Monday, March 19, 2001
Land winner announcement part of film festival By Rick Romancito March 19 With the Taos Talking Picture Festival only a couple of weeks away, the folks over at the event’s offices already have their game faces on. Although the finalists in the coveted Taos Land Grant Award have been announced, no one can say who will be named as winner of five acres of primo land out in Cerro Montoso.
At least not until April 7, when the envelope is opened and the announcer says, “and the winner is ...” The festival, slated for April 5-8, is one of the biggest events in Taos, bringing celebrities, film-makers, movie fans and, maybe, even a few distributors to town for four days of screenings, discussions, education and fun.
During the event, several awards are planned to be presented. Among them is the Taos Land Grant Award. The brainchild of local resident and filmmaker, Jeff Jackson, the award is an offshoot of his Taos Land and Film Company and serves as a way to help foster community among fellow filmmakers by setting aside a series of land parcels on the mesa above the John Dunn Bridge, east of Arroyo Hondo, to used as prizes. Jackson, incidentally, is planning to shoot a film of his own here sometime this summer.
The Taos Land Grant Award is given to “a singular filmmaker, one who demonstrates a passion and inventiveness in telling our stories,” according to a Taos Talking Pictures’ press kit. This year’s finalists are James Fortier, for his documentary, “Alcatraz is Not an Island”; Kim Snyder, for the personal documentary, “I Remember Me”; Billy Wirth, for the feature, “MacArthur Park”; Christopher Munch, for the feature, “The Sleepy Time Gal”; Lukas Moodysson for the feature, “Together”; and Chris Hegedus and Jehane Noujaim, for the documenray, “Startup.com.”
The Taos Land Grant Award is sponsored by Taos Land and Film Company and KTAO, Solar 101.9 FM.