Rio Grande Theatre, Film Las Cruces to showcase Orville Wanzer’s The Devil’s Mistress — a 1965 feature rediscovered through NMSU archives

Organ Mountain News report

LAS CRUCES - The Rio Grande Theatre and Film Las Cruces will host a free one-night-only screening of The Devil’s Mistress (1965), the first feature film made entirely in Las Cruces, on Sunday, Oct. 26.

The film was directed by New Mexico State University English professor Orville Wanzer and is widely regarded as New Mexico’s first fully independent regional production. Long before the state became a hub for major film and television projects, Wanzer’s genre-bending, ambitious project helped pave the way for local filmmaking.

“It goes to show that film has been part of the culture of Las Cruces for a long time, and it’s great to show this film,” said Film Las Cruces Liaison Andrew Jara.

The screening will be presented by filmmaker and former NMSU film professor Julia Smith, who is currently directing Birth of the Acid Western, a documentary inspired by Wanzer’s work and the rediscovered archive of his films at NMSU. Smith has worked to preserve Wanzer’s legacy and bring his contributions to light for a new generation of audiences.

The evening will open with the trailer for Birth of the Acid Western, followed by a director introduction and a rare big-screen showing of The Devil’s Mistress.

“This isn’t just a film screening — it’s a chance to reconnect with Las Cruces’ hidden film history and to celebrate one of the city’s earliest contributions to independent cinema,” Smith said.

Event details

Rio Grande Theatre, Las Cruces
Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025
Free to the public
Doors open at 6 p.m. | Screening at 6:30 p.m.