Former Las Crucen Wins Film Honor for Red Mesa
Contact: S. Derrickson Moore, dmoore@lcsun-news.comOct. 21--LAS CRUCES -- "Red Mesa," a short film made in Las Cruces by former Las Crucen Ilana Lapid, took top honors at the 13th Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, which qualified it for Oscar contention. In a phone interview from her current home base in New Haven, Conn., where she is artist-in-residence at Slifka Center at Yale University, Lapid said she was "surprised and honored" to receive the award Friday in Los Angeles.
"I made an acceptance speech in front of 560 people in the packed theater, and in it, I thanked Las Cruces and the New Mexico Film Office and Governor's Office for the tremendous support you extended to me in making 'Red Mesa.' I also thanked Gov. Richardson, Eric Witt, my mentor Mark Medoff and Mike Laurance, to whom the film is dedicated, who passed away a few months after we finished production, and without whom the film could not have been made as it was. It was a very joyous night," Lapid said. She said Laurance aided her with a student crew mentoring program. "He helped coordinate participation with New Mexico's Film Tech Training Program and CMI (New Mexico State University's Creative Media Institute). He was just incredibly helpful," she said. Lapid, 31, who wrote, directed and co-produced "Red Mesa," reports that the LALIFF hosted a crowded field of entrants. "There were 350 short film submissions, of which 37 were in the festival, seven were given distinction, two honorable mention, and 'Red Mesa' received the award. The exciting thing is that LALIFF is an Oscar-qualifying festival, which means that we can now be in consideration for an Oscar." She said the film, a coming-of-age Borderland romance, has garnered favorable response on the festival circuit. "We premiered at the New York Latino International Film Festival, and were just accepted to the Santa Fe Film Festival in December. I will be attending." Lapid, the daughter of Yosef and Susan Lapid of Las Cruces, said she also hopes to arrange a "Red Mesa" screening soon in Las Cruces. By S. Derrickson Moore, Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M. Copyright (c) 2009, Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.
