Sean Chaffin
Roswell Tribune
Organizers estimated attendance doubled for this year’s Roswell Shorts Indie Film Fest, held Sept. 25-26 at the UFO Museum & Research Center
The rising numbers of both filmmakers and movie buffs for the second installment of the annual festival this year were reflected in both submissions and movie fans grabbing a seat in the theater, according to festival director Dewey Paul Moffitt. He was especially pleased by the number of participants from the Land of Enchantment.
“A third of our selections were from New Mexico filmmakers, and that’s a great indicator of not only the strength of the industry in this region, but also the quality and passion of the filmmakers here,” Moffitt said.
The festival accepts all film genres, exclusively to short-form filmmaking running in the range of 30 minutes or less. Putting together a production on a limited budget means short filmmakers wear many hats, including writer, director, cinematographer, editor or visual effects artist.
The Roswell Shorts Indie Film Fest recognized those efforts and honored 15 of the 32 selections with awards that ranged from Best Cinematography and Best Micro-Short to Best Youth Performances in a Short Film.
“We crafted a few of the award titles in response to the types of films we are programming,” Moffitt said. “It was an impressively eclectic mix of filmmaking this year.”
A few Mexico-based filmmakers took home awards. Ruidoso’s Jacob McCaw received an honor as Best Cult Short Film for his work “Vessel.” He was thrilled to be part of this year’s lineup.
“I am deeply honored to be a part of the Roswell Shorts festival this year,” he said after learning his film made the cut to be in the festival. “Roswell is so close to home, and it is actually the city that I was born in, so getting to bring ‘Vessel’ to a festival there is a full-circle moment for me.”
Renee Pezzotta, of Albuquerque, earned the Best Director of a Short Film award her short film “Encounter.” Albuquerque’s Lauren and Taylor Trujillo scored Best Thriller for their production “The Storm.”
Looking Ahead
Because of the short length of the productions, the film fest allows fans to check out a number of films in one sitting, a unique aspect of this type of festival. Moffitt hailed the event as a major success and said plans for a third season are already in the works – possibly growing the festivities even more.
“We would like to expand the accessible hours more thoughtfully, and perhaps with earlier screenings or maybe even an extra day,” he said. “We would also love to expand the programming to include a panel discussion, maybe an industry workshop, or even a celebrity appearance.”
Organizers would also like to know what Roswell and southern New Mexico film fans would like to see in 2027. The festival has launched a survey to gauge what attendees envision for next year and beyond. The event director is out to make sure the festival can continue to resonate with the community.
“I think the survey is the best way to ensure the community of filmmakers and fans of independent cinema can have their voices heard and integrated into our decision process,” Moffitt said.
