Las Vegas film festival celebrates independent spirit

Independence Day may be over, but there's a declaration of independents in Las Vegas next week -- of the filmmakers, by the filmmakers, for the filmmakers.

The inaugural Vegas Independent Film Festival launches a five-day run Wednesday at the Arts District's theatre7 with a free kickoff party that includes a salute to Las Vegas-based cult auteur Ted V. Mikels, who's been making movies his way -- on his own -- for 62 of his 82 years.

Mikels "stayed independent" because Hollywood studios "didn't want to give me autonomy," he explains, "and I needed total autonomy."

That independent spirit exemplifies the films, and filmmakers, featured at VIFF, according to festival director -- and local filmmaker -- Derek Stonebarger.

"I really am in it for the filmmakers," Stonebarger says. In addition to his connections with fellow local filmmakers, he's "using every trick I know" to make the festival filmmaker-friendly -- and audience-friendly.

To that end, the red-carpet premiere of the festival's opening feature -- the dark thriller "40 West," which features Wayne Newton -- will take place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Century Orleans multiplex to accommodate larger crowds. (That's because theatre7 seats only about 60.)

Newton plans to attend Thursday's Orleans screening and says he's "very excited" about it, in part because "40 West" gives him a chance to play "a real bad guy. I like those kinds of roles. Being a good guy is just that -- but being bad, you can have different colors."

In "40 West," Newton plays a jealous, homicidal bad guy who's tracked his wife to a sordid East Texas motel room -- where a blues musician (played by screenwriter Jennifer Nichole Porter) is being held hostage by her own violent husband.

While watching the almost 700 films submitted, judges thought "40 West" would be "a great way to introduce the festival," Stonebarger says, especially with Mr. Las Vegas in attendance.

The husband-and-wife filmmaking team of director Dana Packard and screenwriter Porter "definitely wanted to screen it in Las Vegas," Packard says, in part because "we knew we'd have an audience there, thanks to the Wayne Newton connection."

It's the second Packard-Porter collaboration to play a Las Vegas film festival; the couple's "Mr. Barrington" screened at 2003's Blue Sky festival.

The Blue Sky festival is no more, but it's the void left by the late, lamented CineVegas -- which faded to black in 2010 after an 11-year run -- that Stonebarger hopes the new festival will fill.

Several other entries boast a definite Las Vegas connection, including two closing-day attractions Nov. 20 at The Orleans: the Western short "The Adventures of Loop & Rhett" (part of the 12:30 p.m. shorts program), directed by local Michael Su; and the 3:30 p.m. world premiere of Las Vegas-based director Sean Jackson's feature "Bubblegum and Broken Fingers."

Jackson shot "Bubblegum" at Southern Nevada locations (from the Palms to the town of Nelson) in two parts. Using footage from the first 30 minutes, which he financed with a partner, he was able to secure completion funds from investors, Jackson notes.

That's how things work for independent filmmakers these days, according to Mikels.

"Now, everyone is an independent filmmaker," he says. "Everybody's got a camera and everybody's doing it -- which makes it very difficult to stand out."

Film festivals are one way to attract attention, Packard suggests.

"It's an exposure thing, good or bad," he says.

Beyond the process of getting a new movie "in front of an audience on a big screen," which leads to valuable feedback, festivals also offer the chance for filmmakers to "meet other filmmakers, people who've been through the process," Packard explains.

Entries that capture the festival's Golden Bulb Awards (taken from the light bulbs featured on the iconic "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign) will play theatre7 following the festival; feature filmmakers will receive a portion of ticket sales.

In addition, the winning filmmakers "will be able to approach distribution companies" with their Las Vegas art-house exposure, according to Stonebarger. "It's a big deal to get art-house if you have nothing."

Stonebarger also hopes to work with art-house theaters in other cities -- as well as expanding theatre7 to other cities -- to play winning entries. And "we eventually plan to make this a film market," he adds.

For now, however, the festival centers on screenings and post-screening question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers and parties for filmmakers and audiences alike.

Complete festival information is available online at www.VegasIFF.com; Review-Journal readers can receive a $7 discount on the all-access festival pass (priced at $37) by using the discount code lvrj.

"It's yet to be determined what the next best Vegas film festival will be," says Packard, adding that Stonebarger "has a lot of energy. Here's hoping."

Stonebarger himself vows that he and the festival are "in this for the long run. I'm a Las Vegas filmmaker till I die." And while the festival's emphasis may be on the filmmakers, "hopefully the audience will come along for the ride."

Contact movie critic Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.