CineVegas 2006

This year's CineVegas is June 9-17 at Brenden Theaters in the Palms Casino Resort. Begun six years ago at Bally's as a small gathering of moviemakers and film enthusiasts, the festival has since become a Southern Nevada institution. This year the fest has adopted the catchphrase, "The World's Most Dangerous Film Festival," and the slate of showings confirms this: premieres include Park, a film about sex, suicide and betrayal in a public park, and The Road to Guantanamo, a docudrama about three British Muslims who were held without charge at Guantanamo for three years. Panels on "dangerous filmmaking" feature directors Gregg Araki and Abel Ferrara, and audience Q&As with actors such Laurence Fishburne and Christina Ricci.

For more information, call 1-888-8Vegas8 or visit Cinevegas.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 9

7 p.m. Strangers with Candy. Paul Dinello directs this film about a former junkie and ex-con who heads back to finish high school.

SATURDAY, JUNE 10

12:30 p.m. "A Cast of Characters." Short films: Little Farm, Mother, Pretty Boy Project, A Protected Witness, The Smoking Section, Voicemail, What the Captive Ate

1 p.m. Running Stumbled. Drugs, murder, love and family are a few of the topics explored by Director John Maringouin.

3:30 p.m. The Favor. A lonely man adopts a troubled teenager and comes to regret it.

4 p.m. "Drug of Choice." Short films: Bob Logg III's Electric Fence Story, Bugcrush, Day of the Pigeon, Denial, Induction, One Rat Short, Pardon My Downfall

6 p.m. Skin City. Jack Sheehan's exploration of the Vegas' sexy side.

6:30 p.m. The Puffy Chair. A man and his girlfriend cross the country to deliver a giant purple Lay-Z-Boy to his father.

8:30 p.m. Danika. A mother falls prey to terrifying delusions, and wonders if she's going insane -- or is she seeing the future?

9 p.m. 13 Tzameti. A man finds a set of instructions intended for someone else, and decides to follow them.

SUNDAY, JUNE 11

12:30 p.m. The Movie Team Project. Premiere of a movie produced by the Boys & Girls Club of Las Vegas.

1 p.m. Outlaw Cinema Panel. Gregg Araki, James Fotopoulos and other filmmakers discuss "dangerous filmmaking."

1:30 p.m. The Favor. A lonely man adopts a troubled teenager and comes to regret it.

3:30 p.m. Thanks to Gravity. Jessica Kavana directs this film about a Jewish Latin-American girl struggling with issues of culture, identity and tradition.

4 p.m. Mary. Directed by legendary maverick Abel Ferrara, Mary explores the story of Jesus from a controversial angle.

6 p.m. G.I. Jesus. A Mexican national comes home to California from Iraq, hoping to be granted citizenship. Instead, he finds another battle.

6:30 p.m. Skin City. Jack Sheehan's exploration of the Vegas' sexy side.

8:30 p.m. 5 Up 2 Down. A New York artist and his friend struggle with drug addiction and search for spiritual renewal.

9:30 p.m. Running Stumbled. Drugs, murder, love and family are a few of the topics explored by director John Maringouin.

MONDAY, JUNE 12

1 p.m. Running Stumbled. Drugs, murder, love and family are a few of the topics explored by director John Maringouin.

1:30 p.m. The 4th Dimension. World premiere of this film about a genius consumed with finding himself through the unexplainable.

3 p.m. Love Sick. U.S. premiere of this film about love, in all its pain and glory.

3:30 p.m. Full Grown Men. David Munro directs this film about a reunion of two longtime friends. Featuring Deborah Harry.

4:30 p.m. "Drug of Choice." Short films: Bob Logg III's Electric Fence Story, Bugcrush, Day of the Pigeon, Denial, Induction, One Rat Short, Pardon My Downfall

6 p.m. Park. So much happens at this park: sex, death, love, suicide, sushi, nakedness.

7 p.m. Laurence Fishburne will receive the CineVegas Half-Life Award, and then discuss his craft before a screening of Five Fingers.

8:30 p.m. Wet Dreams. Inspired by the Bellagio fountains, two friends try to choreograph their own water show -- with hilarious results.

9 p.m. Interkosmos. A satirical homage to an imaginary East German space project, using "historic" footage and musical interludes in an affectionate send-up of the 1970s.

TUESDAY, JUNE 13

1 p.m. Wild Tigers I Have Known. A 13-year-old boy comes of age, comes to terms with his sexuality and pines for the "cool kid" at his school.

3 p.m. Wet Dreams. Inspired by the Bellagio fountains, two friends try to choreograph their own water show -- with hilarious results.

3:30 p.m. Park. So much happens at this park: sex, death, love, suicide, sushi, nakedness.

6 p.m. Thanks to Gravity. Jessica Kavana directs this film about a Jewish Latin-American girl struggling with issues of culture, identity and tradition.

6:30 p.m. 5 Up 2 Down. A New York artist and his friend struggle with drug addiction and search for spiritual renewal.

7 p.m. "A Cast of Characters." Short films: Little Farm, Mother, Pretty Boy Project, A Protected Witness, The Smoking Section, Voicemail, What the Captive Ate

8:30 p.m. G.I. Jesus. A Mexican national comes home to California from Iraq, hoping to be granted citizenship. Instead, he finds another battle.

9:30 p.m. UNLV Showcase. UNLV students show their short films.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14

3 p.m. Nevada Filmmaking Shorts. Short films about Las Vegas: 19 Miles to Vegas, Buffet: All You Can Eat Vegas, The Business of Being Monti Rock, Nicky's Game, Synthetica, The Walking Ink, Wrestling with the Past.

3:30 Interkosmos. A satirical homage to an imaginary East German space project, using "historic" footage and musical interludes in an affectionate send-up of the 1970s.

5:30 p.m. "How It All Works." Short films: The Babel Trunk, Bobby Bird: Devil in Denim, Holidays with Heather, K-7, Transaction, Zewesawam.

6 p.m. Full Grown Men. David Munro directs this film about a reunion of two longtime friends. Featuring Deborah Harry.

6:30 p.m. Sylvester Stallone and Rocky. CineVegas celebrates 30 years of Rocky, and awards Sylvester Stallone the CineVegas and Brenden Star Award.

8:30 p.m. The 4th Dimension. World premiere of this film about a genius consumed with finding himself through the unexplainable.

9:30 p.m. CCSN Showcase. Short films by CCSN students.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15

1:30 p.m. Nevada Filmmaking Shorts. Short films about Las Vegas: 19 Miles to Vegas, Buffet: All You Can Eat Vegas, The Business of Being Monti Rock, Nicky's Game, Synthetica, The Walking Ink, Wrestling with the Past.

2 p.m. Apart from That. A Native American road-striper, a student beautician and other strange bedfellows try to connect in a confusing world.

4 p.m. Damn Yankee Day. A foreign exchange student sees the ugly side of America.

4:30 p.m. "Seeing Is Believing." Short films: The Aluminum Fowl, NYC, Weights and Measures, The Other Side, Site Specific Las Vegas 05.

5 p.m. Somebodies. A black college student comes of age amid eccentric relatives and other misfits.

7 p.m. Nacho Libre. Jack Black stars in this film about a cook that becomes a luchador to save an orphanage from shutting its doors.

7:30 p.m. Once in a Lifetime. New York City in the '70s is the backdrop of this film that chronicles the rise and fall of the New York Cosmos soccer team, famous for bringing Pele to America.

8 p.m. The Ring Finger. A woman quits her job after losing the tip of her finger in an accident. She soon finds a new job as an assistant in a very strange laboratory.

9:30 p.m. The Group Collectively. Filmmaking troupe The Group Collectively showcases a handful of short flicks.

FRIDAY, JUNE 16

11:30 a.m. Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll. A tribute screening of this documentary, for which Taylor Hackford won the Vanguard Director Award.

2 p.m. Taylor Hackford receives the CineVegas Vanguard Director Award and has a discussion before a screening of his film The Idolmaker.

2:30 p.m. The Ring Finger. A woman quits her job after losing the tip of her finger in an accident. She soon finds a new job as an assistant in a very strange laboratory.

4 p.m. "How It All Works." Short films: The Babel Trunk, Bobby Bird: Devil in Denim, Holidays with Heather, K-7, Transaction, Zewesawam.

5 p.m. Somebodies. A black college student comes of age amid eccentric relatives and other misfits.

6 p.m. Helen Mirren receives the CineVegas Marquee Award and discusses her work before a screening of The Passion of Ayn Rand.

7 p.m. Artie Lange's Beer League. The world premiere of this spicy comedy about a roguish softball team that favors fighting more than playing.

7:30 p.m. One Last Dance. Harvey Keitel stars in this film about an assassin tracking down the kidnappers of a powerful man's son.

10 p.m. Lunacy. Jan Svankmajer's surreal take on two Edgar Allen Poe stories, inspired by the works of the Marquis de Sade.

SATURDAY, JUNE 17

12:30 p.m. Apart from That. A Native American road-striper, a student beautician and other strange bedfellows try to connect in a confusing world.

1 p.m. The Road to Guantanamo. This docudrama explores the tribulations of the Tipton Three, three British Muslims who were imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay for two years.

1:30 p.m. One Last Dance. Harvey Keitel stars in this film about an assassin tracking down the kidnappers of a powerful man's son.

3:30 p.m. "Seeing Is Believing." Short films: The Aluminum Fowl, NYC, Weights and Measures, The Other Side, Site Specific Las Vegas 05.

4 p.m. Christina Ricci receives the CineVegas Half-Life Award and discusses her work before a screening of The Opposite of Sex.

4:30 p.m. Jury Award Winner. Encore screening of CineVegas Jury Prize-winning film.

7 p.m. Lies and Alibis. A man who runs an alibi service for adulterous husband becomes entangled with an intriguing woman.

8 p.m. Lunacy. Jan Svankmajer's surreal take on two Edgar Allen Poe stories, inspired by the works of the Marquis de Sade.