[1] The White Sands International Film Festival was established by former Alamogordo Film Liaison Joan Griggs, Otero County Economic Development Director Ed Carr and Kathleen Curtis.
The inaugural event including guests such as casting director Donn Finn, filmmaker David Gibbons and writer Sam Smiley.
"The White Sands International Film Festival" has taken place in late August or early September each year since relocating to Las Cruces.
Among many recognized films by regional and international filmmakers, the festival has hosted many celebrities over the years such as Val Kilmer, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jeffery Tambor, Mark Medoff, Chris McDonald and Linda Hamilton.
However, an offshoot of that festival, taking place in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico and sponsored by the New Mexico State University College of Arts and Sciences is scheduled for March 2016 and featuring celebrities such as local screenwriter and Academy Award winner Mark Medoff, as well as Danny Trejo and Alvaro Rodriguez.