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Screenplays and song: ABQ Film + Music Experience offers a platform for visual and audio creatives to connect
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The Albuquerque Film + Music Experience is a celebration and recognition of the interdependence and equality of artistry in the two mediums.
It returns for its 12th year with a variety of experiences and activities that educate through industry panels and workshops, connect creatives through networking events and parties, showings of domestic and international films and live music performances from Wednesday, Sept. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 29, at various locations including The Historic Lobo Theater, 3013 Central Ave. NE, and Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave. NE.
Screenplays and song: ABQ Film + Music Experience offers a platform for visual and audio creatives to connect
The theater and cinema will offer film blocks including narrative shorts, animation, documentary shorts, student films and horror shorts. There will be 30-minute filmmaker Q&A sessions after each film block. Live music showcases will rotate at various locations including Tractor Brewery, Nob Hill Stage at Public House and The Smoky Note. A full schedule is available at .
鈥淲e have Patrick Fabian from (AMC鈥檚 television series) 鈥楤etter Call Saul鈥 coming in for his film, which is the closing night film,鈥 said Kira Sipler, executive director of Albuquerque Film + Music Experience. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 one highlight. I just actually got a call from Alejandro Montoya Marin and his film is screening on Friday night. 鈥楾he Unexpecteds鈥 has been sold out in Los Angeles and New York, and the next stop is New Mexico. So we鈥檙e hoping that we can sell that picture out as well.鈥
Marin, who has connections to New Mexico, is based in Los Angeles but hopes to do a film in Albuquerque, according to Sipler.
鈥淗e wants to be in Albuquerque, to do film in Albuquerque, but there鈥檚 not quite the industry yet to do (that),鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting a lot of productions coming in from LA, from Netflix, that bring in their own people. So it鈥檚 like you have to follow where the work is. And he, from my interpretation, he wants to be here supporting local as much as he can, but there just isn鈥檛 the work yet.鈥
Sipler said this is where AFMX fills the void to bring people like Marin to film in the Land of Enchantment.
鈥淲hen I hear that, that makes me excited about AFMX,鈥 she expressed. 鈥淗ow can we bridge that gap? How can we support independent filmmaking here in New Mexico and keep talent here and bring in LA when we need them, in a sense. So that鈥檚 a conversation that I鈥檓 having with him, and he鈥檚 just really excited, because part of the cast (of 鈥楾he Unexpecteds鈥) is from New Mexico. It was filmed in New Mexico. I think he鈥檚 really excited more (about) bringing it back to New Mexico than the other cities, which speaks to his pride.鈥
Another component of the festival is Stowe Story Lab, which has a special place in Sipler鈥檚 heart. Sipler was a Story Lab participant during its inaugural year in 2022 in New Mexico. The organization supports screenwriters and producers.
鈥淭o be chosen to be one of their labers was a great thing for me and so we invited them to our festival,鈥 Sipler said. 鈥淲e will have a representative from Stowe Story Lab to talk and support the screenwriting community here. Her name is Katerina Eichenberger. She鈥檒l be moderating and she鈥檒l also be presenting the award for our inaugural short screenplay competition. For me, that was like my little love letter to the screenwriting community. Stowe (Story Labs) is great and they continue to be a great influence here.鈥
Something Sipler has been wanting to do for years has come to fruition for this year鈥檚 event.
鈥淲e started our own short screenplay competition and it started off slow, but when it closed, we had over 70 scripts, which was far beyond what I ever expected,鈥 she explained. 鈥淭he judges are from out-of-state, and they鈥檙e professional producers and screenwriters, so it鈥檚 not like their scripts are being read from inside the state. They鈥檙e being read from outside the state and that鈥檚 how you get our talent seen, at least that鈥檚 one way. So I鈥檓 really excited about that.鈥
Another competition also brought in more submissions than anticipated.
鈥淥ur pitch panel competition, tripled in our number of people from last year who submitted,鈥 Sipler said. 鈥淲e are starting to get momentum from our community that says, 鈥楬ey, I have something to show. Can you please give me some advice? Can you give me feedback?鈥 And I think that鈥檚 really important.鈥
Sipler said she has not seen this kind of energy at other film festivals that she has attended.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure it鈥檚 there, but to actually break down components of music and film and screenplay writing and bringing in people to keep that conversation going,鈥 she added. 鈥淚鈥檓 so thrilled that we鈥檙e able to do that this year. They鈥檙e starting those conversations and are starting to get bigger people reaching out.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 great because more people are coming to me, going, 鈥榃hat if we did this?鈥 And I鈥檓 like, 鈥榊es, we鈥檙e going to find that for next year.鈥 I think we鈥檙e starting to get the attention of people that we鈥檙e here for them. There are people, organizations here in New Mexico that want to foster that creativity.鈥
