April 8th, 2010
In support of our ambitious, nationwide Oscar® campaign in order to be nominated for the 2011 Academy Awards, musician Jim Ward—formerly of the critically-acclaimed bands At the Drive-In and Sparta, and currently frontman for alt country outfit Sleepercar—will perform his only solo performance of the year at a fundraising event taking place at The Garden in El Paso, Texas on April 15. Admission is via suggested donation of $10 (no advance tickets) and the El Paso Community Foundation will be on hand to take additional contributions for the cause.
“Red Mesa is an amazing piece of work; I think it represents the border well,” says Ward, a proud El Pasoan. “I wasn’t planning on performing in 2010, but after seeing Red Mesa, it made sense that we should all do our part as a community to get this film and its message out to the rest of the world.”
Red Mesa co-star Gabriel Rivera—a native El Pasoan—will be present at the fundraiser along with writer-director Ilana Lapid, who grew up in Las Cruces. The 19-minute film will be screened twice followed by Q&A sessions with Lapid and Rivera. Ward will perform his live music in between each screening. Rivera, also a talented musician, will perform an acoustic set before the first screening.
The event aims to raise funds for a 35mm film print of Red Mesa—required for all Oscar® nominees—as well as an aggressive screening schedule presenting the short at film festivals, schools, community centers, cultural institutions and many other locales around the country so as to amass the broad public support necessary for the film to stand out above other potential nominees. In doing so, Red Mesa will be bringing significant positive attention to the El Paso/Las Cruces region, proving to the world that the art of filmmaking is alive and well in the area.
Lapid is a rising star in filmmaking and arts activism. Born in New York City, she grew up in Jerusalem, Ottawa and Las Cruces. She obtained her B.A. in Political Science from Yale University and received her MFA from USC School of Cinematic Arts, winning both the Jack Nicholson and the John Huston Directing Awards. Currently Artist in Residence at Slifka Center at Yale, Lapid is teaching a screenwriting seminar and organizing a lecture series of visionary Jewish artists, writers and filmmakers whose work is engaged with social justice and global issues.
Tax-deductible donations for Red Mesa can be made to the El Paso Community Foundation via its website, www.epcf.org/donate. Donors should specify “Red Mesa” as the project when contributing online. Donations can also be mailed to El Paso Community Foundation, PO Box 272, El Paso, TX 79943, made payable to the El Paso Community Foundation with “Red Mesa” written on the memo line.
Red Mesa was awarded Best Short Film at the 2009 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, making it eligible to be nominated for a 2011 Oscar® in the Best Live Action Short Film category. It world premiered at the 2009 New York Latino International Film Festival and was a finalist for Best Short Film at the 2009 Santa Fe Film Festival. It went on to play the 2010 San Diego Latino Film Festival and will next be seen at the White Sands International Film Festival and Cine Las Americas Film Festival in April.
Posted in Screenings | No Comments »
February 13th, 2010
“Red Mesa” is proud to be screening as part of the San Diego Latino Film Festival’s “Cine Mujer” program on Sunday, March 21 at 12:30 pm. Tickets available now at www.sdlatinofilm.com.
Posted in Screenings | No Comments »
January 11th, 2010
Along with other local media outlets, KTSM Channel 9 covered the story of “Red Mesa” launching its 2011 Academy Awards nomination campaign. Click here to watch the story as it aired on January 8.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
January 7th, 2010
Winning Best Short Film at LALIFF qualifies “Red Mesa” to be considered for a 2011 Oscar nomination. In order to reach this goal, we now need to raise funds for a grass-roots Oscar campaign, which will include: making a 35mm film print from our D5 master, printing professional DVDs and press-materials, and sending the film to festivals and screenings across the country in order to build a broad base of audience support.
All in all, we need to raise $25,000. The El Paso Community Foundation has graciously offered to act as our fiscal sponsor, so your donation is tax deductible to the extent of the law.
To help give us a shot at an Oscar nomination, you can donate online by visiting:
https://www.epcf.org/donate
On the line that reads: “Does this contribution go to a particular fund or project?”, please type “Red Mesa.”
If you prefer to send your donation by mail, you can send it to El Paso Community Foundation, PO Box 272, El Paso, TX 79943. Make the check payable to the El Paso Community Foundation and write “Red Mesa” on the memo line.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
The “Red Mesa” Team
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
December 7th, 2009
Check out the write-up we just received from INDIEPIX!
“This film is just plain gorgeous. Filled with passionate characters and raw visuals which can’t be forgotten, Red Mesa makes Director Ilana Lapid someone to keep a look out for in the future.”
Full write-up:
“Red Mesa – This film is just plain gorgeous. Filled with passionate characters and raw visuals which can’t be forgotten, Red Mesa makes Director Ilana Lapid someone to keep a look out for in the future. Like most great shorts, the story is a simple one: star-crossed lovers from two sides of the border who are destined for conflict. But Lapid wraps this tale in such a warm and loving embrace, both visually and contextually, that you feel like you might be happy watching the story of paint drying, provided she filmed it.”
http://www.indiepixfilms.com/display/NLM0909NEWS
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
December 1st, 2009
In conjunction with the 2009 Santa Fe Film Festival, “Red Mesa” director Ilana Lapid was interviewed by Mary-Charlotte for her morning show, “Santa Fe Radio Café.”
The interview podcast, which aired on Monday, Nov. 30, 2009, was archived and can be listened to online or downloaded at:
http://www.santaferadiocafe.org/podcasts/?m=200911
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
November 16th, 2009
Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale, LA CASA and Latin American Student Organization at Yale present the screening of “Red Mesa,” on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7.30pm at Slifka Center (80 Wall Street, New Haven CT, 06511). Stephen Pitti, the Master of Ezra Stiles College and Director of Yale’s Program in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration, will be commenting on the film and leading a Q&A.
* Stephen Pitti – Bio *
Stephen Pitti is a Professor of History & American Studies at Yale, as well as Director of the Program in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and Master of Ezra Stiles College. Professor Pitti received his PhD from Stanford University in 1998 and is the author of “The Devil in Silicon Valley: Race, Mexican Americans, and Northern California” (2003) as well as articles on Chicano history and historiography. He is currently working on two book projects: “The World of Céasar Chávez” (forthcoming, Yale University Press) and “Leaving California: Race from the Golden State” (in process). He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Latino Studies, Ethnic Studies, Western History, 20th-century immigration, civil rights, and related subjects. He also serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Yale’s American Studies Program. He directs the Latina/o History Project, which explores ethnic Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, and other Latino histories in the United States, their links and divisions, their diversity, and their cultures and politics.
For more information, go to: www.slifkacenter.org, or contact Ilana Lapid at: ilana.lapid@yale.edu
Posted in Screenings | No Comments »
October 23rd, 2009
For Immediate Release Contact: Alarie Ray-Garcia
October 21, 2009 (505) 476-2248
Governor Bill Richardson Congratulates “New Visions” Winner on Taking Top Honors at International Film Festival
SANTA FE-Governor Bill Richardson today congratulated “New Visions/New Mexico winner Ilana Lapid for winning best short film for “Red Mesa” during the13th Annual Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. Lapid wrote and directed the film, which beat out hundreds of other entries for top honors. The prestigious event is an Oscar qualifying film festival, which means that “Red Mesa” can now be submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration of Oscar contention.
Lapid was one of the first recipients of the state’s New Visions/New Mexico Contract Awards, receiving $15,000.00 toward the making of “Red Mesa.” She co-produced the film with local New Mexicans Jake Pokluda and John Ward, worked with local first Assistant Director, Dennis Crow, and many other New Mexico film crew on this project through the Film Technician Training Program at New Mexico State University Dona Ana Community College and with the support of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees Local 480.
“Ilana Lapid has made the State of New Mexico proud with her win at this prestigious international film festival,” said Governor Richardson. “I created the New Visions program to support the overwhelming talent and creativity of our homegrown filmmakers and I am proud that this effort is helping our filmmakers realize their deserved international acclaim.”
In exchange for their contract awards, recipients of the New Visions/New Mexico Contract Awards must provide a service to the state’s film efforts, such as training other New Mexico filmmakers who are new to the industry, workshops and seminars and conducting outreach to high school students interested in pursuing film/media careers. The Film Technician Training Program is now offered at five community colleges around the state including: Dona Ana Community College, Santa Fe Community College, CNM in Albuquerque, Northern New Mexico College at El Rito, and Eastern New Mexico University at Roswell. More information on these programs are available on the New Mexico Film Office website, www.nmfilm.com under “Workforce Advancement.”
Set against the backdrop of the US/Mexico border, “Red Mesa” is the coming of age story of Lynn, 17, caught in between her love for her grandfather and her forbidden romance with a Mexican laborer from a neighboring ranch. Lynn’s deception of both men leads to a terrible accident when the three of them are thrown together under a situation of great stress. Coming face to face with the painful realities of the border, Lynn realizes that meaningful relationships can only be based on honesty and the courage to stand up for what you believe.
The film is dedicated to the late Michael Laurence, who was in charge of the NMSU Film Technician’s Training Program at that time and was a strong supporter of Ilana and this project.
###
Alarie Ray-Garcia
Communications Director
Office of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson
State Capitol, Suite 400
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
Office:505-476-2248
Cell:505-231-7350
Sources:
NM Media Industry News
crewnewmexico
Posted in Reviews | No Comments »
October 20th, 2009
The 13th Annual Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) concluded on Friday, October 16 with its Award Ceremony & Closing Night Gala that took place at the Paramount Theatre on the Paramount Lot in Hollywood. Festival co-founders Edward James Olmos and Marlene Dermer led the award ceremony. Winners were announced in the categories of best feature film, best director, best screenplay, best opera prima, best short, best documentary, and audience awards in the feature and documentary categories. Special mentions from the jury were also announced.
Award-winning director Simon Brand; screenwriter, producer and actor Rick Najera; Benjamin O’Dell, Head of Development and Production Panamax Films, and award winning motion picture editor Dan Fort served as jurors in the official selection and opera prima category. The jury members for the documentary category included Randal Johnson, distinguished film scholar and director of the Latin American Institute in the UCLA International Institute, filmmaker Robert Young, and filmmaker Nancy De Los Santos. Director Patricia Riggen, visual effect artist Charlie Iturriaga; actors William Marquez, and Jeremy Ray Valdez were the jurors in the shorts category.
Best Short Winner: “Red Mesa”
Director: Ilana Lapid
Screenwriter: Ilana Lapid
Country: USA
Synopsis: Unable to share her beloved grandfather’s dreams for her future, Lynn charts her
won path by seeking love beyond familiar borders. Caught in the crossfire of her affection for
her grandfather and her secret love with an undocumented worker, Lynn must decide which
birders she is willing to cross. Set on a cattle ranch on the US/Mexico Border, RED MESA is a
powerful cinematic exploration of love, loyalty and coming of age through a young woman’s
Sponsored by: Final Draft, Showbiz Software/Movie Magic
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »