The first film made in New Mexico was shot 15 years before statehood, according to the New Mexico Film Office (NMFO).
The 38-second film, “Indian Day School,” was filmed at Isleta Pueblo in 1897, NMFO said. It was produced by Thomas Edison and released the next year.
See footage and a still from the movie at dev.newmexicohistory.org/filedetails.php?fileID=324.
The first film shot in Las Cruces may have been “Mexican Border Defenders,” which dates to 1911 and was produced by Powers Motion Picture Company of New York City, according to NMFO.
The film was also shot in Alamogordo and on the Cox Ranch near Organ. That same company also filmed “The Dude” in 1911 on the Cox Ranch, NMFO’s website said.
