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UNLV - Bringing Fine Arts and Cinema to Sin City

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UNLV - Bringing Fine Arts and Cinema to Sin City

A high-profile collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery is just one of the many projects at ULNV College of Fine Arts...

It's home to a symphony orchestra, choral ensembles, ever-changing exhibitions, virtual galleries, and museums. It's the base of operations for the Jazz Outreach Initiative, a concert hall, and Nevada Conservatory Theater. Its halls and classrooms honor art's history while fostering future masterpieces. The College of Fine Arts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas powers the pulse of Sin City...and it continues to grow.

Comedian Brad Garrett (center, front) visits students for the launch of "Dean's Picks" interview series in September

UNLV College of Fine Arts has numerous departments, including Art, Dance, Film, Theater, a School of Music, and the School of Architecture. An interdisciplinary Entertainment Engineering/Design program prepares individuals for a real-world entertainment career that reaches beyond performance. Students enrolled in the Entertainment Engineering/Design program get "hands-on experience designing, building, installing, and maintaining the various facilities, equipment, and technologies used in today's entertainment industry."

Shahab Zargari

Shahab Zargari is the Communications Specialist for the UNLV College of Fine Arts. An Iranian-American filmmaker, his skills extend to podcasts, social media, and video production. While Zargari covers all aspects of the College's artistic programs, his involvement in cinema is especially timely as film production, marketing, distribution, and exhibition expand throughout the Valley.

This month, AMERICAN FILM MARKET debuted its annual event at Palms Resort. A six-day meeting of film producers and distributors, it's the largest in the world...and has officially announced Las Vegas as its new home: "The strength of the AFM lies in its ability to create community and present a sophisticated platform for all our participants’ activities in one convenient location. The Palms enables us to do all of that and beyond.” - Clay Epstein, President of Film Mode Entertainment

Danny Tesla (left) attends American Film Market convention at Palms Casino

Vegas-based actor/writer/director Danny Tesla was one such participant. His latest film ANIMAL JUSTICE starring Eric Roberts was previewed to potential buyers at Palms Resort. Here's what he shared on social media:

"Spent all of last week at AFM (American Film Market) in Las Vegas and screened Animal Justice for distributors thanks to one of my producers. It was a very educational week and got to catch up with a lot of people in the industry and hopefully some new connections I made will turn into working relationships in the near future."

Filmmakers are migrating to Las Vegas, enticed by the possibility of millions in tax credits and infrastructure incentives. This may position the city as a potential "Hollywood 2.0". Actor/producer Mark Wahlberg got the ball rolling with Summerlin Film Studio, a proposed multi-purpose facility near Red Rock Resort. Howard Hughes Company and Sony Pictures are committing $1.8 billion to the venture. But they aren't alone. On November 13th, UNLV officially announced a collaboration with Warner Bros Discovery for a new Warner Bros headquarters: [embed]https://youtu.be/_cI4FyWcqzc?si=OlBlblBCXK7eFiox[/embed] “The future is very, very, very bright. Bringing WBD to Las Vegas to create this storied company’s third studio filmmaking hub...would be a transformative moment for every aspect of our society today,” said Dean Nancy Uscher, UNLV College of Fine Arts. “UNLV is poised to become the best film school in the country, one with a national, global reputation," added Bo Bernard, VP of UNLV Economic Development.

Screenshot via unlv.edu “We are excited to welcome Warner Bros. Discovery to our campus and to our partnership. Together, we can help develop the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers, while reaching new heights in training a young workforce, engaging students of all ages in content creation, and enabling UNLV to become synonymous with other leading film schools across the nation. This is a big moment for UNLV and the State of Nevada.” - Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D, UNLV President WARNER BROS Studio Nevada involves a partnership with Birtcher Development. Like Sony's planned studio, the WBD project hinges on a film tax credit bill expected to be voted on in February 2025. After that, the existing Nevada Studios at Harry Reid Research and Technology Park will be rebranded and expanded.

The excitement of UNLV's growth has undoubtedly kept Shahab Zargari busy. Still, his involvement in the film community extends to personal time. I first met this gentleman at a recording of PIECING IT TOGETHER, a podcast for cinephiles by David Rosen. PIECING IT TOGETHER takes place at local cinemas, where film enthusiasts discuss the latest big-screen releases.

L to R : Fran Vuitton, Sam Novak of VEGAS 411, host David Rosen, and film director Shahab Zargari

I also met Fran Vuitton at one of these gatherings. Ms. Vuitton produces 48 HR FILM PROJECT, which we told you about here. The fast-paced competition was held earlier this month, with awards being presented at The Beverly Theater. The “Best Picture” recipient will compete in a global Filmapalooza competition in 2025.

Beyond the world of cinema, Mr. Zargari is excited to share the many happenings on UNLV's campus. He and his team publish a weekly COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS Newsletter. You can receive it at no charge by registering here. Shahab also invited VEGAS 411 to cover UNLV artists in upcoming features. We look forward to sharing their upcoming events and news releases in the future.