Peter Ney is a New York to Hollywood success story who discovered southern New Mexico is the perfect setting for his feature film dream. The movie, “3”, was created entirely in the area and is slated as one of the many offerings at this year’s Las Cruces International Film Festival.
Growing up in New York State, Ney attended the State University of New York where he got involved with television and film, took a road trip to Los Angeles in 1986 and, after wandering his way onto a movie set, met film crew members and ended up with a job. Moving through the ranks, Ney went from camera operator to production assistant and, ultimately, to director. He has now been directing unscripted shows for 25 years, from “The Pickup Artist,” reality television series to talk shows, other reality shows and cooking shows.
As a hobby of sorts Ney said he dabbled in scripted short films with his friends.
“It was great living, great times,” he said. “Always dabbling and wondering.”
When COVID-19 came, Ney and his wife moved to Austin, Texas. He continued to work on the short films. One of them was called “3.”
“Sometimes you shoot a short and then take it to places,” he said.
And that is what happened here. With a main investor in Las Cruces, an “amazing tax incentive,” and a great “vibe,” Las Cruces became the setting of the now full-length feature film.
“The people are friendly and loved having us,” Ney said. “They are so welcoming and made us feel comfortable.”
Because of his experience as an unscripted director, Ney and his crew pulled off the shooting in 10 days.
“I would walk into a location, and we would know exactly how to choreograph the camera,” he said. “I wanted the actors to shine, I wanted the camera to be there, it was more like just letting the shots happen. Let it be a shot and let the acting and the writing shine. It’s just so simple and effective.”
The LCIFF screening of “3,” at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 12, is the world premiere of Ney’s first feature film as director. He describes it as a story about love, life and how the most unexpected moments can transform us.
“I’m really proud of the film,” he said. “It’s my first feature film. I had great people around me, great resources in Las Cruces, I can’t imagine shooting this anywhere else.
“I came up with the concept about knowing the day you die and how do you manage that?,” Ney said. “I was kind of fascinated.”
