The Las Cruces International Festival that began with about 3,000 people in the audience 10 years ago is now expected to attract more than 12,000 movie fans. In its first year, the festival screened about 60 films. This year, the festival will present 162 films from 40 countries.

"The festival has probably grown eight times in terms of the revenue we're now generating. The same would be true of the economic impact for the city," said Ross Marks, New Mexico State University's Creative Media Institute professor and festival executive director.

The festival runs April 9-13 at the Allen Theatres Cineport 10. The LCIFF is presented by NMSU and Visit Las Cruces. The number of sponsors for the event continues to grow each year. VIP passes are $200, All-Access Passes are $100, Day Passes are $35 and admission to celebrity screenings is $35. Tickets are available now at www.lascrucesfilmfest.com.

The LCIFF is now the largest student-run film festival in the country. Approximately 80 to 100 NMSU students in the Creative Media Institute and the Creative Media Technology program at Doña Ana Community College will work together putting on the festival under Marks' guidance. The festival also will include 10 different panels and workshops, such as casting, screenwriting and creating sound among others, for CMI students and members of the community to attend.

Marks teaches two courses on how to produce a film festival. During the fall course, students select the films andto prepare for the festival while the spring course gives them the hands-on experience of producing the festival.

"The most rewarding thing is to see all these students who worked on the festival in year one, and now 10 years later they're all in the industry working and succeeding. In fact, four of the students in that first film festival class are now people that we've hired to run certain departments for the film festival to work with the new students."

The LCIFF includes five days of feature-length films, short films and animation from filmmakers across the U.S. and around the world. In addition to workshops and VIP parties, Las Cruces Public Schools will bring in about 400 to 500 students for field trips.

Several celebrity guests will be on hand along with Academy Award-winning actress Helen Hunt, who will receive the festival's "Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment" award on April 10 and have a question-and-answer session with a screening of the film "As Good As It Gets."

"The festival always so rewarding for me," Marks said. "It's a lot of work and pressure, but when I go to the theater and I see all the students running around getting that real world experience, that's the payday for me."

The complete schedule of films, workshops and special VIP parties is available along with tickets at www.lascrucesfilmfest.com.

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu-celebrates-10th-year-of-las-cruces-international-film-festival-april-9-13/s/0b8b13bd-47d2-4f9f-aeff-91f976cb1918