LA FONDA'S CENTENNIAL DOCUMENTARY TO PREMIER ON NMPBS MAY 11, 2023
A Harvey House. A Witness to History. An Architecturally Preserved Landmark.
Thursday, May 11, 2023 | La Fonda on the Plaza
A Harvey House. A Witness to History. An Architecturally Preserved Landmark.
LA FONDA ON THE PLAZA: 100 YEARS OF HOSPITALITY
The Historic La Fonda on the Plaza, Santa Fe to celebrate 100th Anniversary with A Special Film Premiering on New Mexico PBS, Ch. 5.1
Thursday, May 11, at 7 p.m. and streaming on the PBS App.
Produced by Santa Fe-based Hutton Video Productions
(Albuquerque – April 20, 2023) La Fonda on the Plaza has been an iconic destination in Santa Fe for over a century. Its fascinating history is documented in the film La Fonda on the Plaza: 100 Years of Hospitality, produced by Hutton Broadcasting (Santa Fe-based), and premiering on NMPBS Thursday, May 11, at 7 p.m. (Ch 5.1); Friday, May 12, at 9 p.m. (Ch 5.4) and streaming on the PBS App. This documentary was narrated by actor and activist Ali MacGraw.
La Fonda on the Plaza: 100 Years of Hospitality highlights the hotel’s fascinating past and the many people involved in preserving the historic hotel, including some of its most famous guests. This New Mexico-produced documentary shows how the beloved landmark has set the standard for Santa Fe hospitality since 1922. The hotel, as a Harvey House, had a front-row seat to the development of Southwestern tourism. Learn why La Fonda is the heart of Santa Fe and represents the true spirit of the Land of Enchantment. This film was first screened at “La Fonda’s Party of the Century” in March 2022, attended by more than 350 people, including Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber.
Continuing the centennial festivities, La Fonda is celebrating the Thursday night, May 11, broadcast premiere with a live “La Fonda Documentary Watch Party” in the hotel’s Lumpkins Ballroom at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is free, but RSVPs are required. To secure a seat, please email La Fonda on the Plaza Executive Administrative Assistant Annette Sedillo at asedillo@lafondasantafe.com or call (505) 995-2301.
Britta Andersson, Director of Marketing for La Fonda, said, “The Hutton Video Production team was a pleasure to work with. The energy, enthusiasm, and respect the team poured into this project is evident throughout the film. Operating with close attention to detail while ensuring historic accuracy was their main priority throughout the process. The final result honors La Fonda's rich history and truly celebrates the hotel's 100 years of hospitality. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the many participants that made this film a reality, including Ali MacGraw and Santa Fe luminaries such as Paul Bardacke, Tony Abeyta, and Barbara Felix, to name a few. The film captured the stories of Santa Fe treasures Marian Silver, Tom Catron, and Bud Kelly; all recently departed and greatly missed."
Elisa Hutton, executive producer for Hutton Video Productions, said, “This was an incredible experience. I was born and raised in Santa Fe, so it was an honor to work on a project that tells the story of the history makers who have gathered inside the walls of Santa Fe’s central hub for the last 100 years. And I got to work with great filmmakers like Scott Hussion and McCall Sides to boot!”
The documentary La Fonda on the Plaza: 100 Years of Hospitality was developed by Hutton Video Productions, which has created hundreds of video projects about New Mexico since May 2017. This film was a bigger project than most productions created by the team, but seasoned professionals Scott Hussion, executive producer, and McCall Sides, videographer, both had experience with similar projects and relished the challenge. Hutton Video Productions is currently working on a documentary for another Santa Fe institution, Zozobra, which will be shown at the 100th Burning of Zozobra in 2024.
Funding for La Fonda on the Plaza: 100 Years of Hospitality was provided in part by Hutton Broadcasting and La Fonda Holdings, and viewers like you. Thank you!
About Hutton Video Productions
Hutton Video Productions is a division of Hutton Broadcasting, a New Mexico-owned business based in Santa Fe. Many of the videos produced by Hutton Video Productions are seen on Hutton Broadcasting’s collection of city websites including santafe.com, lascruces.com, ruidoso.com, and coming soon, albuquerque.com, as well as the company’s hotel channels. Shorter versions are captioned and displayed on Hutton Digital Display screens in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Las Cruces. Hutton Broadcasting also owns six Northern New Mexico radio stations, digital marketing service Traction Works, Neighbors magazine, and publishes the Santa Fe Indian Market Artist Directory and Booth Guide. Learn more at www.HuttonBroadcasting.com.
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About New Mexico PBS (NMPBS)
Celebrating over 60 years of service, NMPBS (KNME & KNMD-TV) serving New Mexico and the Navajo Nation, broadcasts and streams a wide array of nature, history, current affairs, health, performance, children's, educational and entertainment programs. NMPBS produces NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, COLORES! and a variety of specials. NMPBS operates 5 digital KNME broadcast channels: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, and 5.5, and streams most programs on the PBS Video App. The five KNMD Channels mirror KNME, and broadcast in ATSC 3.0, in the NextGen TV format. NMPBS is co-licensed to the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Albuquerque Public Schools (APS). www.nmpbs.org
About La Fonda on the Plaza
La Fonda on the Plaza, a AAA Four Diamond property, celebrates 100 years of hospitality. The hotel is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Hotels of America and is a winner of the organization’s “Best Historic Hotel” (76 – 200 rooms) and “Hotelier of the Year” awards. La Fonda has also been named one of the Top 10 Hotels in the American Southwest in Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards and ranked #1 Best Lodging in 2022 in the Santa Fe Reporter’s “Best of Santa Fe” Awards. For further information, please visit www.lafondasantafe.com
PRESS CONTACTS:
Evy Todd, Publicist / Station Relations, New Mexico PBS
(505) 265-3025 (cell); etodd@nmpbs.org
Britta Andersson, Director of Marketing, La Fonda on the Plaza
(505) 995-2377 (office) | (505) 577-6202 (cell)
100 E. San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
bandersson@lafondasantafe.com
Cheryl Fallstead
Director of Publishing and Marketing / Hutton Broadcasting
575-405-7133 (cell); cherylf@santafe.com