Dam Short Film Festival to screen 133 movies this weekend

If you're going to waste time and money making a film, you might as well waste as little of both as possible.

Brandon Christensen of North Las Vegas knows there's no way Hollywood would have discovered "Modern Art" and distributed it across the globe. So he kept it short. His drama -- about a New York artist who turns to drugs and booze to end a case of painter's block -- runs for eight minutes. It will be among 133 short films screened at the seventh annual Dam Short Film Festival.

"It seems like a waste to spend six months of your life on something that no one's gonna see," says Christensen, 25.

Running through Saturday at the Boulder Theatre in Boulder City, the festival groups 6- to 9-minute films into programs dedicated to comedy, horror, drama, student, documentary, sci-fi, animation and local filmmaking.

"It's one of the only places you can see such a wide variety of films from all around the world," says organizer Lee Lanier. "And where else can you see six films in an hour?"

"Modern Art" required an investment of one Sunday and $1,200 -- $500 of which came from the parents of Matt Orchowski, Christensen's director of photography.

"It's just a matter of practice," Christensen says. "With each film you make, you only get better."

The short is one of eight slated to run in the Nevada Filmmakers program, from 9 to 10:15 p.m. Friday.

"I wanted to get it in something local," Christensen says. "I missed the Las Vegas Film Festival, and CineVegas is gone. So I was like, 'What else is close?' "

"Modern Art" is up for two of eight awards, including the top prize: audience favorite. (Attendees vote by placing a chip in a box corresponding to their favorite film as they exit the theater. Awards will be presented at 8 p.m. Saturday.)

"Hopefully it will do well," Christensen says.

This is Christensen's second short film, and second short film festival. In 2009, he entered a comedy called "Flip" in Las Vegas' 48-Hour Film Festival and took home five awards.

"But we didn't win best film or whatever it was called," he says.

Christensen grew up in Calgary, Alberta, with an acute case of directing bug.

"Me and my siblings would always have cameras and be shooting stupid little movies," he says.

For a year after graduating from the Toronto Film School, Christensen failed to land any film work there. In 2008, his older sister -- who was already living in North Las Vegas -- persuaded him to try his luck in the capital of trying your luck. A job resulted at DAV Productions, a corporate video company that also provided space to build "Modern Art's" set. Christensen spent two years there before going freelance.

Currently, he's editing music videos for local bands Eyes Like Diamonds and Conflict of Interest, and an Internet commercial for a New York jeans company. Between the money he makes for such projects, and what his wife pulls in nannying and selling cupcakes, they have the mortgage covered and their eyes firmly on Christensen's dream.

"I love short films," he says, "but I definitely want to go longer in the future."

Contact reporter Corey Levitan at clevitan@reviewjournal. com or 702-383-0456.