The debut feature from director Mason McDonald employed more than 50 New Mexico residents and reflects the growing independence of local filmmakers.

Organ Mountain News report

ALBUQUERQUE - “The Mold,” a new feature film from first-time director Mason McDonald and producer Tabitha McDonald, has wrapped principal photography in Albuquerque.

The production employed more than 50 New Mexico residents, including 20 local crew members, six principal actors and 30 background performers. Albuquerque-based actor Lex Lotito stars in the film. The filmmakers credited New Mexico’s incentives, workforce and film infrastructure as important factors in bringing the project to completion.

“New Mexico has always been more than just a backdrop; it's a creative partner for productions of all sizes,” New Mexico Film Office Director Steve Graham said. “We're dedicated to building a film-friendly ecosystem where talented artists like Mason can get their start, and Tabitha can continue to tell stories.”

Set in a near-future dystopia, “The Mold” follows Hazel, an introverted metalhead and film photographer who cares for her ailing grandfather. Her quiet existence unravels after she discovers a pale, faceless being in an abandoned hospital — and it follows her home. Torn between fear and fascination, Hazel traps the presence in her darkroom, where reality and terror begin to blur.

The filmmakers describe the project as part of a broader shift in independent production, as new directors and producers take more creative control of their work.

“We’re making one on our own, to show that we belong in this space and that there’s no better place to make movies than New Mexico,” said producer Tabitha McDonald.

“Filming in New Mexico has given ‘The Mold’ its pulse — from the stark beauty of the landscape to the way light carves across stucco and concrete,” McDonald said. “This is a story born here, and it couldn’t take form anywhere else.”

“The Mold” marks the latest in a series of independent features produced in New Mexico, continuing the state’s pattern of attracting first-time filmmakers who build local crews and experiment with original storytelling.