May 9, 7 p.m. at La Tienda

Sundance Audience Award winner 

“BUCK”

On Thursday, May 9, Reel New Mexico is proud to present “Buck,” a stunning documentary about a horse trainer best described as a real life horse whisperer.

The New York Times called it “mesmerizing viewing [that] holds your attention and heart.” Salon termed it “impossible to resist.” The Los Angeles Times hailed it as “an exceptional slice of Americana [that] transports us to a better world. At the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, “Buck” won the Audience Choice award. 

This richly textured and visually stunning documentary follows master horseman Buck Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. He eschews the violence of his upbringing, teaching people to communicate with their horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment. Filmed throughout the West, “Buck” is a truly American story of a man who dramatically transforms horses – and people – with understanding , compassion and respect. You don’t need to know horses to love this beautiful, haunting tale.  

John Parks, of Trinity Ranch just south of Eldorado, has known and worked with Buck for more than two decades and counts him as a close friend. Immediately following the screening, he will answer audience questions about Buck the man and about his amazing techniques. 

Reel New Mexico presents films with a New Mexico connection on the second Thursday of each month, at 7 p.m. in The Performance Space in La Tienda Center, off Avenida Vista Grande at 285. For a truly memorable evening, don’t miss “Buck” on May 9. A contribution of five dollars is suggested at the door. Directions to the venue are at www.reelnewmexico.com

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Reblogged from 24/7 Wall St.:

According to polling service Gallup, 72% of Americans surveyed in 2012 said they felt safe walking home at night. This is a slight uptick from 2011, when 71% of respondents said they felt safe.

In some cities, far fewer people felt safe at night. In Stockton, Calif., where Americans felt the least safe, less than half of respondents were comfortable outside of their homes after dark.

Read more… 1,775 more words

At The Performance Space at La Tienda 

“GLOBALIZED SOUL” 

In the tradition of their acclaimed “Rumi Returning,” Cynthia Lukas and Kell Stearns’ film “Globalized Soul: Stories from the Tipping Point to a New World” explores humanity’s longing for love and peace. Set to the music of Philip Glass and Ravi Shankar, it features the spiritual wisdom of the Dalia Lama and sacred activists throughout the world. A “must see” film, it was featured at the United Nations 2011 Day of Peace broadcast and premiered at the World Peace Festival in Berlin.

Filmmaker Q and A after the screening. 

$5 suggested at the door

REEL NEW   MEXICO

Monthly screenings of New Mexico’s

finest independent films

 REEL NEW MEXICO

 Monthly screenings of New Mexico’s finest independent films

presents:

“ROOTED LANDS”

 Thursday, March 14, 7 p.m.

At The Performance Space at La Tienda

 Yes, it can happen here. The documentary “Rooted Lands” follows residents of nearby Mora and San Miguel counties as they mobilize to protect their communities from the threat of hydraulic fracturing, aka fracking. The film’s breathtaking cinematography celebrates the landscapes and cultures of the area and makes their battle all that more crucial and affecting. If you are concerned about the future of our environment, you won’t want to miss “Rooted Lands.”

Q and A with filmmakers Renea Roberts and Nancy Dickenson follows the screening.

$5 suggested at the door

REEL NEWMEXICO kicks off the 2013 season witha new film by two of last year’s most popular filmmakers.

 “Still Dreaming” is a documentary feature from Jilann Spitzmiller and Hank Rogerson, makers of last year’s award-winning, standing-room-only “Shakespeare Behind Bars.” Where the 2012 film chronicled a production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” in a medium security Kentucky prison, “Still Dreaming” tells the story of the high-stakes return to the stage by a group of entertainers living at a home for aging actors just outside Manhattan.

 A work-in-progress, shown for audience feedback, “Still Dreaming” follows two young co-directors and an ensemble of actors in their eighties who mount a production of the Bard’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” After six eventful weeks of rehearsals, they pull off two vibrant performances for friends and family. Along the way, the film explores hard questions about what should be asked of senior citizens and what they should ask of themselves, whether creativity is an essential human endeavor even into old age, and what is the value of community and intergenerational endeavors.

With the exception of this year’s opening program, set for February 21, all screenings take place on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at The Performance Space in La Tienda, a comfortable 100-seat venue with state-of-the-art equipment, located at Eldorado, off 285 just 10 minutes south of the Plaza. A contribution of five dollars is suggested at the door. More about Reel New Mexico and directions to the venue can be found  at www.reelnewmexico.com

“Missing You” tells the charming story of Laura, who is beautiful, intelligent, fast approaching thirty, and has a plan for her life. However, Laura’s life plan requires that she find “the one,” and when the film opens that feat is still just a dream. Meanwhile, Rick, a handsome and successful young man about Laura’s age, struggles to understand women as he, too, searches for that special someone. Rick and Laura share similar interests, goals and desires, live in the same city, frequent the same establishments, even know some of the same people. Their paths cross time and again, but they keep missing one another. Will they ever meet? And if they do, what then?

 Phil Duran, writer and director of “Missing You,” retired after twenty years from a career in law enforcement and began making films. One of his earlier works, “The Righteous and the Wicked,” is currently distributed on DVD by Lionsgate.  

 “Phoenix,” the short film that precedes “Missing You,” isa haunting tale about a boy coming of age in a post-apocalyptic world, who is torn between saving the life of his father and running away with a beautiful adventuress. It was forged during the Albuquerque 48-hour film project this July and marks the directorial debut of Sarah Northrop, who edited “Missing You.” It was co-written by Northrop and Giuseppe Quinn, photographed by Craig Butler, and stars Phil Duran, Merritt Glover and Dylan Montoya.

Reel New Mexico screens films with a New Mexico connection, on the second Thursday of each month, at 7 p.m. in The Performance Space in La Tienda, off Avenida Vista Grande at 285. For a delightful evening, be sure to catch “Missing You” and “Phoenix” on October 11. A contribution of five dollars is suggested at the door. Directions to the venue are at www.reelnewmexico.com 

THE FIRST 100 YEARS

On Thursday, September 13, REEL NEW MEXICO presents a fascinating and entertaining overview of the history of filmmaking in New Mexico from 1898 to 1990 from the perspective of film reviewer, historian and fanatical movie enthusiast Jeff Berg. Titled “New Mexico in the Movies – the First 92 Years,” Berg’s program, designed especially for Reel New Mexico, uses numerous film clips and Berg’s own delightful behind-the-scenes narration to show the solid foundation on which the film industry in New Mexico rests today. The program starts at 7 p.m. at The Performance Space.

 New Mexico’s filmmaking history is rich and varied. Since Thomas Edison arranged to shoot the first known piece of motion picture film at the Isleta Pueblo Day School in 1898 to the present day, more than 500 feature films and television shows have been shot within the borders of our state. To add a unique historical view to the state’s centennial year, Berg has assembled an all-new set of clips from made-in-New Mexico movies especially for Reel New Mexico.

Formerly of Las Cruces and recently relocated to Santa Fe, Berg got the idea for a series of programs on New Mexico films from a weekly film series he hosted in Las Cruces, which included numerous made-in-New Mexico movies. The films Berg will cover at his Reel New Mexico program encompass all genres, from comedy to drama to Western to horror. He will offer background on each movie, including shooting locations, insider trivia and New Mexico history, in a blend of humor and information that encourages audience participation. In this exciting premiere presentation, the audience will visit every corner of the state, from Farmington to Carlsbad and from Clayton to Lordsburg and learn about the three distinct periods in New Mexico’s film history. Berg promises there will not be a pop quiz afterwards.

Reel New Mexico, a monthly program of films with a New Mexico connection, was formed early in 2012 to fill a need for an ongoing, noncompetitive venue for New Mexico filmmakers. Unlike festivals, Reel New Mexico has no entry fee and gives no awards. Proceeds from the $5 suggested at the door go for expenses and to the filmmakers for ongoing projects. Don’t miss “New Mexico in the Movies,” Thursday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. at The Performance Space

August 9: Three short films for everyone
 

The acclaimed documentary tells the life story of the great 13^th Century Persian poet and Sufi sage, who is today the best-selling poet in the U.S. and numerous other countries throughout the world. It drew overflow crowds at theSanta Fe and Sun Valley film festivals and elsewhere and has been shown on more than 330 PBS stations.

Jon Bowman, then Executive Director of the Santa Fe Film Festival, described “Rumi Returning” as “not only a work of extreme visual beauty, but also a feature exhibiting immense passion and conveying a profound spiritual message certain to resonate deeply with viewers.”

The film was shot in Turkey, in locations that were part of the poet’s everyday life. Onscreen commentators include Coleman Barks, whose translations of Rumi’s poetry are largely responsible for the poet’s contemporary popularity in the West, as well as Akar Ahmed, Professor of Islamic Studies at American University, and Rumi expert and mystical scholar Andrew Harvey.

ReelNew Mexicowas formed early in 2012 to fill a need for an ongoing, noncompetitive venue forNew Mexicofilmmakers and films with aNew Mexicoconnection. Unlike film festivals, Reel NewMexicohas no entry fee and gives no awards. Proceeds from the $5 suggested at the door go to meet expenses and to participating filmmakers for ongoing projects.

Don’t miss “Rumi Returning: The Triumph of Divine Passion,” on Thursday, July 12, at7 p.m.in The Performance Space at La Tienda in Eldorado.#

Contact:  Diane Thomas or Bill Osher

                505-466-1265

    reelnewmexico@gmail.com

Contact:  Diane Thomas or Bill Osher       505-466-1265, reelnewmexico@gmail.com

On Thursday, June 14, Reel NewMexico, a monthly series showcasing independent films with aNew Mexicoconnection, presents three short films by filmmakers, who will be present at the screening to discuss their works. Two of the films “Eighty Years through the Lens” and “The Road to Tantura,” are premieres. The third, “A Piece of Pie,” has won multiple festival awards. The program is at7 p.m.at La Tienda Center in Eldorado.

“The Road to Tartura” is by Hala Gabriel, aLos Angelesresident currently working inSanta Fe. Tantura was her parents’ small village inPalestine. In 1948, when the State of Israel was created, they and their fellow villagers were forced to leave. Through interviews with the now scattered villagers and the Israeli soldiers whose orders were to wipe Tantura off the map, Gabriel seeks to reconstruct what happened, “so forgotten voices can be heard and all of us can heal and move forward.” She submitted  “The Road to Tantura” as an unfinished film for audience feedback.

“Eighty Years Through the Lens” is the work of Santa Fean Kevin J. Kelly who, after a career as a clinical psychologist, began making films four years ago. This film explores the life and work of 89-year-old George T. Henry, who has been the official photographer at a small Midwestern college for the past 68 years. Henry’s other accomplishments include flying B-24 bombers in World War II, serving as a white-water river guide for 45 years and, recently, photographing wild black bears in northern Minnesota. Kelly will be present to discuss the film.

“A Piece of Pie” was directed bySanta Fe’s Janet Davidson, who will discuss the work. It is a short narrative comedy about a contest for a piece of pie that escalates into a gunfight. Inspired by early Clint Eastwood westerns, it pits the old, wild West against the new, citified West. After its debut at the Santa Fe Film Festival, where its script won the prestigious Governor’s Cup, it went on to take numerous other awards and honors, including Best Short Comedy at the International Family Film Festival in Los Angeles, the Audience Award at the New Mexico Filmmakers Festival and a regional win for International Women’s Day.

 The Reel New Mexico program for Thursday, June 14, begins at 7 p.m.Suggested admission is five dollars at the door. Directions to La Tienda are at www.reelnewmexico.com  

ReelNew Mexico, which has been very well received, was formed to fill a need for an ongoing, noncompetitive venue forNew Mexicofilmmakers. Unlike film festivals, Reel NewMexicohas no entry fee and gives no awards. Proceeds from the $5 suggested at the door go to meet expenses and to participating filmmakers for ongoing projects.

Don’t miss these innovative and engaging films.

 Contact:  Diane Thomas or Bill Osher     505-466-1265

    reelnewmexico@gmail.com

NEW MEXICO IN THE MOVIES

THE FIRST 100 YEARS

On Thursday, September 13, REEL NEW MEXICO presents a fascinating and entertaining overview of the history of filmmaking in New Mexico from 1898 to 1990 from the perspective of film reviewer, historian and fanatical movie enthusiast Jeff Berg. Titled “New Mexico in the Movies – the First 92 Years,” Berg’s program, designed especially for Reel New Mexico, uses numerous film clips and Berg’s own delightful behind-the-scenes narration to show the solid foundation on which the film industry in New Mexico rests today. The program starts at 7 p.m. at The Performance Space.

 New Mexico’s filmmaking history is rich and varied. Since Thomas Edison arranged to shoot the first known piece of motion picture film at the Isleta Pueblo Day School in 1898 to the present day, more than 500 feature films and television shows have been shot within the borders of our state. To add a unique historical view to the state’s centennial year, Berg has assembled an all-new set of clips from made-in-New Mexico movies especially for Reel New Mexico.

Formerly of Las Cruces and recently relocated to Santa Fe, Berg got the idea for a series of programs on New Mexico films from a weekly film series he hosted in Las Cruces, which included numerous made-in-New Mexico movies. The films Berg will cover at his Reel New Mexico program encompass all genres, from comedy to drama to Western to horror. He will offer background on each movie, including shooting locations, insider trivia and New Mexico history, in a blend of humor and information that encourages audience participation. In this exciting premiere presentation, the audience will visit every corner of the state, from Farmington to Carlsbad and from Clayton to Lordsburg and learn about the three distinct periods in New Mexico’s film history. Berg promises there will not be a pop quiz afterwards.

Reel New Mexico, a monthly program of films with a New Mexico connection, was formed early in 2012 to fill a need for an ongoing, noncompetitive venue for New Mexico filmmakers. Unlike festivals, Reel New Mexico has no entry fee and gives no awards. Proceeds from the $5 suggested at the door go for expenses and to the filmmakers for ongoing projects. Don’t miss “New Mexico in the Movies,” Thursday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. at The Performance Space