Go behind the scenes of Star Trek at LCIFF

The Las Cruces International Film Festival is in full swing, with cinefiles from across the state and beyond taking part in the event which began Wednesday, April 9 and continues through Sunday, April 13. Briefly, however, the stars themselves will be the limit as the Star Trek: Boldly Going from Script to Screen panel beams into the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Main St., from 2-3:30 p.m., on Saturday, April 12.

If you’re a fan of the Star Trek franchise, or just interested in how a story goes from script to screen, this panel is for you. In addition to featuring the star power of actors Michelle Hurd – who played Raffi for three seasons on the Paramount + series “Star Trek: Picard” – and Wilson Cruz – Dr. Hugh Culber on the Award-winning series “Star Trek: Discovery” – there will also be a handful of writers and producers for several of the series in the franchise on hand to share their secrets.

At the festival to receive the Outstanding Achievement in Drama award, Hurd joined the cast of “Star Trek: Picard” in the second season of the wildly popular show as Raffi Musiker, a disgruntled former subordinate of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Steward), the former captain of the Enterprise D. Her story becomes entangled with another popular character from the franchise, Seven of Nine, played by Jeri Ryan, placing her firmly within the cross-section of several of the series.

In the press release announcing her participation in the Las Cruces International Film Festival, founder and Executive Director Ross Marks said, “Michelle Hurd has a long and successful career culminating with her work on several great TV series. She is a talented and multi-faceted actress. We are proud to add her to an already stellar line-up for the 2025 film festival which includes Academy Award winner Helen Hunt.”

Award-winning actor, producer, activist, “Actorvist,” and humanitarian Wilson Cruz has become known for playing complex gay characters, beginning with his ground-breaking GLAAD Media Award portrayal of Rickie Vasquez on the short-lived but critically-acclaimed drama “My So Called Life.” As Doctor Hugh Culber onboard the United Federation of Planets starship Discovery, he was the voice of reason during the Federation-Klingon War a well as the vessel for the consciousness of a 24^th century Trill Xenobiologist named Jinaal Bix. His popularity led to yet another GLAAD Media Award, this time for the television series itself.

In addition to both Hurd and Cruz, the panel will consist of several high-profile Trek influencers. Among them are script writer and NMSU Creative Media Institute graduate Carlos Cisco, who has written episodes for “Star Trek: Discovery” among other popular series, and Kiley Rossetter, a Los Angeles-based writer, producer and story editor on seasons two and three of “Star Trek: Picard.” Also taking part in the panel will be Emmy-winning screenwriter and showrunner Aaron J. Watke, who wrote several episodes of the animated series “Star Trek: Prodigy,” and voice over actor Bonnie Gordan, who brought the roles of the Ship Computer, Gillian and other roles to life in that series.

Together, they will offer a unique peek behind the scenes as they discuss the creation and exploration of characters in all three series, what it was like to create them, embody them, and add them to the pantheon of the almost 60-year-old franchise. Of greater interest to those who are true fans of the series, photo and autograph opportunities with the writers and actors will follow the panel discussion. Moderated by writer/producer Bill True, it promises to be an unforgettable event, whether you’re a hard core Trekkie, or just a lover of the medium.

To take part in the panel, along with all the other offerings of the 10^th Las Cruces International Film Festival, tickets can be purchased through LasCrucesFilmFest.com.