BOULDER CITY (KTNV) — One of the state's oldest and largest film festivals is returning to Boulder City. The six-day Dam Short Film Festival kicks off Wednesday at the Elaine K. Smith Center.
The festival, founded in Boulder City in 2003 before kicking off the first event in 2005, has grown exponentially over the last 21 years.
Hava Brown, the director of events and activities for the festival, says they typically get 1,000 short film submissions every year but can only show up to 150 films.
Dozens of volunteers help view and rate the films to whittle them down to the ones that will ultimately be shown. It's a process that Brown says the filmmakers involved appreciate.
"Filmmakers have actually rated us in the top 1% of 12,000 film festivals around the world because of our dedication of only showing the best films and honoring the filmmakers who make the films," Brown said.
Brown says they're expecting anywhere between 2,500 and 5,000 people to attend the festival.
Brown added that, with so many people who attend each year, the Boulder City community comes together during the event. Between 12 and 15 businesses, including shops and restaurants, are offering discounts to anyone with a film festival badge.
Boulder City officials said that an average February weekend brings around 13,600 visitors to Boulder City. In 2024, the festival brought more than 16,000.
"We see about a 25% increase in revenue and a 36% increase in foot traffic," Brown said. "We're just looking at people who are coming to Boulder City, not going to the Hoover Dam, that are increasing revenue and foot traffic for the community."
The Dam Short Film Festival is happening from Wednesday, Feb. 11 to Monday, Feb. 17.
You can find more information about the festival, including the full schedule and how to get your tickets, on the Dam Short Film Festival's website.
