Independent film screenings, panels and workshops, VIP after-parties, and celebrity appearances mark the return of the Las Cruces International Film Festival (LCIFF), March 2 – 6, 2022, celebrating its seventh year. Whether its narrative features, documentaries, short films, animation, or foreign films you crave, LCIFF has got you covered. Because, whether you’re a local filmmaker, a student of cinema, or just an avid movie-goer with a taste for the unusual, this is your chance to celebrate and support film in southern New Mexico!
“I’m very excited to have the 2022 festival live and in person,” said Ross Marks, festival director and New Mexico State University Creative Media Institute professor. “Movies are meant to be viewed on the big screen with an audience. This spring will mark our return to the movie theater for surround sound and a communal viewing experience. LCIFF 2022 promises to be our best year yet!”
It all kicks off with the 48 Hour Film Challenge, February 25 – 27, where teams of filmmakers from Las Cruces, El Paso, and Juárez will vie for cash prizes, as they attempt to write, shoot, and edit a complete short film within the prescribed 48 hours. Sounds impossible, but it can be done and the finished products — which will be screened during the Festival, on March 5 — will likely surprise you. Make sure to put these screenings on your list of must-sees!
Speaking of screenings, those take place at the festival itself, at the Allen Theaters Cineport 10. Leading the pack at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, is the Las Cruces-made independent feature All The World Is Sleeping starring Melissa Barrera, Jorge Garcia, and Jackie Cruz. The film originated in New Mexico, when seven mothers shared their true stories with the local non-profit Bold Futures, and filmmaker Ryan Lacen. The result is a hard-hitting film about generational addictions and what it takes to be a good mother in rural New Mexico. The films that will be screening for the rest of the week have yet to be announced at the time of this writing, but a comprehensive guide will be hitting the website soon, so watch for it!
It wouldn’t be a film festival without special guests, and this year LCIFF is pulling out all the stops. In town to receive the Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment Award is William H. Macy, whose work has been seen in such varied cinematic fare as Fargo (1996), Boogie Nights (1997) and Shameless (2011-2021). Also present to receive the Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award is Rob Minkoff, who brought us The Lion King (1994), Stuart Little 2 (2002), and The Forbidden Kingdom (2008). Receiving the Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment Writing Award is NMSU graduate Ed Stone, who gave us Happy, Texas (1999), Griffin & Phoenix (2006), and Blazing Samurai (due in 2022). Also making appearances are Melissa Barerra, Jackie Cruz, and Academy Award nominee Jesse Plemons.
Tickets are available, starting from $25 for day passes, student passes, opening night film screening, and/or celebrity film screenings. The All-Film Workshop Pass for $75 will get you into all screenings and workshops during the entire five days of the festival. The $150 VIP Pass gets you all the above, plus access to the award ceremony and all VIP parties. To get your tickets, which are going fast, visit the website.
Posted by LasCruces.com
