the loss of his only love, Eddy’s mother. Eddy and his sister, Grace, live with fear of Bobby’s explosive episodes. This social justice short studies a spectrum of human emotions, from cowardice to courage, and suggests how a small act of compassion can interrupt years of cyclical pain. TTTR also discusses our current challenges with bullying, racial diversity, PTSD, domestic violence, guns, and the loss of a parent-in a realistic way. The goal of the movie is to stop bullying from where it begins – in the home.

Horror Category:

“Die Together” – dir. Clay Space, Albuquerque, TRT 14 min. Teenage couple Alex and Adeline have been dared by friends to stay in the abandoned apartment of Jessica Summers-a college girl who murdered her family and roommates before disappearing without a trace. Rumor has it that her apartment is haunted, and Alex and Adeline quickly find out just how true that is.

“Family Tradition” – dir. Robert Posey and Justin Holtzen, Albuquerque, TRT 24 min. Bekah founds a terrible family secret locked in the shed outside. Her father and his father before him have been torturing a vampire for decades in the shed outside. They use his immortality against him to make him pay for a terrible evil he had committed. Now it is Bekahs turn to carry on the family tradition. But everything goes wrong when the vampire gets loose and seeks revenge. Now it is up to Bekah to stop the him and put an end to it all.

“Hiccups” – dir. Michael Poynor, Portales, TRT 6 min. A very annoyed movie fanatic does whatever is necessary to continue watching his flick.

“The Hundred Voices of Harry Hoffman” – dir. Brandon J. Carter, Portales, TRT 6 min. A voice actor, once famous for being, “the man with 99 voices”, becomes haunted by his hundredth voice.

Music Video Category:

“Age-Related A.D.D.” – dir. Christine McHugh, Santa Fe, TRT 5 min. DonnaLou Stevens, (the creator and star of the music video, “Older Ladies”) is back with another funny take on the aging process. Growing old isn’t for sissies and when the inclination is to be hard on ourselves for the inevitable memory lapses that come with it. Donna Lou Stevens’ advice in the song is to ‘go easy on yourself and be as kind as you can be. If your ‘senior moments’ are becoming more frequent or you can’t remember what you were doing at the moment that you forgot what you were saying, then this music video is sure to make you smile in recognition.

“Son de la Condenada” – dir. Kilko Paz Rivera, Albuquerque, TRT 7 min. Filmed on location in and around Albuquerque and Bosque Farms, NM and Juarez, MX, the video, which takes a stand against hate and racism, tells the story of an immigrant woman that leaves her family, belongings and country to migrate from the South (a representation of any region/place labeled as under-developed) to the North (a representation of any region/place labeled as affluent and prosperous).

“Sorrytown – Let’s Pretend” – dir. Sherwin Lau, Las Cruces, TRT 4 min. A director struggles to create a music video with an ill-prepared band.

“The Hard Road Trio- Whiskey in a Glass” – dir. Orlando Martos, Las Cruces, TRT 6 min. The Hard Road Trio, a bluegrass/folk band performs the song ‘Whiskey in a Glass’. The song and video tells a tale two former lovers who, when running into each other at an underground high stakes poker game, evokes memories of their former relationship.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Category:

“Above Home for Christmas” – dir. Justin Golightly, Albuquerque, TRT 5 min. Alone on a space station for Christmas, an astronaut brings the holiday spirit to the darkness of space.

“Barren” – dir. Kyle Lynam, Santa Fe, TRT 8 min. Jordan, a man on the edge of death, awakes in a strange desert with no recollection of how he and a cooler got there. Through a series of notes left behind by a mysterious figure, he narrowly escapes capture at the hands of a shadowy organization.

“Stargazer” – dir. William Thomas, Albuquerque, TRT 13 min. Conspiracy theorist and radio host Rick Romero attempts to investigate and reach out to a mysterious cosmic signal while trying to convince the world of his findings and repair his relationship with his estranged daughter.

“The Prologue” – dir. Andy Kastelic, Albuquerque, TRT 9 min. To realize his dream of life in the American West, a man resurrected from death journeys home to avenge his wife’s murder at the hands of savage prairie pickpockets.

Student Category:

“Limiting Functions” – dir. Cole Sullivan, Santa Fe, TRT 17 min. In a futuristic world in which personal humanoid robotic machines are readily available, a robot wakes up to find he is being presented in front of a crowd to be sold. It is taken in by a mother and her child. In doing their chores, it comes to learn of and long for human experiences it cannot have.

“Pitch Black” – dir. Chris Hanna, Santa Fe, TRT 17 min. A young man reflects on his life after committing suicide, during his last moments before fading away.

“Strange Love” – dir. Mikel Cruz, Albuquerque, TRT 17 min. Follows a lonely-hearted Celia and her journey to mend her broken heart after the unexplained loss of her husband. The dream home Celia and her husband bought together, 3 years later, is now but a hollow shell of what it once was. This is a love story…but something strange and twisted lies beneath the surface. This is STRANGE LOVE.”

“The Wall In The Garden” – dir. Hafid Abdelmoula, Fairacres, TRT 20 min. There’s something about Helen and Harold’s union that’s just a little too perfect, and it’s enough to get your heckles up. Wouldn’t you know it, out of the blue, something big happens, something that threatens to rock these two to the very core of their foundation.
No RSVP is necessary to attend the awards night or screenings; however, seats are first come first served. For more information visit www.nmfilm.com or contact Rochelle Bussey, Sr. Manager at the NM Film Office: rochelle@nmfilm.com or 505-476-5604.

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