A New Mexico State University film professor is continuing his one-man crusade to draw the film and television industry to southern New Mexico, one project at a time. His most recent effort is a film titled "Solitary," which follows five inmates navigating the harsh realities of solitary confinement.
Before Ross Marks, NMSU Creative Media Institute (CMI) professor and award-winning filmmaker, accepted the job as producer of the film, he set three non-negotiable conditions: the production must be entirely shot in Las Cruces (primarily at the Old Doña Ana County Courthouse), it must partner with a local nonprofit ministry supporting formerly incarcerated individuals and it must employ NMSU students and alumni. David Midell, director of "Solitary" and an alumnus of the Las Cruces International Film Festival, agreed.
"As a professor at NMSU, I think part of my responsibility is not just to teach and train people in the classroom, but to create real-world experiential learning opportunities," Marks, who is also the executive director of LCIFF, said. "That's the best way to learn and to create job opportunities for students once they graduate as alumni."
Film productions in New Mexico spent more than $327 million across 80 projects over the past fiscal year. State economic reports consistently outline that the broader film and television sector provides an ongoing annual impact estimated at roughly $500 million to $1 billion, supporting about 8,000 local jobs.
These are jobs that Marks wants to bring to southern New Mexico where he and other NMSU professors are preparing students to provide a ready-made workforce.
The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/movie-filming-in-las-cruces-employs-nmsu-students--alumni/s/71bfb218-7eae-428a-9be2-92715a3f6ea7
