Ready for their close up: Las Cruces International Film Festival hosts fives days of independent movies

Mar. 31—The work will get harder in the coming days — but Ross Marks is ready.

Each year, Marks pulls double duty as a professor at the Creative Media Institute at New Mexico State University and as executive director of the Las Cruces International Film Festival.

"There's always a lot to be done," Marks says. "It's worth it in the end."

The Las Cruces International Film Festival kicks off on Wednesday, April 3, and runs through Sunday, April 7, in Las Cruces.

The festival will screen more than 100 films — ranging from feature length to documentary and short films.

Marks is at the helm of the ninth festival, though he's been putting on film festivals in southern New Mexico for 12 years.

"I did White Sands International Film Festival for three years before this," he says. "We've been building this festival as a destination for independent film."

The festival received more than 1,000 submissions and organizers, including Marks, had to whittle it down to more than 100 films.

"Our festival by design is an independent film festival," Marks says. "Sundance, Tribeca and South by Southwest used to be programmed for small independent films. They don't do that anymore. We aim to make the festival the place for independent film."

Over the course of nearly a decade, the festival has partnered with NMSU in creating a program where students get real-world training.

Marks says it's the students that run the festival.

"We have a class that we teach each semester and it's about 24 students," he says. "Then around festival time, we get 60-70 students as volunteers. It's really about training the next generation of filmmakers and film lovers."

NMSU has two classes through CMI. The fall semester is film fest prep and the students program the festival.

During the spring semester, students taking film fest production are there to tie up all the loose ends and actually run the April festival.

"It's the best way to get experience," Marks says.

The festival will also honor two actors this year.

Ron Perlman, the 73-year-old actor, is set to receive the "Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment" award from the festival.

The event will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4.

"Mr. Perlman will screen his iconic film, 'Hellboy,' at the Allen Theatres Cineport," Marks says. "(Ron) will also host a question-and-answer session with the audience."

Earlier in the day, Perlman is scheduled to speak at New Mexico State University about his long and esteemed career.

Perlman will join a growing list of past recipients which includes Giancarlo Esposito, William H. Macy, Danny Trejo, Brendan Fraser, George Lopez, Cybill Shepherd, Richard Dreyfuss and Edward James Olmos.

In its nine-year run, Marks says the quality of filmmaking is getting better because it's more accessible.

"I've been making movies for 30 years and it's costly," he says. "You can shoot a film on an iPhone and use After Effects to get it done. What it comes down to is storytelling is important. That's what makes a film better."

Marks looks forward most to is the transformation of students during the festival.

"The students are actually pull it off," he says. "By the last day, each student says it changes their life. To give them that experience, it can't be quantified."

The festival will kick off with the feature film, "Little Brother," on Wednesday, April 3.

Since its release in 2023, "Little Brother" has received several award nominations.

The film won honors for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor at the Next Generation Indie Film Awards.

Four showings of the film are scheduled at 6:15 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at the Allen Theatres Cineport 10, 700 S. Telshor Blvd. in Las Cruces.

The film follows Jake and Pete, estranged brothers who embark on a road trip together from Albuquerque to Seattle.

Starring Daniel Diemer as Jake, Philip Ettinger as Pete and J.K. Simmons and Polly Draper as their overbearing parents, the story explores the strained relationship between the two brothers as they travel for 1,400 miles following Pete's attempted suicide.

The majority of production took place in New Mexico.

The film is written and directed by Sheridan O'Donnell and executive produced by Keagan Karnes.

"Keagan was a student of mine," Marks says. "He's going on and doing great things. Sheridan is also an alum of CMI. They are examples of how great the program is and it's an honor to open the festival with this powerful film."

Karnes is looking forward to kicking off the festival with the film because it's a night of celebrating.

"Since Sheridan and I both grew up in Las Cruces, we are so excited to screen the film for our family and friends, old teachers and professors," Karnes says. "It's going to be a special night. And my parents are finally going to be proud of me."

Marks says the festival is collaborating with Film Las Cruces for a film scout during the festival.

"We're going to rent some big vans and take the filmmakers around southern New Mexico and Las Cruces," he says. "This is to showcase how film friendly the area is and that we have all the tools needed to make a great film."