What is The Dam Short Film Festival?

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Who would have ever thought that a little town built in 1931, in the middle of the Mohave desert, far from anything resembling existence, a town built to house the dam workers for what would become Hoover Dam; would one day become home to one of the top film festivals in the world?? Surpise!! It Has!!



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Boulder City?

When I first started to do tours and I learned of the film festival, I kind of laughed about it. “Little ole’ Boulder City has a film festival?” Yes, they do and I’m not laughing anymore. This is a big deal!

This film festival is in a little town of 16, 000 people, right next to the metropolis of Las Vegas. To be here, IS a big deal to a lot of people.  And the residents here take it all seriously.  Its called the “Dam Short Film Festival”  2019 will mark the 15th year of its existence and like the town its hosted in, it’s actually world famous.

According to reviews from FilmFreeway users, the Dam Short Film Festival ranks in the top 1.5% of more than 7,000 film festivals and creative contests around the world. That’s a nice place to be!



The Dam Short Film Festival is held in Boulder City, Nevada.  About 3o minutes away from the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign and about 5 minutes from Hoover Dam.  Boulder City likes to say they are the town that built a Dam! (true) The festival runs from February 7 to the 10, 2019.

Book Your Hoover Dam Tour Today  )




What will be shown

Categories for the 15th Annual Dam Short Film Festival include Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Sci-Fi/Horror, Animation, Student, Music Video, and Nevada Filmmaker, presented in 20+ thematic program blocks over four days. It’s an experience that’s guaranteed to enlighten, entertain, and inspire.  Click to see the film list

According to their website:  At the Dam Short Film Festival, it’s the audience that chooses the award winners. After each screening, audience members receive a voting chip and struggle to select a favorite film of the program. Festival organizers tabulate the results, and the best films take home the one-of-a-kind awards, each hand-crafted by a local artist.

Where Will The Films Be Shown

That’s The Cool Part!  All the films will be shown in Digital Cinema format.  That’s nice, bit for a history buff like myself, I love that the films will be presented in the 400-seat Boulder Theatre.   This little gem is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Boulder Theatre was built in 1933 by Fox Theaters and was the only air-conditioned building in town!

Back Story: In 1997, the then closed Fox Movie theatre was purchased by actor/musician Desi Arnaz Jr. and his wife “Miss Amy” in 1997.  Does the name ring a bell?  Yes, it’s THAT Desi Arnaz Jr. As in Little Ricky Ricardo!  They restored the little theatre back to its former glory and used it for community theatre as well as a place to house their Boulder City Ballet Company.

Desi’s wife, Miss Amy was a long time Boulder City resident who, in the early 70’s, went to New York City to study summer ballet at the famous Joffrey School. At the Boarding House, she was assigned a roommate named Kathy.  After they graduated, they stayed penpals for a few years then lost contact with each other.

The Dam Short Film Festival

Seventeen years later, Miss Amy and Desi were watching a ballet competition on TV one night and she saw Kathy dancing.  When checking the credits, Miss Amy realized her friend had married and was now know as Kathy Thibodeaux. Desi commented that Keith Thibodeaux, the child actor who played Little Ricky on the “I Love Lucy” show had married a ballerina. They came to realize that her one-time roommate Kathy had married Lucy and Desi’s TV son while she married the real-life son!

Back to the Festival!

Festival schedule

Thursday, Feb. 7: Movie screenings from noon to 10 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 8: Movie screenings from noon to 6:30 p.m.; filmmaker meet-n-greet from 6:30-8 p.m.; movie screenings from 8-10:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 9: College of Southern Nevada showcase from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Movie screenings from 1:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Dam Mixer from 6:30-8 p.m.; movie screenings from 8-10:45 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 10: Movie screenings from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Best of the Fest from 7:30-9 p.m.; awards party starting at 9 p.m.

More Information: Dam Short Film Festival

Follow them: #DAMSHORTFILM

We are excited, The Vegas Tourist will be there!  This will be our first year attending as Media and are looking forward to the experience. If you are attending and see us, please stop us and say “Hello”!

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