The holiday season is bringing more than just festive cheer to Las Cruces, as the local film "Santa's Cousin" made its debut at the Allen Theatres Cineport 10 on December 4. Directed by Ross Marks, a professor at New Mexico State University (NMSU), the romantic comedy is notable both for its university roots and for the star power it brought to town, which includes none other than film veteran Eric Roberts. NMSU's Creative Media Institute department lent its talents to the film's production, collaboratively bringing the Yuletide project to the big screen.
As obtained by KTSM, the university detailed how dozens of its students worked under the tutelage of Marks. Having the Allen Theatres bustling with holiday spirit and local talent, the premiere was complemented by red-carpet interviews featuring actors Jonathan Stoddard and Alexandra Harris. Known for their work on Hallmark, Stoddard and Harris have turned "Santa's Cousin" into a local cinema event filled with season's greetings and celebrations of NMSU's burgeoning film program.
However, the spotlight wasn't solely reserved for the rising stars. Eric Roberts, who has garnered an impressive repertoire of over 700 movies, shared the screen with Stoddard and Harris. Roberts, imparting his experiences from decades in the film industry, was scheduled to give a talk at NMSU according to KVIA. The university community, especially the film students who were instrumental in the making of "Santa's Cousin," looked forward to gaining valuable insights from the seasoned actor's career.
Before the movie began playing in a packed theatre, actors walked the red carpet, ready to share their thoughts about the film with reporters and fans alike. As reported by the NMSU Newsroom, Stoddard and Harris were available for interviews before the premiere, providing a chance to delve into their experiences working on a movie so closely tied to the Las Cruces community. With enthusiasm as chilly as the North Pole, attendees flocked to the Cineport 10 for a night packed with film and celebration, a celebration that, no doubt, extended into the classrooms of NMSU's proud film students the following day.
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