Las Vegas Weekly

May 13, 2009 · 8:08 AM

Lights, camera, one month until CineVegas action

By Sarah Feldberg

Steve Buscemi is John in Saint John of Las Vegas.

Photo: CineVegas

They’re vacuuming the red carpets, testing the Dolby digital and stocking up on Sno-caps and Skittles. In less than four weeks the 11th Annual CineVegas Film Festival will commandeer the Palms for six days celebrating films and filmmakers. If you, plumber/teacher/rollerskating cocktail waitress, have ever felt intimidated by the thought of crashing a film festival, don’t. Consider this your engraved invitation – in digital form, of course. (Who has time to visit the engravers?)

Film festivals tend to have a mixed reputation. They are exciting and uninviting, attractive yet off putting, like the coolest girl in middle school who tells you about her karaoke birthday party but never actually sends the glitter mauled invitation. But you don’t need a talent agent, a trust fund or an Elie Saab evening gown to attend this year’s festival. All you really need is $10 and … actually, that’s it.

Now that we’re in the home stretch before the festival kicks off with the world premiere of Saint John of Las Vegas on June 10, individual movie tickets are going on sale at cinevegas.com today for the whopping price of $10 each. For the same fee you’d pay to see Night at the Museum 2 you can take a seat at a real live film festival, SAG card not required.

Much like seeing a studio film, you can purchase your ticket online, over the phone (888-8VEGAS8) or at the Brenden Theatres box office (starting June 1.) If you’re a festival novice, perhaps you’ll want to start slow. Browse the screening schedule, watch a few trailers online, scan for actors you recognize or directors you appreciate and put down the $10 for a ticket to one, two, maybe three films that spark your interest. Anthromorphous hamsters, anyone?

If this isn’t your first time chomping festival popcorn, you may want to be in on the extracurriculars – the inebriated revelry mixed with networking that fills the hours after the credits roll. Opening night tickets to Saint John starring Steve Buscemi are $25 each and include admission into the opening night after party at Prive.

And if you want to take in all that CineVegas 2009 has to offer – the chance to see world premieres, meet up and coming directors, attend indie double headers and have a beer with an aspiring filmmaker – a festival pass is what you’re looking for. (Sure, you could bump into James Franco in the bathroom, but asking him to pose for a picture in front of the urinals could get awkward.) Passes run $100-$500 and include all sorts of extra goodies like access to CineVegas Headquarters at the Palms, panels with filmmakers and entrance into official parties.

And that Elie Saab dress? I’m sure you’ll find somewhere to wear it.

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