The CineVegas Film Festival celebrate its 6th annual run on June 11 - June 19th at the Palms Casino and Resort and Brenden Theatres.
This year’s line-up of films is as follows:
JACKPOT PREMIERES ^ Premiere films without U.S. distribution. Screenings occur throughout the festival.
“Hillside Strangler” (world premiere) ^ Director: Chris Fisher ^ Based on a terrifying true story and set in the decadent world of the Hollywood Hills in the late ’70s, a criminal psychologist attempts to get into the mind of an alleged killer.
Lurking in Suburbia (world premiere) ^ Director: Mitchell Altieri ^ On the night of his 30th birthday, Conrad Stevens decides its time to face all of his childhood fears, including growing up.
“Malachance” (US premiere) ^ Director: Gerardo Naranjo ^ A young and nostalgic pill seller gets to know a different kind of life when he escapes the streets of New Orleans and runs to Coney Island with a stolen personality. Finally he gets to taste the life he always dreamed of.
“Marmalade” (world premiere) ^ Director: Kim Dempster ^ An “aging” model, who finds herself at the twilight of her fashion career and the end of her relationship, navigates the single world of dating.
“Mitchellville” (world premiere) ^ Director: John Harkrider ^ A corporate lawyer is haunted by a murder that he committed as a child. He lives a solitary life, kept company only by the ghosts of his past.
“Numb” (world premiere) ^ Director: Michael Gibson ^ Set in a futuristic world, a drugged population is maintained by a network of lost souls and the last of a genetically engineered police force. Across this black and white dreamscape of dark and disturbing images a woman searches for her father while fleeing memories of addiction and family trauma.
“The Talent Given Us” (world premiere) ^ Director: Andrew Wagner ^ A retired New York City couple drive across America to connect with their reclusive son in Los Angeles. Their two unmarried, thirty-something daughters tag along.
“Until the Night” (world premiere) ^ Director: Gregory Hatanaka ^ An unsuccessful writer, who leads a dissolute life, has an affair with an ex-lover, who is the wife of a once-celebrated actor, but their relationship pushes them to confusion and obsession.
SURE BETS ^ Advanced screening of high profile films, both narrative and documentaries, with U.S. distribution in place.
D.E.B.S. ^ Director: Angela Robinson ^ Amy Bradshaw is the top member of an elite teen crime fighting force known as the D.E.B.S., whose existence is threatened when she falls for the D.E.B.S.’ arch nemesis, Lucy Diamond.
“The Notebook” ^ Director: Nick Cassavetes ^ “The Notebook” follows a young couple who meet in their teens and are reunited after World War II. The story of the couple is told to a woman in a nursing home by an old man who regularly visits to read her the story from a notebook.
Bright Young Things ^ Director: Stephen Fry ^ An adaptation of classic novelist Evelyn Waugh’s “Vile Bodies” which captures the sex, scandal, and celebrity of the early 1930’s. Aspiring author Adam, is torn between trying to marry his sweetheart and his wild party loving friends, who are the toast of their decadent generation.
“Dear Frankie” ^ Director: Shona Auerbach ^ A single mother must choose between telling her son the truth or finding the perfect stranger to play his made-up father.
“De-Lovely” ^ Director: Irwin Winkler ^ A love story about the incredibly prolific and successful songwriter, Cole Porter, who led two lives.
Dig! ^ Director: Ondi Timoner ^ This is the story of two revolutionary rock n roll bands, The Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. One rises to success; the other is driven towards obsession and self-destruction. Winner of the Best Documentary Award at Sundance Film Festival.
“Gozu” ^ Director: Miike Takashi ^ A newly circumcised virgin Yakuza must kill his older insane brother, until the brother disappears as a lactating woman and half-man, half-cow demon get in the way. Another great film from the mind of Miike Takashi.
“Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” ^ Director: Danny Leiner ^ Super-stoned, Harold and Kumar will overcome any obstacle wanna-be girlfriends, raves, security guards, cheetahs, hillbillies, even Neil Patrick Harris in order to eat at White Castle.
Napoleon Dynamite ^ Director: Jared Hess ^ Napoleon Dynamite is stuck in rural Idaho, navigating his adolescence in moonboots. When Napoleon’s social life hits a new low, he uses his dance and ninja skills to triumph over adversity.
“Primer” ^ Director: Shane Carruth ^ Two small-time entrepreneurs are in over their heads when a side effect of their latest invention provides more than they ever expected and quickly define the limit of their trust. Winner of the best narrative award at the Sundance Film Festival.
“Remember Me, My Love” ^ Director: Gabriele Muccino
A comic study of a middle-class household in which individual crises tug at the seams of the fragile family unit.
Riding Giants ^ Director: Stacy Peralta ^ Three generations of big wave surfing pioneers, from the 50’s to the present day, tell the compelling life and death story of their vital commitment and passionate pursuit of riding giants.
“When Will I Be Loved?” ^ Director: James Toback ^ Feeling undervalued by her boyfriend, a young woman begins to explore her sexuality with other people.
Zatoichi ^ Director: Takeshi Kitano ^ The adventures of a blind masseur/swordsman. A new version of the long running and popular Japanese character.
DIAMOND DISCOVERY ^ Highlights the best new independent films seeking distribution, both narratives and documentaries from some of the country’s most promising independent filmmakers.
“Cross Bronx” ^ Director: Larry Golin ^ Set in the present day Bronx, four 18-year-old lifelong buddies move into their first apartment together, only to go their own separate ways.
“Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments” ^ Director: Thom Hoffman ^ A comprehensive look at Dennis Hopper¹s impressive body of work as an actor and director, as well as his incredible life.
“The Graffiti Artist” ^ Director: James Bolton ^ A young graffiti artist works to improve his talents. Admiration for another young artists’ talent leads to collaboration, but the friendship goes awry when opposing ideologies are revealed.
A League of Ordinary Gentlemen ^ Director: Christopher Browne ^ Four professional bowlers’ lives are interrupted when their league is purchased by a trio of Microsoft programmers who hire a Nike marketing guru to turn professional bowling into the next ‘second tier sports franchise.’
“Luck” ^ Director: Peter Wellington ^ Set in the early 1970’s, a man¹s obsession with luck and destiny wonders if he is lucky enough to win the girl of his dreams as he spirals deeper and deeper into debt.
“Mix” ^ Director: Steven Lovy ^ A disenchanted American teenager uncovers danger, music, a dark family mystery and the girl of his dreams when his immigrant father takes him to his homeland in Budapest, Hungary.
“The Night We Called it a Day” ^ Director: Paul Goldman ^ Based on a true story about Frank Sinatra¹s disastrous tour of Australia in 1974, where the unions went on strike because of his insult to a female reporter.
“Phileine Says Sorry” ^ Director: Robert Jan Westdijk ^ An empowered and beautiful woman learns life and love lessons when she follows her boyfriend to New York.
“The Portrait of Billy Joe” ^ Director: Luciana Pedraza ^ According to Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver is “maybe the best songwriter alive today.” This documentary illustrates how the 63-year-old country music singer/songwriter uses words and music to reflect his difficult experiences.
“The Time We Killed” ^ Director: Jennifer Todd Reeves ^ Six months in the life and mind of an urban recluse. A cinematic fugue of lost lovers, found memories, and televised invasions. Winner of the FIPRESCI (international film critic’s) Prize at the Berlin Film Festival. Winner of Best NY Film at Tribeca Film Festival.
AREA 52 ^ A bizarre and freakish collection of cult and midnight movies for the most hardcore movie fans.
“In the Beginning was the Eye” ^ Director: Bady Minck ^ A search for the secret history inscribed onto brightly-colored alpine vacation postcards, mixing nostalgic longing with darker introspection and amazing bread sculpture animation. Screens with: “Le Sacre du Printemps”
“Le Sacre du Printemps” ^ Director: Oliver Herrman ^ A film created for Stravinsky’s epic composition. When the maniacal obsessions of three people reach their peak, they suddenly find themselves whisked away to a house by the ocean on a tropical island, where carnivalistic characters prepare them for a ritual that will heal them of their fears. Meanwhile, God watches the result of her experiment through her kitchen window…
“The Nest” ^ Director: James Fotopoulos ^ A minimalist paranoid film involving mutating young professionals, black-sunglassed secret agents, dog-headed beings, silver-wigged doppelgangers, transgendered lurkers and a myriad of psycho-organic disturbances.
“Windy City Heat” ^ Director: Bob Goldthwait ^ Perry Caravello thinks he’s getting his dream opportunity — a chance to star in a major motion picture. He’s not. What he doesn’t know is that the entire production is fake and all of the actors are in on the gag. Why are they there? To see how far Perry will go to be a celebrity.
SHORT FILMS
“American Fame Pt. 1:Drowning River Phoenix” ^ Director: Cam Archer
“Blue Horses” ^ Director: Chris Hicky
“Crimenals” ^ Director: Gregory Araya
“The Dock” ^ Director: Nina Martinek
“Fuel” ^ Director: Nash Edgerton
“The Hemispheres” ^ Director: James Fotopoulos
“Hope to Die” ^ Director: Eva Husson
“Late Bloomer” ^ Director: Craig Macneill
“Maid” ^ Directors: Nicholas McCarthy, Sam Zuckerman
“Motion Studies 3: Gravity” ^ Director: Jake Mahaffy
“Motion Studies 11: Heat” ^ Director: Jake Mahaffy.
“Motion Studies 21: Time” ^ Director: Jake Mahaffy
“Quasar Hernandez” ^ A Film by: David and Nathan Zellner
“Release the Cracken” ^ Director: Essie Cesagarro
“Tunnels” ^ Director: Shaz Bennett
“Two Cars One Night” ^ Director: Taika Waititi
“Walk Into a Bar” ^ Director: Jake Hoffman
“The Wedding Toast” ^ Director: John Nein
“Welcome to Life ^ Director: Jowan Carbin
NEVADA FILMMAKING ^ A varied collection of films displaying the immense talent working in the state of Nevada.
“A Film about TJ Lavin” ^ An intimate look at one of the most innovative dirt jumpers in the history of BMX.
“Fallon, Nevada: Deadly Oasis” ^ Director: Amie Williams ^ A documentary on the deadly effects of nuclear weapons testing in a small Nevada community.
Nevada Filmmaker Showcase ^ A program of short films from Nevada filmmakers.
UNLV Student Film Showcase ^ A program of shorts from UNLV students.
“Malevolence” ^ A feature film from UNLV made by UNLV students.
For more info, check out the Cinevegas website.
