ALL-STAR HOLLYWOOOD INVASION FOR CINEVEGAS WRAP-UP WEEKEND
We now only have 48-hours remaining in the CineVegas 10th annual Film Festival. It started with a bang a week ago Thursday and ends tomorrow with a star-studded explosion. Longtime Vegas favorite James Caan leads in the all-star contingent, which includes legendary cinema-family first lady Anjelica Huston along with actress Rosario Dawson and actors Don Cheadle, Viggo Mortensen and Sam Rockwell. Here’s the final two-day rundown, and believe it or not on Monday the festival organizers get right to work on next years attractions!
Friday, June 20:
The Q&A conversation with Don Cheadle is set for 4 p.m. and the informal chat with Viggo Mortensen precedes the 6 p.m. screening of his Alatriste movie. Check out two other interesting movies: Choke with Anjelica Huston is at 6:30 p.m. and Cocaine Cowboys with Charles Cosby at 7:30 p.m. Marquee Award recipient Anjelica Huston, actress Rosario Dawson with Viggo Mortensen, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell and Vegas Icon Award recipient James Caan will be honored at the three-hour long Honorees Reception starting at 8 p.m. on the pool deck of the Planet Hollywood Resort.
Ben Kingsley, who attended CineVegas last year stars in The Wackness with Mary Kate Olsen, which unspools at 9:30 p.m.
*Vegas takes on the vestiges of Puerto Rico today (FRI) when the Caribbean island’s tourism office transforms the Palms pool into a commonwealth’s paradise to promote the splendors of the island to our Film Festival delegates. Although the tourism officials are showing off the growth of the luxury hotels there, the unique and exotic flavor filled gastronomy and adventure travels its all really to lure film and TV producers there to take advantage of the tax incentives.
Saturday, June 21:
Johnny Depp narrates the Life and Work of Dr. Hunter Thompson focusing on the good days of 1965 to 1975 showing at 1 p.m. The Q&A conversation with Rosario Dawson begins at 1 p.m. The Q&A conversation with Sam Rockwell starts at 3 p.m. My favorite magic movie Women in Boxes re-runs at 3:30 p.m. The Q&A conversation takes place with Anjelica Huston at 5 p.m.
The Closing Night final movie is with actor Colin Hanks confirmed for the 7 p.m. premiere of The Great Buck Howard. Tom Hanks and my super master-magician friend Ricky Jay are also featured in the mind-reading magical movie. Magic has played a key component in the Vegas entertainment scene over the years and this film, inspired by the Amazing Kreskin shows why people still believe in it. Colin plays a law school drop out who answers a classified ad hoping to break into showbiz as a personal assistant to a celebrity, despite his father’s disapproval, interestingly played by Tom! John Malkovich plays the infamous mentalist staging a comeback with fiery publicist, actress Emily Blunt. I staged a number of incredible mind-reading TV stunts with Kreskin who never ever failed to baffle and beat my challenges, including once finding me hidden in Donald Trump’s skyscraper office after being blindfolded, then set free atop the Empire State Building and given exactly 59 minutes of live TV time to hunt me down, just by reading my mind as to where I was!
The official closing night CineVegas party will be at The Palazzo pool starting at 9 p.m. and coincides with VEGAS magazine’s 5th anniversary bash. Australian singing sensation Delta Goodman, who is this month’s June cover model for our sister publication will host the glittering event. In addition to both the elite of Hollywood and Las Vegas the four acres of gardens, fountains, spas and pools will welcome many of the magazine’s former cover models who have included previously Heidi Klum, Eva Longoria, Pamela Anderson, Paris Hilton, Rebecca Romjin, Gisele Bundchen and the always beautiful Vegas darling Molly Sims.