Hey indieBlog! It’s us, your partners in non-traditional capitalization, CineVegas 2006, aka the World’s Most Dangerous Film Festival, albeit in blog form. That’s right, the good folks at SAGindie were not only kind enough to host our 3rd Annual Filmmakers Bowling Safari, but they even invited us to post away on this reputable page. Thanks! And apologies in advance…
So the thing we had been asked to talk about was our gala, first-ever Honoree Reception, which took place on Friday, June 16th by the pools at the fabulous hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Normally, this locale is the site of some truly debaucherous mid-afternoon parties, so we like to think that CineVegas brought things up a notch with our patent-pending blend of film, fun, and semi-formal attire. The point of the evening was to present three of our four Honorees with their awards, so in attendance were Christina Ricci, recipient of one of two CineVegas Half-Life Awards, Taylor Hackford, recipient of the CineVegas Vanguard Director Award, and Helen Mirren, recipient of the prestigious CineVegas Marquee Award. (Past recipients? Glad you asked. How’s about Tony Curtis, Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, and Christopher Walken?) Also lounging in their cabanas were presenters Catherine O’Hara, who gave Penelope co-star Ms. Ricci her award, CineVegas Advisory Board chair Dennis Hopper, who presented to Taylor, and Director of Programming Trevor Groth, who is already know to this blg, it would seem. Finally, the whole shebang was hosted by Access Hollywood’ Maria Menounos, who is also a filmmaker in her own right. (Longtime Listener, which she directed, played in one of our shorts programs.)
Everything seemed to go very well, as the speeches were moving, the crowd raucous, and, as we mentioned on our site, the electrified string quartet made up completely of beautiful young women. Of course, this being CineVegas, the Honoree Reception was one of many, many events that night, including the World Premiere of Artie Lange’s Beer League, a screening of Jan Svankmajer’s new film Lunacy, and a massive party at the only flame-throwing nightspot in Vegas, Rain. Things continued late into the night at the Palms Hotel and Casino’s newest wonderment, the Hardwood Suite, which features a half-court basketball hoop, two stories, a pool table, and four of the most amazing bathrooms we have ever seen. There were celebrities, shrimp, bubble baths, and, most importantly, a unicycle basketball team sponsored by Red Bull. The word ‘genius’ is overused these days, but whomever it was that designed the Hardwood Suite is just that and more.
Hope this little glimpse into the World’s Most Dangerous Film Festival didn’t scare you all too much. And thanks again to our hosts and sponsors SAGindie, without whom we wouldn’t be nearly so troublesome. Filmmakers out there should check in on our site for submission information starting next year and the bravest among you should start training now for a visit next June!
