By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. โ For nine years, the Mindfield Film Festival has worked to provide independent filmmakers a place to share their work, make connections and continue creating. This month, the Albuquerque festival returns with another lineup of films, screenplays and opportunities for creatives to showcase their work. What began as a small […]
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Oud to Joy: Musician Rahim AlHaj gives back to New Mexico music community
By Michael Hodock, The Paper. – Rahim AlHaj has sold millions of records throughout his career and raised millions of dollars to aid women and children living in countries from Iraq to the United States. But to describe the two-time Grammy-nominated musician and composer as a philanthropist or even a virtuoso fails to fully break […]
3 Questions: Eddie Tafoya at TEDxABQ
By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – For writer, professor and comedian Eddie Tafoya, getting things wrong might just be part of getting somewhere worthwhile. At TEDxABQ 2026: Reframe, Tafoya will take on a lifetime of mistakes, setbacks and doing things the hard way to make the case that our imperfections might be exactly what the […]
The Paper Plate: Fei’s Cafe
Feiโs Cafe, a hole in the wall firmly entrenched in a section of the International District that feels disingenuous to call anything other than โThe War Zone,โ is the very definition of a โmom and popโ operation. Pop is in the back, furiously slaving over some sizzling woks. Mom is out front taking orders from […]
Nob Hill’s Wallfetopia, aka La Waffleria, closes after a decade, citing illness and economy
Foodies looking for their Sunday brunch fix of rainbow lattes and puff pastry waffles topped with deep-fried bananas enjoyed under shaded picnic tables are in mourning this week. Nob Hill’s decade-old Waffletopia, formerly known as La Waffleria, announced Sunday that a short-term closure over the weekend would be permanent. Just a few days after posting […]
3 Questions: Bryan Konefsky with Basement Films and Experiments in Cinema
By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. โ For more than two decades, filmmaker and educator Bryan Konefsky has been bringing experimental filmmakers from around the world to Albuquerque through Experiments in Cinema, the defiantly noncompetitive experimental film festival he founded in 2005. What began as a single-night event has grown into an international gathering devoted not […]
Get Out! The Paper.’s picks of the best things to do this weekend in ABQ (Aug. 14)
With summer winding down, it seems like everyone is trying to get in their last kicks of the season. Events of all kinds are popping up all over town. There’s the Red & Green VegFest on Saturday (see this week’s “3 Questions” for more info). There’s the premiere of a new play at Vortex (read […]
Art Battle Albuquerque pits artists against one another to crown the best in Burque
By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. โ Paintbrushes, blank canvases and a ticking clock come together as Art Battle makes its Albuquerque debut this weekend. Art Battle Albuquerque brings 12 artists together for a live painting competition Sunday, Aug. 16, at Valle De Luna Event Center. Artists have just 20 minutes to transform blank canvases into […]
3 Questions: Nancy Arenas of Red & Green VegFest
By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. โ For more than a decade, Red & Green VegFest Albuquerque has brought together New Mexicans curious about plant-based living, animal advocacy and healthier ways of living. Organized by Sprouting Compassion, the festival returns for its 11th year with the theme “Get Your Groove On, Eat Plants, Love Animals!” and […]
Placitas’ Anne Hillerman, ABQ Museum’s Andres Connors among those honored with Governorโs Awards for Excellence in the Arts
By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. โ Best-selling author Anne Hillerman is joining some of New Mexico’s most celebrated artists as a recipient of the 2026 Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts, an honor she says left her both surprised and deeply grateful. “Oh my gosh, I was thrilled, and I guess humbled is the […]


