“That’s a Wrap!” Highlights of the 2nd Annual MEA Film Fest

I came face-to-face with my passionate ambition last month. When I love something, I throw all of my being into it – whether that be my dog, a political belief, a business, a love affair, or a fledgling film festival. Reconnecting with the fact that I wrote a screenplay 40 years ago and then got distracted with starting a boutique hotel company, I’ve gone back to my roots as I curated our 2nd annual MEA Film Fest. 

Compared to 2024, we went from 26 paying attendees to 46 and from 8 filmmakers/actors to 53. We took over the whole MEA ranch campus with 60 films over 7 days (compared to just 16 films last year) and more than half of the 32 feature-length films were new, non-streamable works of art. We had Lunch & Learns, a trip to Ten Thousand Waves for some communal hot springs, a screening in Santa Fe of “Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light” and a visit to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and hikes, hot tubs, wisdom circles, mindful movement classes, and 20 delicious meals. It’s such a deep, intimate format that one of our award-winning filmmakers said, “This was by far, the best film festival that I have been part of.”

Congrats to Sky Bergman for winning the Audience Award for shorts with “The Mochi Movie” and to the following films and filmmakers who tied for Audience Award for features: “Enchanted Matter” (Geoffrey Rockwell and Tom Piozet), “Blood Road” (Rebecca Rusch), and “First They Bombed New Mexico” (Lois Lipman and Tina Cordova). I was thrilled that Argentinian actor/writer/director Juan Pablo di Pace was able to join us to screen his film “Before We Forget” and I’m looking forward to executive producing his next film. 

We’ve just announced the dates for our 3rd annual MEA Film Fest December 14-19 in Santa Fe. It will definitely sell out so you might reserve your spot now. 

Here’s a 15-minute video entitled “At 84, I’ve Finally Found the Secret to True Happiness.” It’s all about presence, not productivity. It’s about gratitude, not gratification. It’s about both magic and mystery. I hope you enjoy this wise video as well.

-Chip