Monday, June 21, 2004 | 9:13 a.m.
The CineVegas Film Festival may have ended its nine-day run Saturday, but to Trevor Groth, director of programming, the event is just getting started.
"I think it was up and coming 10 days ago, but I think now we're here," Groth said. "I think the film community was really blown away by the events we had here and the films.
"I think now we've arrived."
Groth should know. He's also the senior programmer for the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, the premiere film festival in the United States.
"I think (CineVegas is) up there with the top film festivals," he said. "(And) we'll do whatever we can to keep growing and expanding our outreach and spread awareness of the festival."
It was the sixth consecutive year for CineVegas, which took place at Brenden Theatres Las Vegas 14 at the Palms.
While Groth didn't have attendance numbers available, he said turnout to CineVegas was "unbelievable."
"We had nearly a full house for every screening; maybe two-three (theaters) that weren't and were only 50 percent full," he said. "Finally, this year we really have the support of the locals that I was hoping for. It really created an amazing festival."
Groth deferred much of the success to this year's CineVegas to Dennis Hopper.
Last year the festival paid tribute to Hopper, presenting him with the Marquee Award for his lifetime achievement in film.
The actor was so impressed with the festival and its potential that he signed on as chairman of the newly formed creative advisory board for the 2004 CineVegas.
Hopper's presence then gave the event some Hollywood clout.
"Early on we had a meeting with (Hopper) and we were going over our list of people that we might want to honor at this festival," Groth said. "We came up with this huge list: Dean Stockwell, Bruce Conner, Julian Schnabel, David Lynch, Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn, Jack Nicholson, Holly Hunter. And I go, 'God, any one of those would be amazing.'
"Thanks to him, we were able to get them all."
While Lynch and Penn provided some spirited question-and-answer sessions at the film festival, probably the highlight was the appearance of Nicholson, who was on hand Friday night to receive this year's Marquee Award.
Nicholson made no acceptance speech.
"Well, Dennis got me to come (to CineVegas) because he said there was absolutely no speeches to be made," he said. Instead, the legendary 67-year-old actor offered insight into "Drive, He Said," the 1970 film that marked his directorial debut.
"A lot of my past is here," Nicholson said, before explaining how the success of "Easy Rider," the 1969 classic film that made him a star, allowed him to make "Drive, He Said."
Nicholson recalled telling the film's executive producer, Bert Schneider, " 'This is a movie I'd like to make, but it can't make a nickel,' " he said. "Of course, I was right.
"But it's had a life of its own," he added. "Very serious writers have written about it. What they say is ... this is sort of what it was really like in this period of time. I'm very proud of it (and) it is sort of what it was like."
Francisco Menendez, chairman of the film department for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said it was the more personal moments offered by celebrities that gave a lasting resonance to this year's festival.
"It was truly tremendous to hear Sean Penn give a tremendous question-and-answer session or to have Jack Nicholson, who never speaks, speak five minutes very passionately about this first film he directed," he said. "These are historical moments, and they're here for the festival and they're here for my students."
Besides the star appeal, CineVegas offered nearly 70 films, including features, shorts and documentaries.
As the festival wound down Saturday afternoon, there was a luncheon to announce the three award-winning films.
"Cross Bronx" received the Audience Award as the favorite film as voted by CineVegas attendees, "The Talent Given Us" took the Jury Prize as voted by the festival's panel of critics, while "Mitchellville" received the jury's Honorable Mention honor.
Andrew Wagner, writer and director of "The Talent Given Us," said his award represented the biggest moment of his career.
"I've been working on this movie for the last year, editing it in my living room for the last nine months wondering if it would ever be seen by more than two people on my couch. And then it screened here to a full house," the 41-year-old New Yorker said. "It's been a particularly wonderful experience."
"The Talent Given Us" is the fictional story of a mother who wishes to reconnect with her son, dragging her husband and two daughters along on a long-distance road trip to see him. The film also happens to star Wagner's real-life mother, father and two sisters.
His idea for the film came about years ago when, as a film student, Wagner was forced to move nine times, and suddenly realized his parents no longer had his phone number.
"I had this epiphany and thought that was an interesting premise for a film, when a mother realizes she doesn't have an adequate relationship with her son because she doesn't know where he is, and sets out to find him with her husband and other family members in tow," Wagner said.
By winning the award, the writer-director said he hopes "The Talent Given Us" receives attention from distributors.
"I think there really is an audience for this movie," he said. "It'll take a very brave distributor to get behind it and support it. But I think if they do and give it a chance, it might have some legs."
Larry Golin, writer-director of "Cross Bronx," was also hopeful his Audience Award would help convince distributors to play his film in "real movie theaters."
Whether that happens or not, Golin said he was simply happy for his experience at CineVegas.
"It's hard making an independent movie. You go broke and you don't get paid for a year because you're making a movie. And for (CineVegas) to ride in at that point when you're exhausted and beat down from the process and do something like this ... it just could not have gone better."
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