 It's been a rockin' decade and we are thrilled to kick off this year's festivities with our perfectly-titled opening night selection, THE ROCKER. It offers the right blend of laughs, fighting spirit, and drum solos to launch our 10-day adventure of screenings and parties that celebrate the creative minds behind the films that entertain, provoke, challenge, and enlighten us.
CineVegas has always been a showcase for the most creative minds in film and entertainment, and this year is no exception.
Takashi Murakami will grace the festival with an animated piece projected at the beautiful and surreal Lake of Dreams at Wynn Las Vegas Resort. Murakami's creative spirit and artistic accomplishments are inspirational and showing such a visionary film in such a dynamic setting will surely be an incomparable experience.
Such experiences are what CineVegas is all about – and that spirit extends to one of our newest traditions. Last year, we had a special presentation of OCEAN’S THIRTEEN to benefit Darfur relief efforts, and this year we are proud to show GET SMART at Planet Hollywood to raise money for Dwayne Johnson's The Rock Foundation. The proceeds will go to his noble organization designed to enrich the lives and empower the self-esteem of children worldwide.
Naturally, CineVegas by day is and always will be about movies – namely, world premieres of American independent films as well as Mexican films from first or second-time directors. Plus, new this year is Pioneer Documentaries, a competitive section featuring real-life stories that make us see the world differently. Check them out – the subjects and stories share the same outlaw spirit as their fictional counterparts.
Other CineVegas staples, our Marquee and Half-Life Awards, returns with a collection of honorees who represent the very best in their field and who craft the kind of brave and eclectic work that the festival enthusiastically champions.
It's amazing to look back and see how CineVegas has grown over the past decade. But one place it hasn't grown is in the number of films that we show. That is by design: our driving principle is to make sure that all of our filmmakers are taken care of. We
wouldn't exist without them, and we don't forget that. We would like to thank the Palms Casino Resort and Brenden Theatres for providing us with such a perfect home for our filmmakers, their films, and their dreams.
Finally, we would like to thank all of you for supporting CineVegas. Whether you've been coming for 10 years or for the first time, whether you live in the city or are from out of town – you are here because you love movies, and we thank you for it. So let’s cue the projector and let the rockin’ good times begin. |
