It's amazing how much CineVegas has grown since I started attending in 2003. I was told yesterday when I went to pick up my press credentials that there are over 200 media members covering the festival this year. National, respected publications like Variety and the Hollywood Reporter now see CineVegas as another important stop on the festival circuit, and that's wonderful.
Of course, a bigger festival means longer lines, more difficulty getting into screenings and a greater preponderance of industry hangers-on who are more interested in schmoozing and being seen and photographed than in watching movies. The Ocean's 13 event on Wednesday was a huge coup for the festival and brought a lot of attention, but for some people that will probably be all they know about CineVegas. The celebrities bring the spotlight, but they also ensure it shines primarily on them.
On the other hand, it was heartening to see a nearly full theater for this afternoon's screening of Tsai Ming-Liang's I Don't Want to Sleep Alone, a movie that would probably attract single-digit audiences were it ever to actually open in Vegas. Yeah, there was a steady stream of walk-outs, but the fact that those people were even there in the first place was pretty incredible. It was worth having that extra little hassle getting my screening tickets. - Josh Bell