MOVIE beat

Poet-to-Poet Cinema:

The Voice of the World is a video film compiled by director Christopher Coppola as a public gift to his uncle Francis Ford Coppola in honor of his 85th birthday and the upcoming premiere of Francis Ford Coppola’s new film Megalopolis. The anthology film will be posted on Vimeo by Christopher Coppola.

Included in the anthology is the short video-poem Silence of the Messengers, made by Justin R. Romine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxnIAI2Of2E

NM Film Maker Justin Romine Is Completing IT CAME OUT of the SKY

Albuquerque-based film maker Justin R. Romine, originally hails from the Chicago area. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Film from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he honed his craft under the tutelage of David Schmoeller, the acclaimed director of Puppet Master and Crawlspace. Romine has worked as a Festival Coordinator for Christopher Coppola and he has taught film making courses for UNM Valencia. Romine resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he works as a television news video editor and shares his life with partner, Josephine, their two daughters, and a few feline companions. Justin’s cinematic passion centers on horror and science fiction. He’s a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, and in his limited spare time, he enjoys reading and traveling. Romine’s work reflects his passion and experience, inviting others to explore his imaginative cinematic worlds.

It Came Out of the Sky is a sci-fi thriller film work-in-progress based on a screenplay by Justin R. Romine. The story involves detective work and a mystery revolving around many unexplained disappearances of people in New Mexico. Romine promises that his film will offer “an exciting tour through New Mexico’s enigmatic landscape, where UFO sightings abound, as Detective Jensen explores the world of extraterrestrial encounters, including a revelation that will blow your mind and have you on the edge of your seat.”

Justin Romine will do an in person Meet-the-Film Maker event at the International District Library, Albuquerque at 3 pm on Saturday May 4th.

Romine notes that “We are raising money for post- production as well as for film festival submission fees. Here is the link to the campaign:

https://igg.me/at/itcameoutoftheskypost/x#/

Successful Outlaw Film Screens May 3rd at Taos Center for the Arts, Albuquerque, and June 23rd at The Guild Cinema, Albuquerque

Documentary filmmaker David Luis Leal Cortez’s latest film follows on the life of a

tnhed silversmith whose life is steeped in New Mexico history. Successful Outlaw follows life of builder and biker, Daniel “Pepe” Rochon, as he builds a 4000 sq. foot, off grid, passive solar adobe hacienda on Taos Mesa. During the 1970’s Pepe lived and worked at the Mabel Dodge Lujan House when Dennis Hopper was owner and is a rare individual who continues to live the ideals of the counter culture crusaders who arrived and started communes in Northern New Mexico in the 60’s. Successful Outlaw, has had the help of Dennis’ brother, David, who was Rochon’s partner in building many wonderful adobe structures in the region, including the former Return Gallery and the Ed and Trudy Healy Home in Arroyo Hondo, NM.

David Luis Cortez is also continuing to work on his feature documentary film Mora Is Burning!, about the 2022 Calf Canyon Fire and its aftermath. Screenings are being planned statewide. A recent screening in Las Vegas, NM drew a packed house and high level government comment: https://www.hermitspeakjustice.org/news/press-release%3Awildfire-victim-heartbreak%2C-fema-failures-take-focus-on-two-year-anniversary-of-newmexico-wildfire

NORTH CIRCULAR - a music trip through Dublin, Ireland

May 5th & 6th at The Guild Cinema, Albuquerque Sun & Mon @4:00 & 8:00 pm Dir. Luke McManus - 2023 - 86m - Ireland

“I absolutely loved it, beautifully cinematic.” Gabriel Byrne (Hereditary/The Usual Suspects)

A documentary musical that travels the length of Dublin’s North Circular Road, from the Phoenix Park to Dublin Port, exploring the history, music and streetscapes of a street that links some of the country’s most beloved and infamous places! (And inludes some Dublin humour too!)

Told in black and white 4:3 Academy ratio, the film evokes many narratives from the history of the city and nation, from colonialism, to mental health, to the struggle for women’s liberation while also engaging with urgent issues of today, including the battle to save the legendary Cobblestone Pub, centre of Dublin’s recent folk revival, from destruction at the hands of cynical property developers. The film also includes musical performances from artists local to the North Circular, including John Francis Flynn, Séan Ó Túama, Eoghan O’Ceannabháin, Ian Lynch & Gemma Dunleavy.

“Conjures ghosts & memories... articulate, sombre, Rembrandtesque”, David Katz, CineEuropa”

“Beautiful, visually and sonically striking...A heartfelt love letter to Dublin.”, Leo Barraclough, Variety

Civil War, the fictional dystopian film about future citizen- to- citizen combat and journalistic reporting has opened in theaters around New Mexico including Taos Story Teller Cinema. I saw it on April 13 and I agree it is a great action thriller with definite if sly commentary on our precarious times. No one who sees this film will ever speak lightly about civil war again—it is that grim and grisly. You will be there in the movie but you will never want to go there in real life, no matter whom you think should be POTUS. Here is The Guardian’s review: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/15/civil-war-review

Experiments in Cinema presented by Albuquerque’s Basement Films is online for FREE May 14th-18th at www.experimentsincinema.org Always fascinating — works by many film makers breaking barriers. ■