Film Lea County and publishing office opens
Levi Hill/News-Sun
LOVINGTON — As the giant scissors sliced cleanly through the blue ribbon, a loud “bang” startled the onlookers and confetti filled the air. Just like that Lea County’s creative future may have taken a giant leap forward.
On Nov. 4, a small gathering of onlookers joined local filmmaker Mary Haarmeyer, Film New Mexico regional representative Charlene Upton and Dreamers Defy founder Blake Ovard to celebrate the opening of the trifecta office space for Film Lea County, Of Stars and Magic Publishing and Dreamers Defy Youtube channel at 8 W. Central in Lovington.
The opening comes less than two weeks after the premiere of Haarmeyer’s latest film, “Vengeful,” to more than 300 attendees across four showings in Lea County.
The horror/thriller has already turned the eyes of Hollywood toward Lea County, with several locals landing major roles in the film and filmmakers taking note of what Lea County has to offer.
At the premiere, one writer/director from Los Angeles was there and is now bringing a new, straight-to-broadcast film for a major television channel to be filmed in Lea County in January.
“He loved Lea County,” Haarmeyer said. “He is thrilled to be back. I think our film helped broaden his view of what we have to offer here.”
“If it feels like we are right on the cusp of something, it is because we are,” said Ovard, founder of Dreamers Defy and local resident who landed a major role in “Vengeful.” “They (Hollywood) are taking notice. Word gets out. They are coming.”
Ovard’s project focuses on highlighting dreamers and helping them share their stories to inspire other dreamers to chase their dreams.
“We do a daily good news segment. I also do interviews with creatives, dreamers of any kind. If someone has a dream and they are pursuing it and having any kind of success, I want to interview those people so others starting out on that journey can see that it can be them too,” he said. “That beginning and middle part is where a lot of people stop and leave their dreams behind and I want to encourage them to keep going.”
Ovard has been working closely with Haarmeyer on several projects and the new office in Lovington is going to let people know Lea County is serious.
The small office will offer production companies coming to Lea space to set up, audition local talent or simply reconnoiter after a long day of shooting.
“This is great because we now have a production office, this will be for crews coming in from out of town,” Haarmeyer said. “We actually have someone coming from back east doing Cowboy Christmas that will be using this office.”
Haarmeyer is also the founder of Of Stars and Magic Publishing, a book publishing company. It is another way she is able to “make people’s dreams come true,” a real passion of hers.
Authors with books they think deserve a shot can look the publishing company up online and fill out a form.
“If it meets our criteria, we would be happy to help them get it published,” Haarmeyer said.
Local author and historian Jim Harris called the publishing company a “godsend” for local authors.
“It is absolutely important that that has happened and more authors are going to be recognized,” said Harris, who has two books published with Of Stars and Magic and a third in the works. “Publishing is a hard, difficult business and it is hard to break into even with things like university presses. So having Mary here, fabulous. It is just a fabulous thing. Who in Lea County would you expect to be involved in something like this? Mary Haarmeyer. Mary is into everything.”
The new office is also space for Film Lea County agent Charlene Upton and will soon help play a role in filming audition tapes for local aspiring actors.
“I think it is going to be amazing, especially when we start having production teams here,” Upton said. “They are going to eat around here and spend their money around here and local restaurants will do the catering. It is very important because it shows movie folks we are very serious about promoting everything Lea County, whether it is cast or crew or auditions or the junior college sending over someone from cosmetology.”
