Vegas Cine Fest to spotlight indie filmmakers

With so many creative outlets turning to online-only platforms, organizers of the third annual Vegas Cine Fest decided to break trends and host a classic three-day film festival Thursday through Saturday at the Tropicana, 3801 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

The first two Vegas Cine Fest events were online only, complete with screenings and juried awards. It took a winner's simple question to prompt organizers to think bigger.

"Jamie Redford, son of Robert Redford, was one of the people who asked, 'Where do I come pick up my award?' " festival co-director Maria Marcus said.

Redford will receive his award for Best Short 2010 for the film he wrote and directed, "Quality Time," during the gala awards ceremony planned to cap festivities at 7 p.m. Saturday. Winners from 2010 and 2011 will be honored.

Redford is among a growing list of celebrities slated to attend the fledgling festival. Director John Landis of "Animal House" and "Blues Brothers" fame is to receive the festival Lifetime Achievement Award. His first project in about a decade, "Burke and Hare," is the final screening before the gala.

Philip and Maria Marcus launched the festival in 2009 as a script-only event. Philip Marcus has about 30 years of cinema experience as a producer and director. He has played judge in other Las Vegas-hosted film festivals but said his festival doesn't fit their molds.

"We are a film festival and an event," he said.

The first two days of the festival are reserved for screenings of 55 submitted films at four Tropicana venues. Three of the theaters host 250 viewers, and the largest theater has seats for about 2,500 people, Philip Marcus said.

The third day of the festival will be "out of competition" films, he said, or selections that the festival board deemed exceptional but not necessarily submitted by the filmmakers.

An award winner from the 2010 festival will have his work in the "out of competition" category. The Ireland-based filmmaker Colin Fox won the 2010 Script Award, and the prize was that Vegas Cine Fest produced the film.

The Marcuses traveled to Ireland last year to help produce "The Gravediggers," the story of three friends helping to dig their deceased friend's grave as they grieve.

"It is one of those things that makes our festival different," Marcus said of the film's production.

The festival also is an IMDB.com-, or Internet Movie Database-, qualifying festival. The distinction allows all featured works to be qualified for listing on the website.

"It's a very big attraction to filmmakers," Marcus said.

In addition to feature films, shorts and music videos will be screened.

Local hip-hop artist and filmmaker Frank Ditommaso will present his music video for his song, "Naked City," an ode to the seedier side of Las Vegas, he said.

"I get to show Las Vegas in my eyes and how gritty it is and how deep this place is," he said. "It's just about Las Vegas and everything that goes on in Las Vegas."

He features his manager and title-bout boxing referee Joe Cortez in the video. Cortez said he hopes the festival is a vehicle for Ditommaso's unique talent.

"Hopefully, this is the beginning of something new for him," he said.

Ditommaso was nominated for an award for his music video. He plans to attend the festival this weekend.

"It makes me very excited and very humbled," he said.

For a list of 2009 and 2010 winners, visit vegascinefest.com.

Tickets vary in prices for screenings and events. The A Lister three-day, all-access pass is $160 for locals and $199 for others.

Organizers sent free passes to public service officials in Las Vegas to thank them for their support, Marcus said.

The public is invited to the gala awards ceremony and Q-and-A panels.

"We don't want to leave the locals out," Marcus said.

He said he hopes the festival is an all-around success.

"We just want everyone to have fun," he said. "Network and have fun."

Contact Centennial and Paradise View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.