New Mexico State University film professor, Ross Marks, was honored by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on Oct. 10, with the New Mexico Governor Award for Excellence in the Arts. Marks hopes his award will serve as motivation for his students to continue pursuing their dreams in filmmaking.
In his career, Marks has directed several award-winning films and worked alongside Emmy award-winning actors such as Al Pacino, Faye Dunaway, and George Lopez. So far, 16 of Mark’s films have been recognized and honored at multiple international film festivals.
Marks moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico in 2007 and began teaching film at NMSU’s Creative Media Institute. Every year, he organizes the Las Cruces International Film Festival and helps his students find their beginnings in the film industry.
As a professor of film, he acknowledges the challenges in the field. Facing rejection and failure himself, he always takes the opportunity to inspire his students from his failures.
“I have failed more than I have succeeded. The biggest piece of advice I give my students is not to be afraid to try new things.”
He said since rejection and failure are so rampant within the film industry, learning how to overcome them is critical to advancing a career in filmmaking. He said despite all the failures and setbacks, to receive an award from the governor of New Mexico is an honor that tells him he is on the right path.
“When you get an award like this, it is confirmation that you are doing well,” he mentioned. “The film industry is wrought with rejection, but I always tell my students to take risks, you have to be able to put yourself out there.”
Marks said students at NMSU have a unique opportunity to get involved in film. Especially since New Mexico is a film destination. Rory Napleton, a film student at NMSU taking Marks’s class mentioned attending his class has been nothing short of a great experience.
“It has been amazing actually,” he said.
Napleton also said he likes how immersive the class is and how the course allows students to analyze various film projects
“Every class we watch a film, and he [Marks] has so much knowledge about these films,” Napleton said, “He knows everything, he knows the backstories. He shows a [us] very insightful deep analysis on these films, he is quite charming.”
Marks emphasized that he wants students to understand the importance of film. He believes that film should center around making a positive impact, such as touching a life or changing perspective. He said he measures his success by the impact he has on individual and personal levels.
“If one person sees your movie and it impacts them positively, then that is a success,” he said.
NMSU student Jade Mata Ornelas said she is proud that Marks has been honored by the governor. She added it is important to shed light on achievements such as this one because it shows students their professors are not just teaching them material, but are also active in their field as well.
“I feel pretty proud about this,” Ornelas said. “You know, it’s kind of like knowing that not only do our professors get the time and resources to be able to achieve that kind of award, but also that we are getting firsthand experience from them and learning from them.”
Marks said this award came at a high time for him. Presently, he is working on several films and has been highly active in the industry over the past year. And while juggling directing and teaching has been a challenge, it is one that he welcomes.
