Yesterday, I checked with the staff at the ticket office, and they informed me that Box Office for the CineVegas Film Festival has been boffo this year. A number of features have been either booked fully or sold to near capacity.
"Sales are higher this year than the past couple of years," one CineVegas volunteer proudly announced.
So, the fest is steaming ahead and garnering stature on the Festival circuit.
But, as I trotted around behind-the-scenes and covered red carpet events in recent days, it has become evident to me the Festival is experiencing some growing pains; consequently, there are issues that need to be sorted out if CineVegas is to continue to surge ahead (and gain respect from the Industry).
Mr. Hopper (Chairman of the Festival), Mr. Greenspun (President of CineVegas) and Trevor Groth (Festival Director) have been dotting on the festival-goers - attending screenings, circulating the events - and ably fulfilling their roles as good-will Ambassadors of the event.
But, it appears that staff in the lower levels of management and in the publicity department are either slipping or not experienced enough to professionally handle their tasks.
A case in point.
Last night, I attended a chi-chi function at Dos Caminos (at the Palazzo Hotel & Casino) and proceeded to engage guests in a bit of dialogue to rustle up feedback about their CineVegas experience.
At one point, I alighted next to a lovely couple at the warm outgoing event.
The smartly-attired well-manicured woman was curious as to who I was, and subsequently, lifted up my press pass to get a gander at it to determine my association with the Festival.
At this juncture, we engaged in a spirited discussion, and I learned they were contributors to CineVegas.
Sadly, the woman informed me that her and her hubbie felt a little out-of-sorts that day at the "Get Smart" screening. In spite of the fact they were sponsors of the festival, staff placed them in lousy seats near the rear of the theatre; consequently, they felt neglected.
Another woman I have become friends with at the Festival also ran into the same problem. In spite of the fact she paid $600.00 for a Festival pass, the local art dealer was placed in a spot "outfield". Boy, was she miffed!
She proceeded to request better seating elsewhere in the theatre. And, got it.
The couple in question didn't venture down the same path because they didn't want to cause a fuss or throw a damper on what they surmised would be a satisfying cultural experience that afternoon.
So, there I was smoothing over the waters trying to make things better.
What else could I do?
As the old saying goes, "That's not my job!"
Also, it appears that staff in the publicity department have made some poor judgments calls which reflect negatively on their integrity and ethical standards.
For instance, when members of the press or photographers arrive at the CineVegas Headquarters lounge - Kelly Frey, Francesca Torre, and Taylor Banks - don't even bother to introduce themselves as staff in the Publicity Department or welcome guests to the festival. Imagine that!
Another problem occurred when one local Vegas press person went to pick up his ticket for the feature film - "Your Name Here" - and was informed that last-minute an LA TIMES reporter swooped into the press room requesting a ticket.
Instead of noting that the screening was sold out, they gave the man's ticket to the columnist without batting an eye, nor did they show any remorse for their questionable conduct.
That su**s.
The press are required to submit RSVP's for special events and request tickets with appropriate advance notice. If the Los Angeles daily screwed up, or arrived late, why should the other man suffer?
Last minute - I decided to attend that screening - but was told the theatre was sold out.
That was okay in that circumstance as far as I was concerned; after all, I was just going on spec an hour or so before the curtain fell - so I was forced to accept the consequences for not planning farther ahead.
But, in my case there turned out to be a Feature Film God!
At the event last night, I nonchalantly slipped into a seat at the bar next to the marketing person (Jennifer C. Lai at Everstudios) promoting the film and she proceeded to arrange for a copy of "YOUR NAME HERE" to be delivered to me so that I could screen it privately.
Other press folks didn't get tickets to events they registered for. For example, when a few media types arrived at the PR Office, staff coldly informed them that their paperwork was either lost or had not been processed for some inexplicable reason. They were SOL.
Oops!
Someone is not going to get coverage from a handful of media outlets due to staff error, negligence or incompetence.
And, that hits home.
Two weeks ago, I personally notified the PR Office that I wanted to attend the Murakami Event, scheduled later today.
I covered Murakami's Los Angeles show, so as a matter of continuity, I desired to follow through with an in-depth analysis of his exhibition in Vegas.
No one has followed through or confirmed if my ticket has been processed.
So, Mr. Murakami loses coverage because of staff oversight?
Then, there have been some problems with staff getting in the way of the photographers at red carpet events.
A handful of paparazzi complained to me that as they are lining up to shoot the stars at the premieres, staff stand in the way and screw up the shot.
One photographer noted that when he complained, the staffer shrugged casually and remarked in an off-handed way, "Just photoshop it."
As a professional photog pointed out, when shots are submitted to editors at magazines and newspapers, they are inclined to pick the stills that are ready to publish. So, the photographer may lose out on a sale because the publicity shot has a hand, shoulder, or back of "someone" in it.
And, the star may not get coverage as a result, either.
It appears that staff in the PR office are not familiar with the Hollywood publicity machine or how it works.
Another filmgoer expressed her dismay that a film she took in was quite ragged and that the production values were poor.
"A festival of this stature should not have such low quality films," she argued.
Personally, from a critic's point of view, I will sometimes overlook the fact that a first-timer's project is a little rough around the edges - if the message is strong, the material is highly original - and it impacts on a deeper level than that of the purely visual.
But, the woman did have a point.
Another film - "South of Heaven" - was rife with images of women being beaten or tortured. As the tale unfolded, I cringed. Ironically, as the thought crossed my mind that the project might offend women, a few ladies got up and walked out.
It is one thing to make a statement about a relevant social and/or political issue, but when a film exploits torture and violence and has no redeeming value, one has to wonder...what is the point?
Orson Welles once said,
"A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet."
