the encyclopedic entry of CineVegas

CineVegas

CineVegas is a film festival held annually at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, typically in early June. Robin Greenspun serves as the festival president, and Trevor Groth serves as artistic director. Actor Dennis Hopper is the chairman of the festival's creative advisory board. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2008, CineVegas has established itself as one of the fastest growing film festivals in the world, with recent profiles in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Time magazine. CineVegas was recently mentioned as one of the top 5 small festivals to visit by Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper, and was also named one of the top 5 gem festivals in the world by Variety, one of the top 12 film festivals in North America by San Francisco Magazine, and one of the top 7 events occurring in Las Vegas by LA Weekly. Combining world premiere films and independent cinema with celebrity honorees and panel discussions about filmmakers, writers, and talent, at night CineVegas also hosts parties in locations as diverse as bowling alleys, rooftops, and shark reefs.

CineVegas has hosted the world premieres of such films as Land of the Dead, Spun, Bubba Ho-tep, and Artie Lange's Beer League, as well as advance screenings of high profile and independent films, shorts, and documentaries such as Ocean's Thirteen, You Kill Me, Whale Rider, Riding Giants, and The Aristocrats. Honorees in past years have included Anthony Hopkins, Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn, Dustin Hoffman, Sir Ben Kingsley, Christina Ricci, Charlize Theron, Nicolas Cage, Julian Schnabel, Holly Hunter, Mike Newell, Taylor Hackford, Ann-Margret, Helen Mirren, and David Lynch.

History

Launched in 1998 by an enthusiastic group of movie and art lovers, independent filmmakers and film industry veterans, CineVegas was originally held at Bally's. The first festival featured “The Best of the Fests”, showcasing independent films that had previously earned awards and acclaim at other worldwide festivals. In 2000, the festival moved to Bally's new sister hotel Paris, and for two years the Paris showroom and convention spaces were transformed to accommodate not only “The Best of the Fests” but premieres like Star Trek: Insurrection and films such as The Cider House Rules, Gods And Monsters and Little Voice. In 2001, the festival presented Tony Curtis the first Marquee Award for lifetime achievement. CineVegas also coined the Half-Life Award given to stars midway through their careers.

In 2002, CineVegas moved permanently to the Brenden Theatres at the Palms Casino Resort, and also hired Trevor Groth, a 14-year senior programming veteran of the iconic Sundance Film Festival, as director of programming. Under Groth’s guidance, the quality of original programming and new filmmakers that participate in the festival has noticeably improved.