Have a “Dam” good time

By Josh Bell

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009 | midnight

The Dam Short Film Festival returns to Boulder City for its fifth edition this week, expanding from three days to four and showcasing over 120 short films, along with receptions, awards and a filmmaker panel. The festival has always been a great opportunity to celebrate an underappreciated art form (short films) in an often underappreciated location (Boulder City). Its move last year to the lovely Boulder Theatre only added to its charm and class. Here’s a look at a few highlights among the festival’s numerous programs:

Rent-a-Person Quadralogy (February 12, 4:30 p.m.) Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne will be on-hand for this showcase of his four whimsical, interconnected short films, two of which have played the DSFF in years past.

A Documentary Life: The Works of Jay Rosenblatt (February 12, 7 p.m.) Award-winning documentarian and experimental filmmaker Rosenblatt will introduce several of his films from the past 15 years, and stick around for a Q&A session.

Midnight Underground (February 12, 10:30 p.m.) This showcase of twisted and disturbed films is always an interesting curiosity, and this year includes a few local films not in the Nevada Filmmakers program.

Nevada Filmmakers (February 13, 9 p.m.) The DSFF has always been supportive of local filmmakers, and this year they’ll be playing seven shorts by Nevada directors, including two that were at CineVegas in 2008.

Fantastic Voyages (February 14, noon) Included in this program of quirky animated films is This Way Up, nominated for Best Animated Short Film at this year’s Oscars.

Best of the Fest: Award-Winning Films (February 14, 8 p.m.) If you can only make the trek for a single program, this one, which will feature the top films from the entire festival, is the one to catch.