© 2024 KRWG
News that Matters.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Las Cruces Looks Into Taking Over White Sands International Film Festival

http://youtu.be/ofdycstZxbs

The White Sands International Film Festival announced that it was ending earlier this month. Las Cruces City Council is using that as an opportunity to see if it is an event that the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau could take over.

In the past, the White Sands International Film Festival has brought many filmmakers and celebrities to Las Cruces.  Las Cruces City Council passed a resolution for the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to do an assessment to see if Las Cruces can fill the void The White Sands International Film Festival is leaving behind.

Councilor Nathan Small says the festival could be an opportunity to show visiting filmmakers the benefits of filming in Southern New Mexico.

“We want folks from, really internationally, to see the value of filming here in Las Cruces,” Small said. “Of course, we have our own local talent. We are developing local talent, but we are it seems in a very positive location for film professionals, again internationally.  So, the more that we can market our area, the more that we can build our industry, the better.”

Mark Steffen, a local filmmaker who has shown a film at the White Sands Festival, says that holding a festival here has a greater benefit to the local film community.

“It great for outsiders coming in here,” Steffen said. “And it’s also great for locals, who might be students wanting a career in film, and getting to meet and greet some of the filmmakers from the outside who are actually doing it.”

With the support of the city council, David Dollahon the community and cultural services director for the city says the convention and visitor’s bureau will complete an assessment to see if the city would be able to take over the event.

“The staff will identity the process for undertaking the assessment,” Dollahon said. “We will look at the history of the event, what undertakings have occurred before, we’ll probably talk to the artistic director, the previous board of directors. Involvement with the local film community, anyone else who was previously involved. We will talk to other film festival organizers, and then we will look at events that we have taken at the local level that could help replicate our success there.”

Even if city council decides to move forward with the film festival after the assessment is complete, the next festival may not begin until 2016.

Samantha Sonner was a multimedia reporter for KRWG- TV/FM.