Future film alert: Guillermo Arriaga — the writer of “Babel,” “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” (one of my favorite movies ever), “21 Grams” and “Amores Perros” — is making his directorial debut with a film he’s shooting in southern New Mexico. Casting is going on now for “The Burning Plain,” which will feature Charlize Theron in a complex drama about relationships (what other drama is there?). If you’d like to be considered for the film, a casting call is taking place at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 20 at221 Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. Need more details? Contact the casting directors, Lexington Hoebel and Fernando Echeverri, at 505-527-9969 or 505-489-2257. Filming begins on Nov. 5 and will continue through December; if you can’t make this audition date, call the guys and they’ll try to meet you some other time soon. Based on Arriaga’s past work, this project will definitely be interesting if not award-winning and totally memorable.

Area connection: Arriaga’s latest film, “El BГєfalo de la Noche” — which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival — features a score by EP’s own Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of The Mars Volta.