Now, this is very cool!
Some time ago, August 26, 2002, in fact, I visited with a group of folks known collectively as Northern New Mexico Digital Video. Founded by Dan Otero and Javier Arellano, they were doing what I regarded then and still do as top-notch work in a technology area that wasn’t exactly a household word at the time. (In the right households, sure, like the one I wrote about and took pictures of in this GRACK! column that’s still miraculously on the Applelinks server. I highly recommend it to everyone, especially Mac enthusiasts.)
Now then. One the major cultural events in this part of the world is the Santa Fe Film Festival, which wound up last week. I was calmly sitting at home, thumbing through the Pasatiempo Magazine of the Santa Fe New Mexican a few days ago, reading about the festival, when all of a sudden Dan’s name jumped out at me: not only is Northern New Mexico Digital Video alive and kicking, but a short film of Dan’s had earned a showing. From the New Mexican:
New Mexico Shorts I and II offer a smorgasbord of films made in New Mexico, from documentaries to dance performances, educational efforts and music videos One of the best works is The Troll’s Demise (New Mexico Shorts I), a campy piece that places a group of geology students at cave sites near Peñasco, where they encounter a tree troll and Trogla, a Medusa-like woman who can turn humans to stone. Dan Otero, who grew up in Española and lives in La Mesilla, wrote and directed this amusing mythical story.
I couldn’t make it down for the screening but made sure to let Dan know that I had read the article in the paper and congratulated him. I mean, this had to be a big deal, right? Here’s his reply:
It was truly a weekend to remember. Though i didn’t win anything, it was amazing to be walking around Santa Fe with a FILMMAKER badge hanging around my my neck. The chance to meet and mingle with fellow filmmakers, artists and influential types was very cool. It felt like a lot of hard work starting to pay off.
No damn kidding! And just so you know, Northern New Mexico Video is a homegrown enterprise built on imagination, dedication, and Macintosh technology. Just check out their services. It’s always a fine thing when people you know get recognized for what they’re good at, and this is one of those times. Way to go, amigo.
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