Stars shine and life is good in Tamalewood

Stars shine and life is good in Tamalewood

By S. Derrickson Moore
Sun-News reporter
LAS CRUCES — Talking to White Sands International Film Festival (WSIFF) executive director and producer Kierstin Schupack and legendary actor Wes Studi for today’s SunLife features reminded me again of how lucky we are to live here in Hollywood on the Rio Grande.
We can have serendipitous close encounters and sometimes even intimate chats with world-renowned actors, screenwriters, directors, producers, cinematographers and assorted other quesos grandes, all without having to put up with Southern California traffic gridlock, smog and earthquakes.
In fact, we might be getting a little blasé, when it comes to ops to meet our favorite stars. I recall deciding to call it a night, one freezing evening when Charlize Theron was running a few hours late to a Mesquite Street shoot. Directors have told me Southern New Mexico has become one of her favorite locations over the years, and I figured I’ll catch her on her next shoot here.
A few months ago, I walked out my patio, saw the “Due Date” film crew adjusting some giant lights, and realized Robert Downey, Jr. was probably shooting at the end of my block.
But I was already in my jammies and decided, what the heck, I’d just wait for the movie version.
And these days, we often don’t have to wait as long as the rest of the world. Sometimes, we get a chance for a sneak preview or a world premiere of a film destined to be a world blockbuster, and/or a future indie film fest award winner.
Our kids can stay in New Mexico and still get their movie trade union credentials and a dream film school education at New Mexico State University’s Creative Media Institute (CMI) and Doña Ana Community College’s CMT (Creative Media Technology) training program.
Keep up with local production schedules and casting calls, and you might get a chance for your own close-up.
I’d venture that a very sizable percentage of us have had a chance to be extras or even take a stab at a speaking role in a film production. Or maybe your house, farm, ranch, restaurant, auto parts lot, store, patio, pets, horses, cars or trucks have had a shot at 15 minutes of cinematic fame.
Many Las Crucens, some coming home or seeking a enchanted new abode after success in bigger metropolises, have found work in the film industry, providing everything from makeup, costumes and catering to stunts, set design, music and original art.
After my world traveler days, it occurred to me, over a decade ago, that if you find the just the right enchanting place, the perfect spiritual, scintillating querencia, you might be able to settle in and find that many of the world’s most interesting people will eventually show up in your own backyard ... or within easy commuting distance.
And here in l Las Cruces, Hollywood on the Rio Grande, I have found it to be true.
In fact, a lot of intriguing souls are already here. Some of them are famous and some are on the verge.
That’s why newcomers should pay attention and long-time residents should pay attention to newcomers, whatever their age and current status in life. You could be living next to a star.
That applies to filmmakers, too, so if you’re going to attend the White Sands International Film Festival, make time, when you’re planning your schedule, to check out the films and shorts by local students.
And you’ll have a chance to see a lot of familiar faces and regional locations at two WSIFF screenings of “Becoming Eduardo” at 8 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday at Cineport 10. It’s based on a story by erstwhile Las Cruces teacher LouAnne (“Dangerous Minds”) Johnson, with director Rod McCall, producer Brad Littlefield, a CMI student crew and some local stars that include students from Alma d’arte School for the Arts. The film has already scored some prestigious awards and has been selected for film fests in Europe and Asia, McCall reports.
S. Derrickson Moore can be reached at dmoore@lcsun-news.com