Film to document 100 years of Zozobra in 2024
Jun. 27—In two years, the 100th anniversary of Zozobra will take place.
On Monday, Hutton Broadcasting announced its collaboration with the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe to produce a documentary for the centennial celebration.
Ray Sandoval, the Zozobra event chairman, said, the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe is proud to again partner with Hutton Broadcasting.
"... This time to commemorate Zozobra's 100th anniversary with a film that will be as grand as Zozobra is tall," Sandoval said.
According to Sandoval, the documentary will be produced over the next two years and will include interviews with many New Mexico influencers, historians, and dedicated Zozobra fans.
The film will be produced and directed by Elisa Bourget Hutton and McCall Sides will serve as director of photography.
"We are incredibly honored to work with the Kiwanis Club to produce the 100th-anniversary documentary," Hutton said. "Will Shuster's Zozobra connects deeply with New Mexico heritage, and we are excited to share those stories."
Santa Fe artist Will Shuster and a group of his friends burned the first incarnation of Zozobra in 1924 in Shuster's backyard. The tradition continued and grew, as did Zozobra himself, with Shuster building the marionette larger and larger.
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In 1963, the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe officially became involved and the following year, Shuster signed over all rights to the nonprofit organization.
In 2019, 64,000 spectators gathered at Fort Marcy Park to watch the spectacle.
In 2020, the burning took place as usual, but without the crowds, and was streamed online with people worldwide watching his destruction — having sent in their woes and worries to be burned along with him.
"For years Hutton has generously provided sponsorships for the Burning of Zozobra to help us in our mission to make the lives of kids in Santa Fe better," Sandoval said of the longtime collaboration. "The proceeds from the event are granted to local nonprofits that aid underserved kids. We could think of no one other than Hutton Broadcasting to work with to document this monumental anniversary."
Zozobra is burned on the Friday before Labor Day each year and is scheduled to again meet his fate Friday, Sept. 2.
