New Mexico movie scene attracts eclectic filmmakers and repeat customers

By Bill Nevins

The 2009 Santa Fe Film Festival (SFFF), December 2–6, promises to be an intensely entertaining movie-going experience. While the full schedule of film selections will be announced in early November at press time Festival Operations Director Karen Red Hawk Dallett was able to share some intriguing highlights with albuquerqueARTS. A noticeable theme of spiritual questing seems to link these diverse films.

Here is a preview of some of the films audiences will see at SFFF 2009:

Beats and Hippies

“Back to the Garden”, director Kevin Tomlinson

“Back to the Garden” is director Kevin Tomlinson’s documentary look at what has become of the dissident lifestyle dreams of some 1960s American “hippies” who have survived, with their families, into the 21^st-century world. Tomlinson began his project in 1988, filming interviews with several counterculture idealists two decades after the first Woodstock Festival and the Summer of Love; he returned to film them in 2006.  Presented by  Heaven Sent Films.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to bring our film to Santa Fe and its audiences, who I know will embrace these very intimate stories of sustainable living, flower-power idealism and perseverance, says Tomlinson on screening his film at festivals worldwide. “Woodstock hero Wavy Gravy saw our film and told me it was a validation of hippie idealism. I’m reassured how so many people who have seen this film are visibly moved and inspired. A Brazilian film director said, ‘Your film…it’s NOT a documentary…it’s poetry.’”

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Speaking of poetry, another SFFF highlight will be “Ferlinghetti” director Chris Felver’s close-up look at the life and works of iconic San Francisco poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, founder of City Lights Books, author of “A Coney Island of the Mind” and defender of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl”. Ferlinghetti is still poetically and politically very active well into his ninth decade.

Felver told albuquerqueARTS: “I’ll be there in Santa Fe—we’re very happy to be selected!”

Asia Calling

Also pleased to be invited to screen in the City Different is director/visual artist/producer Paul Davids, whose documentary “Jesus in India”

Jesus in India ~ Film Poster

follows author Edward T. Martin on his quest to find solid evidence that the Christ spent his “hidden years” in India, picking up influences from Hinduism and Buddhism.
“I’m no stranger to controversial topics,” Davids said in a phone interview.

Davids noted that he is finishing up a new movie, “Before We Say Goodbye”, based on a play written by Albuquerque author Patricia Crespin. He also made the film “Roswell” as well as stylized movie portraits of Tim Leary and Vincent Van Gogh.

Touching on Asia as well, director/researcher Stephen Huyler’s short documentary “Sonabai: Another Way of Seeing” promises to give SFFF audiences a startling view into the life, art and spiritual courage of a very special woman in an isolated village in central India.

“I Vant To Suck Your Green Chile”

Warm, spiritually inspired films may be coming to Santa Fe, but Nordic-style vampires are on the movie scene in Q town. Just in time for Halloween, Albuquerque Studios began hosting shooting of the contemporary vampire tale “Let Me In”, a Hammer Films feature adaptation of the Swedish movie “Let the Right One In”,  which was based on the bestselling novel by Swedish author John A. Lindqvist. Directed by Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield”), the film stars two already accomplished young actors, Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Road”) and Chloe Moretz (“Days of Summer”), in the child lead roles, as well as Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins.

Nothing scary about the business side of this production. It’s evidence that our local movie studio is attracting pleased repeat customers. As Senior VP Jeremy Hariton of Albuquerque Studios commented, “Having just wrapped their last project with us, we are thrilled to welcome Hammer Films back to the studios. What could be more gratifying than a client doing back-to-back projects at our facility?”

To find out more, volunteer or buy tickets for the December 2–6, 2009 Film Festival go to :
The 2009 Santa Fe Film Festival (SFFF)

Thank YOU, “Crashites”

Finally, a sincere “hats off” to the cast and crew of New Mexico – filmed TV series “Crash” for recently spending a whole afternoon working to help homeless folks in Albuquerque at a special festive dinner for all—in the true spirit of thanks and of giving!

–Bill Nevins is a contributing editor to albuquerqueARTS.