Las Vegas Weekly

May 13, 2009 · 1:37 PM

Exclusive, Part 2: Jon Voight leads all-star parade for 11th Annual CineVegas

By Robin Leach

Trevor Groth with Robin Greenspun and Danny Greenspun.

Photo: TVT

Part 2 of our exclusive one-on-one interview with CineVegas Film Festival director Trevor Groth continues today. Click HERE for Part 1 that we posted yesterday. I asked Trevor the status of the stars for this year’s June 10-15 festival.

Robin Leach: Now, some of the stars you have coming in, does it show you that they are giving you better support than they did in the past?

Trevor Groth: We’ve had great support in the past. I feel very fortunate to have had some of the best names in the past. Last year was incredible with Angelica Huston and Viggo Mortensen. The list goes on, Rosario Dawson, on and on and on. We are still in the process of securing the names that are getting our awards, and it will continue that trend. We do have our Marquee Award locked in, and that’s going to be Jon Voight. He is terrific, and we’re lucky to have him.

Photo: CineVegas

Robin Williams in World's Greatest Dad.

RL: Is Robin Williams going to come in for the closing night screening?

TG: Yes, he is going to try to. He has some press commitments that he is trying to reshuffle so that he can loosen up his schedule. He is really good friends with the director (and former comedian) Bobcat Goldthwaite, so he wants to make it out here with him. He is definitely going to be here for his film.

We’re welcoming back to the festival Scott Caan, who filmed Dallas 362, which won our festival a few years ago. Now he wrote and stars in Mercy -- it is a beautiful love story. He gives a dramatic performance that I think is his best work. He really nailed it, and his father, James Caan, is in it, as well, and will be returning.

Photo: Courtesy

Scott Caan.

We also have some comedians coming in. We’re showing a film called Patriotville that stars Rob Corddry, who is from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Justin Long, who is a funny actor comedian known for the Apple commercials, also will be attending. Sam Rockwell will be back with the film Moon and also Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He is a talented actor in the film 500 Days of Summer. That will be one of our sneak previews that we’ll see first before its summer release.

RL: Do you think CineVegas is still looked at as the rebel film festival?

TG: I definitely think we have that element to us. I don’t think it’s just showing film that will shock and provoke; it’s about films that will appeal to everyone but aren’t conventional. I want people to think of the festival as film for everyone. We really have some great comedies, drama, thrillers, but within each of those genres, we look for those who take their own spin on it.

RL: I’d like you to comment and somehow tie the festival to it that box office numbers so far this year look as if it’s possible to bring in the $10 billion magic number for the first time. It does seem from box office receipts that the recession is not affecting movies, so what does that all mean in terms of your festival?

Photo: TVT

Dennis Hopper and James Caan.

TG: I do think that if you look historically at what movies provide for people, it’s escape. Even back in the ’30s when moviegoing was relatively a young experience, people embraced it. Even though they barely had two nickels to rub together, they were going to see movies. I think that same thing is holding up in today’s age, where people are looking at film as a great escape without spending too much money, and they’ve really embraced it. That speaks to the power of movies. That’s what will drive movies and film festivals forward no matter what’s happening in the world.

RL: Any personal favorite movie highlights you’re looking forward to seeing of your own that you’ve snuck in there?

TG: That’s a really good question. For me, I kind of like the quirkier stuff, and I think we’ve got some films in our Area 52 section this year for people who like that side. There is a film called Stingray Sam that is a black and white space cowboy movie that is actually very accessible and very funny. And if people go see that, they will see something they’ve never seen before and be very happy that they checked it out. That’s my secret tip.”

For the complete listing of all films, show times and ticket information, go to www.CineVegas.com.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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