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"The Unsettling," a series produced by AwesomenessTV, will begin principal photography in late April through the beginning of June in Santa Fe and Lamy.

"We're proud to welcome another series to New Mexico," Film Office Director Nick Maniatis said. "With strong infrastructure and enhanced incentives in place, New Mexico is able to support productions of all sizes and genres."

The production will employ 60 New Mexico crew members, 10 New Mexico actors and approximately 50 New Mexico background talent.

Starring Holly Taylor ("The Americans," "The Night Shift"), Tequan Richmond ("General Hospital," "Cold Case," "All Night") and An-Li Bogan ("Night of the Pawn"), the series is directed by Chris Grismer ("Designated Survivor," "Vampire Diaries," "Freakish") and produced by Jordan Levin ("My Dead Ex," "Versus"), Brett Bouttier ("Zac & Mia", "t@gged") Shelley Zimmerman ("Zac and Mia," "t@gged"), and Brin Lukens ("Guidance," "Freakish").

"The Unsettling" is the story of Becca, a 16-year-old girl who arrives at her new foster home located in a remote area. Her foster siblings are less than welcoming, but none more so than the 13-year-old biological son of their foster parents. Becca tries to keep to herself and adjust to her new home, but strange things begin to happen around her and Becca is uncertain about who or what is responsible.

Let's Make a Western Grant

Dirk Norris, Executive Director of the New Mexico Film Foundation, announced last week the winner of the first Let’s Make A Western Grant is Vincent McDaniel of Albuquerque. He was presented with a $5,000 check at an announcement party at the Clint Mortenson Ranch in Santa Fe.

Vincent’s proposal, "Blackdom: the Mittie Moore Chronicles," is based on the history of the town of Blackdom once located in Chaves County.

“ I am honored to be the first winner of the 'let's make a western' contest." McDaniel said. "This grant will help in the finance of our concept trailer for 'Blackdom: The Mittie Moore Chronicles.' The New Mexico Film Foundation gives us little people the means to help us launch our Ideas into a reality. If our show get's picked up, it means more jobs for New Mexicans for a time. But most importantly, New Mexico history, the story of 'Blackdom: The Mittie Moore Chronicles' would be told.”

McDaniel’s proposal was selected from 45 submissions to the New Mexico Film Foundation’s Let’s Make a Western inaugural grant. Rules of the grant submissions required the story take place between 1850 and 1920, be based on New Mexico history and include horses.

The grant idea came from NMFF board member Richard Beal and Santa Fe Horse Coalition President Piar Marks. It recognizes the rich history of New Mexico and the huge number of Western films that have been made in the state. The grant award includes in-kind donations ranging from the use of the Western set town of Gabriella located near Datil, stunt coordination provided by stunt actor Ross Clay, horses, western wardrobes and more, all donated by interested parties.

McDaniel has until October of this year to complete his project.

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Director Christopher Nolan filmed “Oppenheimer” in several locations in New Mexico. It tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and how he researched and designed the atomic bomb.

“Oppenheimer” takes viewers to multiple historical sites that are still standing to show Oppenheimer’s work inside and outside Los Alamos National Laboratory during the Manhattan Project.

“Oppenheimer” was partially filmed in Los Alamos in the spring of 2022. Other filming locations in New Mexico include Lamy, Ghost Ranch, Belen, and Santa Fe. The movie was released on July 21, 2023.

Los Alamos

The Oppenheimer House, located at 1967 Peach St., Los Alamos, is owned by the Los Alamos Historical Society. It is not currently open to the public, but visitors are able to look outside the house.

The house, built in 1929, served the Los Alamos Ranch School before the Manhattan Project took over. Oppenheimer, his wife Kitty, daughter Toni, and son Peter lived in the home from 1943-1945, according to Visit Los Alamos.

The Fuller Lodge, located at 2132 Central Ave., Los Alamos, is owned by Los Alamos County. Visit Los Alamos said it is free and open to the public. Fuller Lodge served as a community center for Manhattan Project workers.

The Civilian Women’s Dormitory, located at 1725 17th St., Los Alamos, is owned by Los Alamos County. It is currently not open to the public, but visitors can look around outside the building. The dorm housed women civilians and non-military staff that worked on the Manhattan Project.

The United Church of Los Alamos, 2525 Canyon Rd., Los Alamos, is an active church open to the public at certain times.

Lamy Train Station, located at 152 Old Lamy Trail, Lamy, is operated by Amtrak and is still in use. The Lamy Train Station was commonly the first stop for staff and their families arriving to New Mexico on their way to the secret city of Los Alamos, according to the National Park Service (NPS).

Belen

Scenes showing the bomb test site, based on the real Trinity Test Site, were filmed in Belen, according to the New Mexico Film Office.

Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu

The set for “Oppenheimer” was built in Ghost Ranch, NMFO confirmed.

Trinity Test Site

The Trinity Test Site is located at White Sands Missile Range and is where the world’s first atomic bomb was tested and detonated in 1945. The site is open twice a year to the public in April and October.

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory is still in operation today. Members of the public are not allowed in most laboratory buildings, with the exception of the free Bradbury Science Museum, The Manhattan Project National Historical Park offers limited behind-the-fence tours at LANL during select times each year.

109 E. Palace Ave.

Located in Santa Fe, 109 E. Palace Ave. is where Dorothy McKibbin checked in new Manhattan Project staff and gave them their passes and identification to enter the secret city of Los Alamos, NPS stated.

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The NPS has more information about places and activities related to the Manhattan Project here. NPS and Los Alamos have also created self-guided tours. Which can be found below:

“Oppenheimer” was also filmed at locations in California and New Jersey.

Guest Columnist

During my daily walk into Carrizozo’s downtown district, historic 12th Street, I was pleasantly surprised to see a brand-new bookmobile last week.

Three sides of the exterior of the bookmobile featured a giant wrap designed by the Museum Resource Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Many giant books represented on the exterior of the bookmobile are those I have read in my search to learn about my home state of New Mexico. The authors tell of the beauty and hardships of the land and life of yesteryear.

The book on the wrap that caught my attention was “Lamy of Santa Fe” by Paul Horgan, a book that gives glimpse of life in New Mexico and the developing West.

Originally published in 1975, this Pulitzer Prize winning biography chronicles the life of Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy (1814-1888). New Mexico’s first resident bishop was the most influential, reform-minded Catholic official in the region during the late 1800s.

Lamy’s accomplishments, including the endowing of hospitals, orphanages, and English-language schools and colleges, formed the foundation of modern-day Santa Fe and often brought him into conflict with corrupt local priests.

His life story describes a key period in the American Southwest, as Spanish and Mexican rule gave way to much greater influence from the U.S. and Europe. Horgan gives a chronicle filled with hardy adventure.

The New Mexico State Library, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, sponsor three bookmobiles to serve thousands of rural New Mexicans without access to a public library. The new bookmobiles serve two of the three routes covered by the State Library – the Northeast Route of the Cimarron office, and the East Route out of Tucumcari.

In operation since 1956, each bookmobile carries up to 3,000 volumes of all types and genres. Staffed by a team of two people per vehicle, each bookmobile travels a monthly route with regularly scheduled stops in rural communities in its region.

Inside the bookmobile, I spoke to Liana Morales, Library Manager and Marcia Valverde, Library Tech. They stay busy with their book stops. On June 18, Monday, they will be at Lincoln, N.M. Post Office and at the Hondo Senior Center. June 19, Tuesday, they serve readers waiting at Piñon Store, Weed Post Office, Mayhill Post Office and High Rolls Tunnel Stop.

On June 20, Wednesday, they travel to La Luz Senior Citizens Center and then head to Carrizozo’s 12th Street stop. June 21, Thursday, they serve book patrons in White Oaks, Vaughn Senior Center and Newkirk Post Office.

The bookmobiles are funded through capital outlay funds awarded by the New Mexico State Legislature. Ongoing operations are funded through the federal funds provided to the state library via the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

When the Santa Fe Southern Railway shut down in 2012, it was one year after novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones premiered on HBO. Eight years later, the famous Santa Fe resident found himself involved in reviving the historic rail line, turning it into a fantasy-filled adventure ride. The project finally came to fruition, with the debut of Sky Railway in December 2021.

The last Santa Fe project Martin put his name (and money) behind was the uber-successful immersive art experience "House of Eternal Return" at Meow Wolf (he also owns the historic and eclectic Jean Cocteau Cinema near the Santa Fe Railyard). So, when he joined with other local entrepreneurs and artists (including author Douglas Preston, National Dance Institute of New Mexico cofounder Catherine Oppenheimer, artist Gary Oakley, and Bill Banowsky, who owns Violet Crown Cinema in the Santa Fe Railyard) to reimagine and revive the 18-mile rail spur established in 1880 between Santa Fe and Lamy, it was clear this would be no ordinary train.

"We aren't your average railway, far from it. For us, it isn't about taking folks from point A to point B, it's about transporting them to another time and reality," says Martin. "Sky Railway adventures are one-of-a-kind immersive experiences, and we're teeming with ideas for all sorts of exciting outings."

True to his word, after repairing the tracks and bridges along the line and restoring the two passenger trains, the railway launched in 2021 with several adventures on offer, including Pablo's Holiday Train, which has Santa on board; the Flamenco y Rioja, which involves Flamenco music and dancing paired with a wine tasting from the Rioja region of Spain; Sunset Serenade, with cocktails and live music; and the Stargazer, which includes an after-dark stop at the Galisteo Basin to view the gorgeous New Mexico night sky.

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Santa Fe muralist Joerael Numina fantastically painted Sky Railway's two passenger trains, each paying homage to Martin's stories. While train operators have traditionally regarded graffiti artists as nuisances, Sky Railway is embracing the art form, with one painted as a dragon and the other a wolf.

Inside, nostalgia takes over, with each car — which dates back to the 1920s — having been painstakingly refurbished to capture the beauty and elegance of train travel in the golden era. The trains will make their way between Santa Fe and the small town of Lamy, while riders enjoy entertainers, music, dinner parties, cocktails, and more along the ride.

The rail line, first part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, rolled into Santa Fe for the first time in 1880, 32 years before New Mexico became a state. In 1991, the new owner announced it would close the 18-mile spur between Lamy and Santa Fe, so Santa Fe Southern Railway formed to purchase the line and ran regular excursions until 2012 when it ran out of money.

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The Santa Fe Railyard, where Sky Railways' Santa Fe depot can be found (and also where the commuter train to Albuquerque arrives and departs), has become one of the city's burgeoning districts. It's been the home of the Santa Fe Farmers Market since the 1990s and is also where art museum Site Santa Fe is located.

In addition to housing the ticket office and souvenir shop of Sky Railway, there are also several restaurants and shops, including Altar Spirits Distillery, Second Street Brewery, Built Design home store, La Lecheria ice cream shop, local favorite Opuntia Café, and more.

These days, Santa Fe’s Bishop’s Lodge is a high-end hotel and playground for those who can afford it. It has an interesting history.

The first owner of the land upon which the lodge rests, according to 18th-century Spanish records, was Urbano Mantaño. He was awarded a land grant in what was called the “Cañoncito de Tesuque” from New Mexico Gov. Gaspar Domingo de Mendoza in October 1743.

By 1752, ownership passed to Juan de Ledesma, then to Maria Francisca de Sena in 1759 and Pedro Dominguez in 1763.

The Dominguez family sold it to Navidad Romero in 1837. These folks were farmers and orchard-keepers.

In 1853, Santa Fe Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy purchased the land from the Romero family.

The Bulletin of the Historic Santa Fe Foundation, citing a Deed Book F, described the boundaries of the property purchased by the bishop: “on the east where the river joins the hill, following the river to where a little arroyo come [sic] out of it; on the west, the lands of Benito Garcia; on the north to the cañada of Benavides; on the south the hill which divides the cañoncito.”

On a hillside, Lamy built a small house, which he called Villa Pintoresca (scenic lodge). It amounted to two small rooms and a chapel, which the bishop used for his personal devotions and to say Mass when he had guests — apparently often.

He also planted a garden and maintained an orchard.

By the last years of his life, Lamy — by then an archbishop — spent most of his time at his retreat as his successor took over more and more of his ecclesiastical duties. After his death in 1888, ownership passed to the archdiocese, and in 1909, it was sold to Carl Stephen for $1,300.

Stephen sold it to Harper S. Cunningham four days later for $1,800.

By 1915, the place was in the possession of the Pulitzer family (of publishing fame). Three years later, Colorado mining magnate and businessman James R. Thorpe II purchased Villa Pintoresca and much new construction began.

During the 1930s and into the early 1940s, the Brownmoor School for Girls operated out of four of the buildings on the property. It was a boarding school, a promotional piece said, that “appeals to those parents who desire for their girls a development of their abilities under sympathetic guidance, and the maintenance of high standards of work conduct.”

The Thorpe family owned Bishop’s Lodge until 1998. Throughout all that time, Bishop Lamy’s chapel had been retained and maintained.

The Thorpe family sold the property to Lend Lease as a part of the VEF (Value Enhancement Fund) Funds, according to a real-estate promotional piece.

Considerable construction has taken place in the years since, and today (see above photo) the hotel offers 99 rooms and 12 suites in 15 lodges on 317 acres.

(Don Bullis is a Rio Rancho resident, New Mexico centennial historian and award-winning author. He was named the Best Local Author in the 2018 and ’19 Rio Rancho Observer Readers’ Choice contests. “Ellos Pasaron por Aqui” is translated as “They Passed by Here.”)