On Friday evening the Totah Theater was the historic setting for the second screening of “At the End of the Santa Fe Trail,” directed by New Mexico filmmaker Tomas Sanchez, who won the “best director feature film” at the 2023 Santa Fe Film Festival, Feb. 17-26.

Sanchez, two actors, the art director and a contributing writer attended the screening. Teia Camacho, executive director of Film Four Corners, was hopeful that Alma Sisneros, who played the starring role of Sister Blanchina, would attend, but she was unable to.

State of New Mexico and San Juan County are engaged in major push to encourage the film industry locally.

Devin Neeley, chairman of Film Four Corners, told Tri-City Record at the opening reception on Thursday that the last New Mexico state legislature increased by 5% the tax incentives for “uplift zone,” outside metro areas by 60 miles.

He said the maximum tax credits available are 40%, with a base of 25% plus 10% for being an uplift zone and 5% for using a qualified facility.

He said, “Not only is the state investing in the film industry – locally the county is investing with a back lot facility that's being built,” he said. The facility, which is completed except for fencing, sits on 90 acres and is part of a 200-acre parcel.

The movie set facades will be used for Westerns, Native American, Mexican and even Iraqi villages.

Neeley said the funding for the movie back lot came from a state grant that also funded the remodeling of the Totah Theater before it was deeded over to the city of Farmington by San Juan County.

“You know, a film festival like this is one of those things that people look for, and they want to see the talent,” Neeley said. “We can attract filmmakers to the area to see the natural beauty that already exists.”

“We can't do anything but promote the film industry … it's building our area, diversifying the economy and that's the key,” Neeley said.

Allen Sanchez (no relation to Tomas) of Las Lunas, New Mexico, was in Farmington for the screening of the movie based on the life of Sister Blandina Segale. Sanchez said he was the “petitioner for the cause of canonization (sainthood) of Sister Blandina.”

He said the movie is based on her diary. The book “At the End of the Santa Fe Trail” is available at the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati website.

Sanchez said the book was a dairy Sister Blandina “wrote to her sister, who was also a nun back in Cincinnati.” He said she wanted to keep track of what was going on by telling her stories about going to Colorado in 1872. She was 22 years old at the time, so it was an imposing, frightening adventure.

“Her understanding of the Gospel was, who are the vulnerable and what do they need from me,” Sanchez said, adding that Sister Blandina started some of the first schools in Colorado when she arrived in Trinidad.

She also started some of the first hospitals in the state, Sanchez said. St. Vincent’s, now known as Common Spirit Health, has become one of the largest health care providers in the United States, according to Sanchez.

“But she was an amazing person … she worked with people on different levels, from the most guilty to the most innocent,” Sanchez said. She got to know Billy the Kid by “treating one of his buddies.”

He said all this can be found in her diary, but the “cause for canonization” required a full fact-finding investigation by the inquiry board.

Sanchez said they hired a private investigator, Peso Chavez, a renowned U.S. criminal attorney and investigator, who went out to find the evidence.

He related the story of Sister Blandina “jumping into action” by saving the life of a man from a lynch mob. In a drunken episode over a property line he shot a neighbor, but deeply regretted it.

She persuaded the shooter to write a confession, and the sheriff, in the face of the mob, to take the man to the bedside of the dying man and ask for forgiveness. Sister Blandina said, “I’m not afraid,” and the sheriff responded, saying, “If you’re not afraid, I’m not afraid.”

The shooter got a fair trial and spent time in prison, but was saved from the lynching.

Sanchez said the investigator was able to verify these stories with court and prison records.

Sanchez, a native New Mexican whose family is from Northern New Mexico, was introduced to the film industry as a teen when he became a stuntman. He’s been in the Screen Actors Guild for 35 years and has been directing for about 10 years.

Beginning with commercials, Sanchez moved into film with his company, Sanchez Films, producing the award winning short film the “Lost Pueblo” (Amazon Prime), which he directed.

“Lost Pueblo” (2016), which deals with kids getting lost in the desert, won best short and best Christian film, Sanchez said. As a co-writer on that script, Sanchez said, “I always like to write and get my 2 cents in.”

Sanchez, who has a home and office in Chinatown, Los Angeles, said he “tired of Hollywood films, adding that “all the films I do is based on real people from New Mexico.”

He said authenticity and “realism” are primary objectives for Sanchez. He said there are a lot of comic book heroes out there, but Sister Blandina is one of the first “real superheroes.”

Sanchez said when Allen Sanchez came into his office and saw the comic book with Sister Blandina and Billy the Kid, Allen asked, “What do you know about her?”

Tomas replied, “That’s the next movie I’m going to do.”

Sanchez, who also has a home in Placitas, New Mexico, said his wife tired of Los Angeles and wanted to return to her home state.

For Sanchez, the most challenging aspect of his work is dealing with studios who want to change the story and destroy the “authenticity” of it. He said funding is there, but many times it is contingent on changes, like adding characters.

Maintaining control of the production is another big challenge, along with keeping the “organization in line” with all the projects, which can stretch out for many months.

Many distractions must be handled, and “there’s always somebody bringing another great story,” Sanchez said.

He said the most rewarding part of the business is “seeing people in the theater and getting their reactions.” Sanchez said there are “some really talented people here in New Mexico” who are great to work with.

Sanchez said he came to Farmington about seven years ago and met with Luke Renner, professor of Digital Media Arts and Design at San Juan College. They discussed the importance of finding and developing talented script writers, Sanchez said, adding that it’s the “biggest part of the puzzle.”

He said that’s when they brought Alfredo Castro, a San Juan College student, into their production group for training in script writing.

Sanchez is encouraged by the tax incentives in New Mexico and the opportunity to help bring local talent into the picture.