August 20, 2026 | Filed under:
Fernando Eimbcke has been on a whirlwind with the film “Olmo.”
The project, which filmed in Las Cruces, premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and is currently having a theatrical run.
“It’s been a miracle,” Eimbcke said of the theatrical run. “For me to have the chance to release a film theatrically is like a miracle. It's like the dream of every filmmaker. So yeah, super happy."
The film centers on 14-year-old Olmo, who is tasked with caring for his bedridden father afflicted with Multiple Sclerosis. His life takes an unexpected turn when his enchanting neighbor, Nina Sandoval, invites him to a party.
"Olmo" is a co-production between the United States and Mexico.
Eimbcke grew up wanting to be a filmmaker like John Hughes, who often focused on stories about teenagers.
“My first, second, and third film are about teenagers,” he said. “This one, it was like I want to explore the story through a Mexican American family. I wanted to explore his story in the United States.”
Eimbcke said that while writing the script, there was always a thought of setting the film in Albuquerque because he had seen the city through pictures. While scouting in Albuquerque, the producer told the team about Las Cruces.
"It's very small. It will be much easier for us to move around the place,” he recalled. “We went there and we fell in love with Las Cruces. I fell in love with the skies. I fell in love with the streets. It was much smaller than Albuquerque or another city, so it was for me. I loved the straight lines on the street, the horizon, and the light was very beautiful. It was very easy to decide on Las Cruces. The people were amazing. It was a pleasure to work in Las Cruces.”
While filming in Las Cruces, Eimbcke quickly noticed the difference from where he lives in Mexico City.
“Around Mexico City, there are 22 million people and it creates a lot of tension,” he said. “In Las Cruces it was very, very different. There's a very different rhythm and I had a chance to walk around and the people are great. Going to the set was a very calm atmosphere. The thing that I love the most when I'm shooting a film is the people. It was really interesting and really beautiful in Las Cruces. I would love to shoot again in in Las Cruces. I have some some stories happening there in Las Cruces again.”