“Gook” directed by Justin Chon won the Best Feature and “The Rabbit Hunt” directed by Patrick Bresnan won the Best Documentary awards at the 10th Annual Las Vegas Film Festival, which wrapped after six fun-filled days and nights of films, panels, special screenings and events at the Brenden Theatres and Palms Casino Resort.
The Festival also introduced a new award this year – Best in Show – for the film that best encapsulated the spirit of the Festival. The inaugural award was given to director Joe Talbot for his short, “American Paradise.” A desperate man in Trump’s America tries to shift his luck with the perfect crime. Inspired by true events.
Additionally, Christina Najar was named winner of the Music Video Lab Audience Award for her music video for the band Scartoon.
2017 Las Vegas Film Festival Award Winners
Best Short
“Shy Guys”
Director: Fredric Lehne
2016 Tony winner Reed Birney brings the laughs as strangers confront and resolve one of the most insidious and perplexing scourges to ever afflict mankind – while standing at neighboring urinals – in this first film from ubiquitous character actor Fredric Lehne.
Best Animation
“Pussy”
Director: Anna Kerrigan
Alone at home one evening, a young girl decides to have a solo pleasure session—but not everything goes according to plan.
Best Vegas Cinema
“Mary Shelleys Fankenweed”
Directors: Nick & Zachary Thomas Byer
After the legalization of both recreational and medical Marijuana- Moses, a local drug dealer, tries to unload a shipment of his “Mary Shelley’s FrankenGreen”, but no one’s buying. After getting a hold of one of his most trusted buyers, Randy- Moses comes to find out Randy has also jumped on the ‘Medical Marijuana’ bandwagon. Through the heartache of this ‘drug dealer to drug user’ break-up, Moses goes on an emotional breakdown.
Best Music Video
“Terror”
Director: Joseph Armario
While cleaning her house, a woman finds a creature living in her couch that will not die.
Best Wildcard
“5 Stages of Dying”
Director: Nima Shoghi
A young man spirals through a wild array of emotions when diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Best Documentary
“The Rabbit Hunt”
Director: Patrick Bresnan
On the weekends during the harvest season, seventeen-year-old Chris and his family hunt rabbits in the sugarcane fields of the Florida Everglades.
Best Feature
“Gook”
Director: Justin Chon
Eli and Daniel are two Korean American brothers that run their late father’s shoe store in a predominantly African American community of Los Angeles. These two brothers strike up a unique and unlikely friendship with an 11-year-old African American girl, Kamilla. As Daniel dreams of becoming a recording artist and Eli struggles to keep the store afloat, racial tensions build to a breaking point in L.A. as the “infamous” L.A. Riots break out.
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