The feature film \u201cThird Act\u201d will premiere at the Santa Fe Film Festival on Sunday, Feb. 6. (Courtesy of Doug Montoya)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Doug Montoya has produced theater for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He knows the stresses that come with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet the Albuquerque-based theater owner decided to make the leap and write and direct his first feature film, \u201cThird Act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that move, he entered another realm of stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe started it in 2019 and sadly, it got pushed back a lot because of the pandemic,\u201d Montoya says. \u201cI thought I\u2019d try my hand at filmmaking. I did co-direct the film with Phil Griego, who taught me a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThird Act\u201d follows a lovable and talented theater company \u2013 who, after being given news of their pending eviction, plots a heist to pay their rent while filming at a local bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The film will have its New Mexico premiere at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe. The screening is part of the Santa Fe Film Festival, which runs at various locations in Santa Fe through Feb. 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n