Vegas Independent Film Festival 2011 Showcases Opening Night Films at Century Orleans

The Vegas Independent Film Festival (VIFF) has announced this year's opening night films, which will begin on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, at the Century Orleans Movie Theater, also called the Century Orleans 18. This venue is located in The Orleans Hotel and Casino along Tropicana Avenue. Tropicana is just adjacent to the Las Vegas Boulevard where The Strip is.

The first red carpet event starts at 5:30 p.m. with the opening night feature, followed by the opening night shorts at 8:00 p.m. The VIFF is an IMDB-qualifying festival that opened its call for submissions during the middle of the year until Oct. 17. The rest of the selected films for the festival are scheduled for announcement on Nov. 7.

About the Festival

Any film that has not yet received a theatrical deal from a major company is generally accepted for consideration to the festival's official selection. The VIFF is distinct for its bulb-inspired awards, bestowing winning filmmakers with decorated gold, silver, bronze, rainbow, and fluorescent bulbs.

The much-coveted "Gold Bulb," given to deserving festival winners, are certified to have lit the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign. Theatrical distribution also awaits the winning films. For this year, more than 100 bulbs are ready to be awarded to the best films of the festival in different categories.

Opening Night Feature Film

The red carpet event for Dana Packard's "40 West," the festival's opening night feature, happens at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 at the Century Orleans. This also serves as the film's Las Vegas premiere. This American drama stars Jennifer Nicole Porter, Scott Winters, Brian White, Kathleen Kimball, and Wayne Newton. The director, producers, and actors in attendance are scheduled to participate in a Q&A event which follows right after the film's screening.

Opening Night Short Films

After the Opening Night Feature program, the red carpet event for the opening night shorts begins at 8:00 p.m. This features 84 minutes of a variety of local and international short films programmed for this year's festival. These include a number of Las Vegas, U.S., and world premieres. Many of them also have directors, producers, and actors in attendance. A Q&A follows the program screening.

The short films included in the roster are "Cutting Seams," "The Southern Belle," "Blackstone," "Pay Your Respects," "Sugartown," and "House."

Festival Tickets

Tickets are available through the link at the festival's site homepage. All ticket holders are invited to grace the red carpet event. They can also use their ticket stubs for admission to the Official After Party happening at the TAO Nightclub in The Venetian Las Vegas.

Other Festival Information

Vegas Independent Film Festival is located at 1406 S. 3rd St. Las Vegas, NV 89104. For festival inquiries, call (702) 568-9663 or email VegasIFF@gmail.com.

Century Orleans 18, the main venue for this year's festival, is located at 4500 W. Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89103. For venue inquiries, call (702) 889-1220.

TAO Las Vegas, the venue for the festival's Official After Party, is located at 3377 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89109. For inquiries, call (702) 388-8588.

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