Fourteen short films made by Nevada-based filmmakers will fill a 90-minute program at The Boulder City Theatre on Nov. 18, part of a fundraiser organized by the Dam Short Film Society to help keep its signature festival in its longtime home. Tickets run $40 and include a 6 p.m. reception with light bites and drinks at the Boulder Dam Hotel before the 7 p.m. screening.
The lineup features films from over the years. KNPR reported the event will also include a silent auction featuring a four-pack of VGK game tickets, a foursome package at Boulder Creek Golf Course, and an LV Highlights Helicopter Tour. As KSNV reported, Ken Cioe, director of operations for the Dam Short Film Festival, is promoting the showcase as a way to help the festival continue returning each year to its venue.
Cioe, who also serves as director of operations for the Dam Short Film Society, worked with Art Director Mat Stowell to put the program together. The pair reviewed films featuring Nevada-based filmmakers from the past 10 to 12 years before narrowing the selection down, according to Eat More Art Vegas. The outlet quoted Cioe explaining the stakes behind the fundraiser: “Without the revenue from our annual fundraiser, we would not be able to bring this awesome festival back to this iconic venue.”
A Festival Built Over Two Decades
The Dam Short Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 by Lee and Anita Lanier, according to the Boulder City Review. Eat More Art Vegas notes the organization has helped build Nevada's independent film community for more than two decades, giving local filmmakers a dedicated stage alongside the festival's broader slate.
That broader slate has been changing in recent years. Cioe told Las Vegas Weekly that the festival's audience composition has shifted since the pandemic, with roughly 55% to 60% of attendees now coming from Las Vegas and Henderson, compared with 50% to 60% from Boulder City before. He also said the festival is drawing a younger crowd than it once did, after years of skewing toward the 60-and-older set, and that more international filmmakers than ever were planning to travel in for the event.
Other Fundraisers and What's Next
The society has also experimented with virtual programming built around Nevada talent. Boulder City Review reported on an earlier Nevada Filmmaker Retrospective that streamed on demand, featuring 11 films — dramas, comedies, music videos and documentaries — shown at festivals between 2018 and 2020, with $10 tickets through Nov. 30 of that run.
As for the main event, the 22nd annual Dam Short Film Festival returned to Boulder City in February with more than 150 films, per Las Vegas Weekly's reporting. The organization's website states that ticket information and further showcase details will be provided through the festival directly.
