Las Vegas is shifting into gear in preparation for the eagerly awaited Lift-Off Film Festival, which will be rolling into town for four days on Wednesday June 24.
The self-styled “entertainment capital of the world” is hosting the festival following the event’s successful incarnation in March in Liverpool, England. Free to attend, it aims to foster a festival atmosphere divested of commercial and political pressures, with a focus on up-and-coming independent filmmakers who do not necessarily have the budget to make feature films with high production values. At this festival, honesty, commitment and resourcefulness are prized.
Indeed, the filmmakers are encouraged to learn more about how to succeed outside of the festival circuit, and receive advice on marketing, crowdfunding, and artistic development. All submitted films – some 700 from around the world, comprising various genres and forms – are graded, and given extensive feedback; this is one of the Lift-Off Festival’s distinguishing features.
The Festival, part of the Lift-Off International Film Festivals syndicate which comprises festivals in six locales across the world (including London, Tokyo and Amsterdam), will culminate in an awards ceremony on June 27. Winners are selected via audience choice; they will win introductions to agents and managers, and earn the chance to be reviewed in national and international press outlets.
by Arjun Sajip
Submissions for the Los Angeles festival open in August.
Keep up with the Vegas festival here:
@Vegas_FilmFest
https://www.facebook.com/LasVegasLiftOff
http://www.lift-off-festival.com/festivals/Las-Vegas-lift-off-film-festival