EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Allen Gilmer, a professional film producer who was born and raised in El Paso, had his latest film “Long Shadows,” premiere at the Plaza Classic Film Festival in Downtown El Paso on Saturday, July 26.
Gilmer said that the film being screened at the historic Plaza Theatre marked a full circle moment for him that dated back to his childhood.
“Well as an El Pasoan, and for me personally, this is a culmination of everything. Because this is the theater that I grew up in, you know? This is the most iconic theater on the planet to watch a movie,” Gilmer said.
“I love Westerns and, in fact, I watched John Wayne get killed right downstairs here at the Plaza Theatre when I was a kid. My dad had brought my little brother’s birthday party here to go watch this film. And when John Wayne got killed, all of a sudden, there’s all these little kids who were crying, you know, they’d just watch God get killed,” Gilmer said.
Before working in the film industry, Gilmer made his mark in the energy sector for 20 years as the CEO and chairman of the board for a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, which became the largest of its kind in the world, according to his biography.
Gilmer retired from the energy sector back in 2015 and made a career switch into the film industry to pursue not only a dream, but a goal to be of service to aspiring young artists.
“The goals that I have in life is to work with people that are younger, that are starting off on a career and, to help them get out there and achieve some things that maybe they couldn’t have achieved otherwise. So, those things make me happy,” Gilmer said.
Gilmer served as the executive producer on “Long Shadows.”
William Shockley, the writer and director of “Long Shadows,” says that the film blends classic Western storytelling with modern-day themes of trauma, justice and redemption. Shockley added that the film offers more than your typical Western shootout.
“’Long Shadows’ is a story about a young boy who witnesses Mom and Dad being murdered, and he goes to an orphanage. He ages out, and then by chance meets a beautiful young lady that he falls in love with, stumbles upon one of the killers from his past, and has to make the choice of darkness or light,” Shockley said. “I’m not bragging, but there’s a twist in our movie that no other Western has in the history of cinema.”
The film stars an ensemble of prominent Hollywood actors including Dermot Mulroney (“Anyone But You,” “Scream VI”), Jacqueline Bisset (“Lauren & Rose,” “Bullitt”), and Dominic Monaghan (“Lord of the Rings,” “Lost”).
However, the leading stars of the film are young actors looking to rise in the film industry.
Sarah Cortez, who plays one of the lead characters named Dulce Flores, shared details of the character, and explained what the film meant for her career trajectory.
“Dulce is a classical pianist. She has dreams of going to the conservatory of music. But along the way, she gets kind of misled into a brothel. And without giving too much away, she doesn’t make it to the conservatory,” Cortez said. “I have really fallen in love with the art of the camera. And, this movie has been a huge blessing for me. It felt like a miracle.”
“Long Shadows” will hit select theaters nationwide on Sept. 26. Shockley said it will be available via streaming services weeks after its theatrical release.
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