Mexican filmmaker wraps feature film ‘Olmo’ in Las Cruces

Feature film “Olmo,” directed by Mexican filmmaker Fernando Eimbcke wrapped production in the Las Cruces area last month. 

According to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office, the production employed about 80 New Mexicans as background talent, 40 resident crew members and 12 New Mexican principal actors. 

“Olmo” tells the story about a 14-year-old tasked with taking care of his father who is bedridden with multiple sclerosis. When a neighbor invites him to a party, “his world is turned upside down.” The film is set in 1980s New Jersey, according to an IONCINEMA article, where Olmo is a first generation Mexican American navigating the hardships of teenage life along with his father’s declining health. 

The film stars Gustavo Sánchez Parra (“Amores Perros”) and Andrea Suarez Paz (“Stand Clear of the Closing Doors”) and is directed by Eimbcke (“Duck Season”). Producers include Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Eréndira Núñez Larios. 

Kleiner is an Oscar-winning producer known for his work on “Moonlight,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Women Talking.”

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According to IONCINEMA, the film was scheduled to film during the summer months but was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Filming was completed under an interim agreement with the union, according to Deadline. 

The entertainment article also notes that “Olmo” is the first film produced under Plan B Entertainment’s new micro budget film finance initiative – a partnership with Mediawan, a European content studio. 

It is unclear when audiences might see “Olmo” in theaters, but IONCINEMA reported that the film will likely be entered as part of the fall 2024 film festival circuit.

Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on X, formerly Twitter.