New Mexico has become an increasingly popular location for filmmakers. One of those helping to draw their attention to Las Cruces is New Mexico State University (NMSU) professor and executive director of the Las Cruces International Film Festival, Ross Kagan Marks. His work in training future filmmakers at NMSU’s Creative Media Institute (CMI), creating award-winning feature films, and running the popular film festival has garnered an award for Marks himself: the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. He and six other New Mexicans will be honored in October 2024 at a ceremony in Santa Fe.
Ross Marks: Filmmaker
Sixteen of Marks’ films have won awards at international film festivals, and he has worked with well-known actors such as Al Pacino, Brendan Fraser, Faye Dunaway, Edward James Olmos, and George Lopez. Marks also has been a driving force in bringing film projects to Southern New Mexico and involving NMSU’s CMI students and alumni in the process. In the fall of 2023, Marks worked with alumnus Keagan Karnes and more than three dozen NMSU film students and alumni on Santa’s Cousin, a film due in theatres in November of 2024.
“As a director and a producer, I enjoy working with alums and students,” Marks said. He worked again with Karnes on Brewmance, a romantic comedy, which provided opportunities for six NMSU student interns while he says most of the crew was students or alumni.
Executive Director of the Las Cruces International Film Festival
Marks’ work as the founder and executive director of the Las Cruces International Film Festival has likely drawn the most attention from area film buffs. The festival brings well-known Hollywood actors to receive awards and present talks at film screenings, giving Las Cruces residents the opportunity to see and even meet stars like Academy Award winners Brendan Fraser and Richard Dreyfuss, nominees William H. Macy and Edward James Olmos, plus other popular actors like Ron Perlman, George Lopez, and Giancarlo Esposito.
Since 2014, the festival has grown to become the largest film festival in the country run by a university. Since its inception, the festival has drawn more than 80,000 visitors from all over the world, including more than 700 student participants and brought in almost 1,500 filmmakers.
The film festival offers special opportunities for NMSU’s CMI students. Marks explains, “It provides hands-on real-world experience and allows them to interact and hear from industry professionals firsthand in all different facets of the industry from producing, marketing, distribution, acting, directing, writing, cinematography, editing, hair and makeup, animation, and special effects. It’s a chance for them to network with industry professionals who can provide jobs for them when they graduate. I am most proud of the fact that LCIFF has resulted in dozens of jobs for CMI students.”
The next Las Cruces International Film Festival is scheduled for April 9 – 13, 2025.
Supporting the Las Cruces Film Industry
Marks has been instrumental in elevating the film industry in Southern New Mexico. In addition to his work as a professor at CMI, he is deputy director of the New Mexico Media Arts Collective (MAC) in Las Cruces. According to the organization’s website, their goal is to “training existing and emerging media talent, enhancing safety culture, and ensuring a seamless transition for students from academia to the thriving media production industry in New Mexico.”
As to what makes Las Cruces an attractive location for filmmakers, Marks said, “It starts with the people. The community of Las Cruces is incredibly warm, supportive, and gracious. They welcome and embrace film projects. The weather in Las Cruces is also conducive to filming 12 months a year. The locations and locales are unique and cinematic. The 20,000-square-foot professional sound stage at Arrowhead Park at NMSU will be completed in January 2026. It will really explode the film industry in Las Cruces.”
Marks is involved in supporting the local film industry in many ways. He explains, “My mission is to grow the film industry in Southern New Mexico. I do that as a filmmaker, by bringing films to Southern New Mexico, as an educator through NMSU and the MAC by training students to work in the film industry, and through the Las Cruces International Film Festival, by bringing thousands of filmmakers and film fans to Las Cruces to showcase it as a place to make and celebrate movies. I have many different jobs and opportunities, but they are all for the same goal.”
Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, which celebrate the diversity of New Mexico’s cultural and artistic traditions, in addition to celebrating new and innovative forms of artistic expression.
“I am deeply proud of the creativity and dedication that these artists and contributors bring to the Land of Enchantment,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Their work not only enriches our lives but also reflects the vibrant and diverse spirit of New Mexico. Congratulations to the 2024 recipients of the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts — your artistic contributions have touched every corner of our state and beyond.”
The awards ceremony will begin at 5 p.m., Thursday, October 10, at the St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art. An exhibition of work from the 2024 recipients will be on display in the Governor’s Gallery on the fourth floor of the Roundhouse beginning Friday, October 11, with an opening reception from 2 to 3 p.m.
The 2024 honorees include visual artists, a dancer, and philanthropists along with Marks. They join well-known New Mexicans who have received the award over the decades, such as writer Rudolfo Anaya, architect John Gaw Meem, visual artist R.C. Gorman, mystery writer Tony Hillerman, and U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. Others from the Mesilla Valley who have received the award include novelist Denise Chávez, educator Ruth Cantrell, musician and educator Dr. William Clark, sculptor Stephen Hansen, and painter Robert Highsmith, among many others. Visual artist John Garrett of Las Cruces is also being honored this year along with Diana Ingalls Leyba of Silver City.
“I very much celebrate this award with the NMSU community, my colleagues at CMI, and our wonderful students,” said Marks. “It is not only an honor for me, but also a recognition of the great work we are doing at NMSU in CMI.”
Story by Cheryl Fallstead, supported by information from an NMSU press release. Photos courtesy NMSU and Santa’s Cousin.
Posted by LasCruces.com
