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Drama, horror, romance on tap at film festival

The 10th annual Dam Short Film Festival began Wednesday at the Boulder Theatre, offering a record 171 short films playing over five days, as well as film-related events around town. The Boulder City Review compiled a list of recommended films and events, based on the festival website and our experiences at past festivals.

Thursday

n Filmmaker panel discussion, noon-1 p.m. Filmmakers from six of the festival’s featured films will discuss short films, filmmaking and filmmakers.

n “Drama C: Boom! Bang! Pow!,” 3:30-4:30 p.m. The festival’s action film block features four short films.

n “Horror: The Monster Inside,” 9:45-11 p.m. After you put the kids to bed, you can head over to the PG-13 horror film block, featuring seven films.

Friday

n Press conference, 11 a.m. to noon. Stop by the filmmaker/press lounge in the basement of the Boulder Dam Hotel, where a selection of filmmakers will be fielding questions from the press and audience.

n “Drama F: Date Night,” 4-5:15 p.m. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with this special block of five films for lovers.

n “Retrospective A: 10 Years of Nevada Films,” 6-7:15 p.m. The Nevada filmmakers retrospective will feature eight films made by locals from previous years.

n “Drama G: Love and Romance,” Friday, 9-11 p.m. The festival’s second Valentine’s Day film block features six films. The first 25 couples receive a free box of candy from Grandma Daisy’s.

Saturday

n “Secrets of the Dam Short Film Festival,” Sat., 10:30-11:30 a.m. Festival executive director Lee Lanier and festival director John LaBonney will give a special presentation about the organization and “deep dark secrets” of the festival.

n “10 Years of Comedy,” 3:30-5 p.m. The festival’s comedy retrospective features nine of the best short comedies from past years.

n 10th Dam Mixer, 5-7 p.m. at Boulder Dam Brewing Co. Go to discuss films, network or simply to eat the free food at this social event.

n “Nevada Filmmakers,” 7:15-8:45 p.m. This annual showcase is always the most popular and features some of the best new films from the state’s film community. Advance ticket purchase for this event is recommended.

Sunday

n “Documentary B: Persons of Interest,” noon-1 p.m. The hundreds of submissions the festival receives every year usually include a number of compelling short documentaries. The six featured in this film block focus on people.

n “Retrospective C: 10 Years of Animation,” 1:45-2:45 p.m. This retrospective block features the eight best animated films from the festival’s history.

n Awards gala. Celebrate the best films of this year at the Boulder Theatre. The event features a red carpet arrival from 5:45-6:30 p.m. and an awards presentation from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Following the presentation, the award-winning films will be screened again from 7:30-9:30 p.m.

For a complete schedule and ticketing information, visit www.damshortfilm.org.

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Best Bets, March 9-15

1 READY TO ROCK: The Rock, Roll & Stroll fundraiser for the Senior Center of Boulder City’s Meals on Wheels program will be presented from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in Bicentennial Park, 999 Colorado St. The fifth annual event will include a car show, games, food and music by DJ Mike Pacini. For more information, call 702-293-3320.

Best Bets, March 2-8

1 MUSIC MAKER: Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ted Sablay will perform at the Boulder Dam Brewing Company from 7-10 Saturday night. A native of Wisconsin, Sablay now calls Las Vegas home. He has spent much of the past 20 years as a touring member and regular collaborator with The Killers. He debuted his first album as a solo artist in 2022. The Brewpub is at 453 Nevada Way. Call 702-243-2739 or visit www.boulderdambrewing.com for more information.

Best Bets, Feb. 23-March 1

1 FANTASTIC THEATER: The Young Hearts Theater Group, sponsored by Boulder City United Methodist Church, will present C.S. Lewis’ classic fantasy tale “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Elaine K. Smith Building, 700 Wyoming St. Admission is free.

Best Bets, Feb. 16-22

1 MORE MOVIES: The Dam Short Film Festival returns for its 19th incarnation and with in-person screenings, but at a new location. Scheduled Thursday through Monday at the Elaine K. Smith Building, 700 Wyoming St., the festival will screen 153 short films in about 30 programs. Tickets are $12.50 per program, $45 for a full-day pass and $150 for an event pass. Visit www.damshortfilm.org for more information.

Best Bets, Feb. 9-15

1 RED CARPET READY: Celebrity couples will be roaming the streets downtown Saturday as the Best Dam Wine Walk hosts its monthly event. Scheduled from 4-8 p.m., with check-in through 6:30 at My 4 Sons Comic Cards, 1308 Wyoming St., the wine walk provides an opportunity to visit local businesses, often after their regular hours. Admission is $25 per person, plus Eventbrite fees, in advance or $30 at check-in.

Film fest returns to in-person schedule

After two years of trying to do everything online, Lee Lanier is ready to welcome live audiences back to the Dam Short Film Festival. The latest edition of the popular festival is scheduled to run Feb. 16-20 in downtown Boulder City.