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Las Vegas Film Fest
T
he Las Vegas International Film Festival kicked off its three day run on June 4–6, 2010 at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. Mayor Oscar Goodman predicted the film fest would be spectacular and he was right. It was great with 40 films that were selected from over a thousand entries.
Milo Kostelecky, Director of Operations did a splendid job of putting together the film festival, which brought in fans from all over the world to mingle with all the independent filmmakers, screen writers and actors, actresses, producers and directors. Milo’s goal is to touch the community and have them say that it was great. I for one will say it was great. (www.lvfilmfest.com)
It was exciting to see the student filmmakers from the University of Nevada and the college of Southern Nevada. Each school featured a short block of excellent films. All the films were impressive and some took an entire semester to film. We are proud of the work they are doing and know that another Spielberg is in that group.
High Rollers was the first film to start off the film festival. Jessie Eisenberg (Zombieland) starred in High Rollers which was an official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. It is based on a true story of Hasidic Jews who were recruited to smuggle Ecstasy into the United States. It shows their struggle between God, family and money.
Bicycle Dreams is a 3000-mile trip riding across America on a bicycle, pushing their bodies to the limit. This documentary shows the transformation and tragedies of these voyagers. Dr. Bob Breedlove was killed in a collision with a car while on this journey.
Unrivaled is the story of Ringo Duran who dreams of becoming a professional fighter. Ringo has two dead-end jobs and longs to compete in the Extreme Cage Fighting league. His friend enrolls him in the competition and he has his chance of a lifetime.
Stripped has been shown on Showtime and it features every day people who are okay with taking off their clothes and posing nude in front of the camera. Greg Freidler found it easy to have people strip in front of his camera. After all this is Sin City. Greg said he likes Las Vegas but only in small doses. I actually know one of the models, Angelique Morgan who was in the Reality Show “Rock of Love,” starring Bret Michaels. Angelique is a local and quite famous here.
In My Sleep starred Philip Winchester and Lacey Chabert and was directed by Alan Wolf. It is a story about a man who thinks he has murdered someone in his sleep. It keeps you sitting at the edge of your chair.
My Run is an award-winning documentary and narrated by Billy Bob Thornton. Terry Hitchcock brings awareness to single-parent families by running 75 consecutive marathons by running a marathon distance of 27 miles every day. It was a 2000-mile journey from Bloomington, Minnesota to Atlanta, GA. Terry was called a real life Forrest Gump. As the director/producer, Tim Vandensteeg identified with the story because he was raised in a single-family home by his mother.
Rubio’s was one of the sponsors and they supplied the most delicious burritos I have ever had. Rubio’s opened all their stores to the public all day Thursday by supplying the public with free food and then again at the after party on Saturday night at the pool at Simon’s Palms Place.
The opening night party was held at the Artisan Hotel which has been dramatically renovated. The art-filled lobby and the floor and ceiling paintings are beautiful. It is absolutely stunning and it takes your breath away. The eclectic décor is elegant—from the chandeliers to the gothic furnishings. Under the ownership of Stephen Siegel, this will be an ultimate escape for locals and tourists. Special events and happy hours are forthcoming. (www.artisanhotel.com)
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF AND © NIKKI ARTALE AND USED WITH PERMISSION.
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