NM Women In Film Establishes Scholarship Program

Local Non-Profit announces recipients of its inaugural $5,000.00 scholarship award to support the education and training of its members

For Immediate Release February 1, 2010 Contact: Lora Cunningham (323) 630-3133

Santa Fe, NM - NM Women In Film (“NMWIF”), a non-profit chapter organization dedicated to supporting women’s achievement in film and television, has awarded $5,000.00 to six New Mexicans in their inaugural scholarship program. Open to all New Mexico Women In Film members, the funding supports the advancement of education and training in recipients’ chosen field of interest.

“We are honored to provide this opportunity for the first time ever to our local members, who continue to raise the bar on creativity and innovation in New Mexico filmmaking,” said NM Women in Film President, Trish Lopez. “We have top-caliber female filmmakers and crew in our state, and this is one way we can help them advance to the next level.”

The scholarship fund was created through a number of fundraising efforts in 2010, including a benefit concert featuring Oscar-winning actor and musician Jeff Bridges – an event made possible through a collaboration between NM Women In Film and IATSE Local 480 Film Union.

Below are the NM Women In Film 2010-2011 scholarship recipients:

★ Jillan Begay: $1,295 Santa Fe Screenwriting Conference

★ Linda McDill & Stuart Goswick: $700 Hollywood Reporter & Billboard Film & TV Music Conference

★ Laura K. Marsh: $1,500 Online Writers’ Bootcamp, Professional Membership Program

★ Eden Radfarr: $600 Associates Degree in Film Production, Santa Fe Community College Film Program

★ Joan Siebens: $600 Film Tech III, Santa Fe Community College Film Program

★ Cynthia Strauss: $305 The Mastery Workshop

Those interested in membership and/or scholarship information can visit the NM Women in Film

website: www.nmwif.com.

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About NMWIF

NMWIF is a 501c3 organization, a New Mexico-based outreach network committed to the professional development

and achievement of women in film and television through mentorship, networking, education and community. For

more information about NMWIF or this event, please contact Lora Cunningham, NMWIF Board Member and

Media Chair, at (323)630-3133 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For Immediate Release

Contact: Janet Davidson (505) 699-8501

New Mexico Women in Film hosts first ever Women in Film and Television International Board Summit in New Mexico

SANTA FE-New Mexico for the first time ever will be hosting the Bi-Annual Board Summit of world renowned non-profit organization, Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI), October 1st-3rd in Santa Fe.  Representatives from New Zealand, Vancouver, California, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. will be arriving next week to meet and mingle with NM Women in Film members, local film professionals and representatives from the NM Film Office.

Women in Film, a non-profit organization originally created in Los Angeles, was founded as a vehicle in 1973 to represent female voices in the largely-male dominated industry of film and television at the time.  As further chapters were created around the world, WIFTI was formed as the global umbrella organization for over forty of these organizations – New Mexico Women in Film (NMWIF) being one of the newest, created in 2004.

“We’re thrilled to host our fellow board members from around the world and we look forward to showing them the beauty of New Mexico, as well as introducing them to our talented film professionals around the state,” said Trish Lopez, New Mexico Women in Film President.  “New Mexico has emerged as a one of the leading states in the world to live and work in the film industry and we look forward to continuing that momentum.”

A reception hosted by New Mexico Women in Film and New Mexico Women in the Arts is being held for local industry professionals to meet the WIFTI Board representatives on Saturday, October 2nd from 5:00-7:00pm at Jay Etkin Gallery, 703 Camino de la Familia #3103 in the ArtYard (part of the Rail Yard district in Santa Fe).

For more information about the WIFTI weekend of events in Santa Fe, please contact New Mexico WIFTI representative, Janet Davidson at (505) 699-8501.  For information about NM Women in Film and membership opportunities, please visit www.nmwif.com. And visit wifti.org for a list of Women in Film chapters around the world.

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Jeff Bridges' Band to Play Santa Fe's Historic Lensic Theater

Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 31, 2010: Jeff Bridges will be performing with a band of local musicians, some of whom performed in the movie 'Crazy Heart', on Sunday, April 18th at 3pm at Santa Fe's historic Lensic Theater.

This year Bridges has won both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for his portrayal of Bad Blake, a hard drinking, down-on-his-luck, country singer who finds redemption through his love for a young reporter (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and her son. Bridges was also highly acclaimed for his renditions of the film's songs, particularly 'The Weary Kind', the ballad that won Producer TBone Burnett and his co-composer, Ryan Bingham, an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Now, in one of those Life-Imitating-Art moments, Bridges returns to Santa Fe, where much of 'Crazy Heart' was filmed, for this debut performance.

There is also a certain symmetry in the choice of locations. In the film, Bad Blake performs just across the street at Evangelo's, a well-known Santa Fe watering hole and music venue. The Lensic, built in 1931, has hosted its share of stars over the years, including Judy Garland, Yehudi Menuhin, Roy Rogers and Rudy Vallee. In December, 2000 the Lensic was recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as an official project of Save America's Treasures. The following April, a massive restoration was begun on the theatre to make it one of Santa Fe's premiere performing arts spaces.

In addition to the live performance, there will be a screening of 'Crazy Heart', a silent auction of movie memorabilia and a raffle. This charitable event is being staged to raise money for New Mexico Film Makers Give Back, a program of IATSE Local 480, which raised over $100,000 last year to fund local charities. This event is co-sponsored by IATSE Local 480 and New Mexico Women in Film.

For more information, please contact Jon Hendry (505) 670-7381.

The Lensic is located at 211 West San Francisco Street. Tickets ($25, $50, $7 5, $100) can be purchased at the Lensic Box office at 505-988-1234 or www.ticketssantafe.org.