Local Filmmakers Spotlight Struggling Restaurants

Albuquerque filmmakers have partnered with the City of Albuquerque's Arts and Culture Department to produce a TV pilot that features local Albuquerque restaurants and breweries who continue to experience the devastation the pandemic has wrought on small businesses.

New Mexico Filmmakers Julian Nuñez, Matt Holguin, and Luke Hawthorne collaborated with the City of Albuquerque's Virtual Visionary Program and created “La Vida Buena, The Good Life” to showcase Albuquerque restaurants to provide them an opportunity to share their stories and to promote their small businesses during a time when restaurants continue to struggle.

Virtual Visionaries is an initiative that invites creative professionals to submit pitches for engaging, original, and creative video content that is ready-to-air and stream on the City's Public Access Channel 27, social media, and other digital platforms. “Many of our crew members work in the film industry, so when we learned about this project, we came together to utilize our skills to promote the restaurant industry that has taken the brunt of the pandemic,” said Julian Nunez, Producer, and Host of La Vida Buena.

“It’s been a tough year for everyone, but we feel that the food and beverage industry has been hit especially hard, and even as things open up and begin to recover, the effects of the pandemic will be felt for years. We pledged to give back in the best way we can, and it’s to help these restaurants and breweries tell their stories,” said Matt Holguin, Director of La Vida Buena.

The pilot episode of the La Vida Buena | The Good Life is titled Viva ABQ. The episode features a variety of locally owned eateries; TakoTen, B2B Garden Brewery, 505 Central, and Farm & Table. TakoTen’s specialty is traditional tacos with a fusion twist by chef Dominic Valenzuela. B2B is a neighborhood brewery serving good eats and more than 15 local beers, ciders, and seltzers. To highlight the food hall craze, the crew went downtown and paid a visit to 505 Central. The episode ends with owner Cherie Montoya of Farm & Table, a restaurant located on a 12-acre farm serving cuisine locally sourced from area farmers, ranchers, and food artisans.

The pilot episode of La Vida Buena aired on Saturday, May 8th on Comcast Channel 26. Watch the full episode now:

Click to view Behind the Scenes Photos

About the Filmmakers

In 2012, Julian, Matt, and Luke graduated from the Creative Media Institute at New Mexico State University. Since graduating, they have collaborated on multiple film projects, La Vida Buena is their first broadcast TV Pilot.

Julian Nuñez, Executive Producer & Host
Julian is a filmmaker and marketing specialist from Columbus, NM. He has been involved in a variety of projects ranging from country music, documentary films, real estate, and digital marketing. Julian recently wrote and produced ‘De la Luz’  a film spotlighting the immigration crisis in the southwest. www.lineinmedia.com

Matt Holguin, Director
Matt is a filmmaker currently working for Amazon Studios in a variety of roles; crew, transportation logistics, art department, and camera and electric department. Matt recently created an online web show ‘Passions’ featuring native New Mexicans and their hobbies. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6639268/

Luke Hawthorne, Cinematographer
Luke is an award-winning filmmaker with a desire to make films that inspire people recently wrapping up the concept production of ‘The Steps of Living’ a story about recovering addicts. His most well-known film ‘Agnostic’ has been an internationally recognized winner of multiple awards at festivals around the country. Luke is currently working on a Netflix feature. www.lukehawthorne.com