One of New Mexico’s largest film archives is losing its home. Basement Films is looking for a new space to house over 7,000 films after being forced out of its home the University of New Mexico’s Mesa Del Sol building in southeastern Albuquerque.
Basement Films is a nonprofit that started as a micro-cinema, screening experimental and independent films. Its archive of 16mm film stock has been a resource for artists, students, historians, and the film community for 33 years now. Come Oct. 1, it will have to find a new home.
“To have them lose this history is just profoundly sad and profoundly short-sighted,” said Bryan Konefsky, the President of Basement Films.
He says the organization was told by Department Chair of the Film and Media Arts Program James Stone that the archive space will be repurposed into a classroom.
Stone said in an email to KUNM that UNM has a record number of film and digital arts majors. He added that the partnership between the film program and Basement Films is mutually beneficial and has inspired many young filmmakers. Stone said his department intends to sustain the collaboration.
Konefsky said there are many small regional archives like this across the country.
“It's a valuable collection, and there's a lot of small, regional archives like ours, who are struggling with maintaining their space,” he said.
Basement Films is talking with other organizations but it needs 1,000 square feet and it’s proving difficult to find a space large enough.
