Las Vegas Weekly

Stars align for CineVegas

Dennis Hopper, Jon Voight, Willem Dafoe, Sam Rockwell among those expected

Sarah Silverman, star of Saint John of Las Vegas, walks the red carpet at the CineVegas 2009 opener Wednesday night at Planet Hollywood with the premier of the movie.

Photo: Justin Bowen

If you’re at the Palms this weekend keep your eyes peeled for flashing cameras and red-hued rugs. This year’s CineVegas Film Festival is attracting stars both big and small.

Dennis Hopper, Jon Voight, Willem Dafoe, Sam Rockwell and Sarah Silverman are among the big names expected during the 11th annual, six-day event.

Last night’s opening night red carpet screening of Saint John of Las Vegas attracted Hopper and Silverman, along with Romany Malco (The Love Guru, Weeds, 40 Year Old Virgin) and Superbad actress Aviva.

Sadly, the film’s star, Steve Buscemi, did not make it to the festival for the film’s premiere at Planet Hollywood.

Holly Madison, Carrot Top, Miss Nevada USA, Georgina Vaughan, the cast of Jersey Boys, doo-wop band Human Nature and female impersonator Frank Marino did, however, and were among the other well-known local personalities who came out for the event.

And the party is just getting started.

Champion poker player Annie Duke and World Series of Poker president and commissioner Jeffery Pollack will be among the card-carrying card players at tonight’s 7:30 p.m. screening of All In: The Poker Movie.

Meanwhile, actor Sam Rockwell will be on hand at the 1:30 p.m. screening of his film, Moon. Former 3rd Rock from the Sun star, Joseph Gordon-Levitt – who has acted in films including G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Women in Trouble since the series ended in 2001 – will be at the 8 p.m. showing for 500 Days of Summer on Friday.

George Wallace will join father-son duo James and Scott Caan and others on Saturday for the 8 p.m. screening of Mercy at the Brenden Theaters.

Hopper, who serves as CineVegas’ creative advisory board chairman, will spend Sunday morning with a cast of Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas members and Jersey Boys castmates for a 10 a.m. CineVegas Clubhouse film titled, Where da Girls at.

Voight and Dafoe are said to host screenings and post-film Q&A sessions on Sunday afternoon, but these appearances have not been confirmed.

Regardless, they will be at Rain later that evening to join Hopper, along with Rio resident entertainers Penn and Teller and actress/Access Hollywood correspondent Maria Menounos, among others, for the festival’s annual honorees reception.

Voight will be given the CineVegas Marquee Award for artistic excellence, professional accomplishment and dedication to cinema, while Dafoe will receive the Vanguard Actor Award for his distinctive mark in the world of film.

George and Mike Kuchar will also receive hardware during the reception (the Vanguard Director Award for vision and refusal to compromise), as will Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago, who will be given the inaugural Planet Illogica Award for Excellence in New Media for pushing of traditional storytelling boundaries.

And finally, our very own resident stargazer, Las Vegas Deluxe’s Robin Leach, will be honored on Monday with a celebrity star by Brenden Theaters president Johnny Brenden.

The 11th annual CineVegas film festival continues through Monday. While the majority of screenings and events take place at the Palms, a complete guide to the festival, its events and corresponding parties can be found here.