Now in it's 4th Year - VIFF! has become Nevada’s “PREMIERE” film festival

LAS VEGAS - March 27, 2013 - PRLog -- Featured in this month's MovieMaker Magazine (April 2013 - Film Festival Guide), the VEGAS INDIE FILM FEST! is being hailed as “an event that anyone in the Southwest should attend.”

Now in its fourth year, the event known by filmmakers and industry professionals as Nevada’s “PREMIERE” film festival, will take place May 1-9 all over Las Vegas (See the video lineup at Viff.net).

Remarkably, VIFF!'s feature film lineup is made solely of world and Nevada premieres.

“We try do things first class at VIFF! and filmmakers know that” said festival director Derek Stonebarger, an award winning filmmaker, founder of theatre7, and partner and at Atomic Liquors. “Being the first to show great films is important, but at VIFF! we also truly care about the films, the screenings, the theaters, the after parties, the audience and of course, the filmmakers.”

VIFF! has become famous on the festival circuit by presenting its top winners with “Golden Bulbs”, light-bulbs taken directly from the “Welcome to Las Vegas Sign."

The 2013 festival kicks off on May 1 with a world premiere of the locally produced Nevada thriller TERRITORY 8.

Other VIFF! "PREMIERES" include the North America premiere of LITTLE MONSTERS, which is legendary filmmaker and UNLV Film Professor David Schmoeller’s big screen return after a 13 year hiatus; the locally produced film festival darling LIARS, FIRES AND BEARS, which finally gets it's Vegas premiere; the world premiere of CORPSE GRINDERS 3, the latest from indie film pioneer and Las Vegas local Ted V. Mikels; the Nevada premiere of TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DIRTY, which stars rapper COOLIO and was filmed Downtown; and the Nevada premiere of MATT'S CHANCE, which stars Edward Furlong, Lee Majors and Gary Busey, who will be receiving a VIFF! Lifetime of Acting Award after his screening.

VIFF!'s opening night feature; TERRITORY 8, the fifth feature from Las Vegas' local & Emmy nominated filmmaker Kelly Schwarze, stars a plethora of Las Vegas talent, including Hollywood destined locals Michael Tushaus, Michael O'Neal and teenager Corey Taylor. Taking place in the not so distant future, the film follows various survivors, and their escape from an eight mile quarantine zone, located just outside Las Vegas in the Nevada Desert.

“This film is kind of a big deal for the Nevada film industry" Stonebarger said. "I'm excited and proud to have it as our opening attraction, and we're doing everything in our power to give it the world premiere it deserves."

The Nevada Film Office was instrumental in helping T8's producers secure its prime filming locations, which has helped save the producers on in-studio costs. Territory 8 is a collaborative between the Indie Film Factory, ProWerks Media Group, and E11even Media.

The screening will be held in Las Vegas' largest movie theater, the 500+ seat showcase movie theater at the Orleans Casino (4500 W Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89103) - which is expected to sell out!

“VIFF! is it,” Schwarze said. “I didn’t even consider world premiering Territory 8 anywhere else but this festival. This is my home town and to open here is a dream. I’m proud to be a part of this lineup, which is truly making this the Nevada film event of the year.”

Two Hundred Thousand Dirty (screening May 2), Liars, Fires and Bears (May 8), and Matt’s Chance (May 8) will all have screenings at the Orleans, along with the winners of the Las Vegas 48 Hour Film Project (May 2).

Starring Lundon Boyd and Megli Micek (2011 Rising Star of Nevada Award winner), closing night film, Liars, Fires and Bears has been a selection at the prestigious Hollywood festival Dances with Film, as well as Austin, Big Bear Lake International and four other festivals. From award winning UNLV filmmakers Jeremy Cloe (director) and Constanza Castro (producer), the film offers a funny, exciting, emotional, journey of a mismatched pair and the colorful characters they encounter on their way.

“Liars Fires and Bears, Territory 8 and all the locally produced films are helping put Las Vegas on our world's indie film map,” Stonebarger said. “I’ve been so excited about Liars, Fires and Bears and Territory 8 since the moment I first saw them, and now I get to help show them to the public. Sometimes it's good to be festival director!"

Corpse Grinders 3 will screen at theatre7 (1406 South 3rd Street, Las Vegas, NV 89104) on May 5 with blocks of Nevada and international shorts screening May 4. Little Monsters is slated to screen May 9 at The Palms.

Little Monsters, which had its world premiere at the Fantaspoa Film Festival in Porto Alegre, Brazil, tells the fictional story of two child killers that are released from prison on their eighteenth birthdays.

Shot in Spain, Corpse Grinders 3 is a follow up to one of 83-year-old Mikels’ most popular franchises. The original in the series dates back to 1971.

“Lots of talent, lots of variety, fun and excitement” Stonebarger said describing his lineup. “The independent film scene in Vegas has been exploding in the last few years and so has VIFF! Las Vegas is the entertainment capitol of the world; it’s a great place to make films and it’s a great place to screen and discover films.”

Schmoeller  is scheduled to receive a lifetime achievement award for directing. His past films have included Puppetmaster, Catacombs, Crawlspace, The Seduction and Tourist Trap.

Busey, the other lifetime achievement award winner at the festival, has appeared in over 150 films including Lethal Weapon, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Point Break, and Predator 2. He has hinted he may serenade the crowd with a Buddy Holly impersonation. Busey was nominated for best actor for his lead role in the 1978 film The Buddy Holly Story. The film, which featured Busey singing all of Holly’s songs, took home an Oscar for music.

VIFF!, which is featured on the back of Las Vegas City Life the week of March 28-April 3,will also hold after parties each night, a First Friday Filmmaker Party on May 3, a filmmaker Cinco de Mayo dinner on May 5, and an Actors / Directors Workshop on May 7.

Tickets for individual screenings are either $7 or $10. A full festival pass is $80 and includes red carpet access all screenings, filmmaker dinner, all after parties and an official VIFF! shirt.

Dedicated to true independent film and the discovery and distribution of filmmakers who do not have theatrical distribution, VIFF! furthers the art, craft and business of storytelling by inspiring and championing the work of artists who use the language of film to share their visions.