GainesCon 2025: A Landmark Celebration of Creative Entrepreneurship at Brenden Theatres in the Palms Hotel

GainesCon 2025, held December 4th and 5th, 2025, transformed Brenden Theatres inside the Palms Hotel Las Vegas into a dynamic hub of independent filmmaking, visionary storytelling, and entertainment entrepreneurship. Bringing together creators, performers, and industry professionals, this year’s festival highlighted the entrepreneurial engine behind Nevada’s rapidly growing creative sector.

Over two full days of screenings, interviews, live performances, and the prestigious Dragon Awards, GainesCon demonstrated the power of independent creators building careers, companies, and cultural impact through self-driven innovation.

A Theater Built on a Legacy of Innovation

Brenden Theatres, founded by Johnny Brenden, stands on a decades-long legacy of entertainment-focused entrepreneurship. As the grandson of Hollywood legend Ted Mann—former owner of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre—Brenden continues a legacy of elevating artistic talent and supporting emerging storytellers.

The choice to host GainesCon at this venue reinforces a longstanding synergy between Hollywood tradition and Nevada’s new era of creative enterprise.

Day One: Independent Vision and Storytelling Momentum

GainesCon opened with CEO Barry Gaines’ remarks and the premiere of the Alter New Media Commercial, setting a high-energy tone for the day.

Screenings began immediately after with a robust lineup of films representing nearly every genre, aesthetic, and production style.

Sponsor Commercials

• Alter New Media
• EOFlix Intro

DAY ONE – BLOCK 1 (1–49)

Anonymous
Foundry
Bad Day Bad Dreams
Ding & Daisy
Nature Valley
Door of Light
Dreamkiller
Highway Rivalry
Hunter
Mission 17
Night Shift
Joan & Talbot

DAY ONE – BLOCK 2 (1–17)

Teammates
Bad Day, Good Man Gone Wrong
Dante’s Inferno
Code of Honor
Death Curse

DAY ONE – BLOCK 3 (1–14)

Adrenaline
Fashion Police
Enter the Room
Into Reality
Desolate

DAY ONE – BLOCK 4 (1–101)

Halo The Rebellion
Marthians Wings
Our Last Scar
Sales and Stuff
The Transition Room
Hitman EX

Industry Interviews

Michael Vignola – Composer
Vignola shared his approach to building a creative business centered on emotional composition, explaining that scoring for independent projects requires both artistic intuition and business savvy.

Rustic Bodomov – Hollywood Stuntman
Bodomov delivered an inside look at career sustainability, the physical craft of stunts, and the entrepreneurial mindset required to thrive in an evolving entertainment landscape.

Day Two: Feature Presentations, Episodics, and Community Recognition

Day Two expanded into episodic storytelling, strategic creator conversations, and high-profile features.

DAY TWO – BLOCK 5 (1–57)

Bad Day EP2
Knight Owls
Offering
Knight Of The Ronin
Quarantine
Rise of Chow

DAY TWO – BLOCK 6 (1–18)

The Girl
Special Activities
Sunset Night School
Summoned

Special Feature Presentation: Mafia Wars

The festival’s signature screening featured Mafia Wars, starring Tom Welling, globally known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in “Smallville.”

Before the film, Welling delivered a surprise video message congratulating the GainesCon community and offering a special acknowledgement to Nicole Gaines, thanking her for being his “number one fan.”
The message quickly became one of the most memorable moments of the event.

Creator Interview with Scott Windhauser

Following the feature, Windhauser discussed the film’s production journey, creative strategy, and the reality of navigating independent feature development.

Performance by Affliction

All the way LIVE from Colorado to Vegas, Hip-hop duo Affliction energized the audience with a performance showcasing their presence as rising independent music entrepreneurs. Check out their melodies to stream on Spotify.

2025 Dragon Awards: Full Winners List

The Dragon Awards honored exceptional creative and technical achievements, rounding out the festival with well-earned recognition.

Red Dragon Trophy

Best Picture: Dante’s Inferno
Directed by Sofian Francis

Golden Dragon Trophy

Best Director: Mandy Kowlski – The Girl
Best Actor: Ace Hilton Tuvilla – Knight Owls
Best Actress: Samantha Kraly – Sunset Night School

Additional Awards

The Dragon Certificate: (Awarded; no recipient listed)
Best Trailer: None this year
Best Action Sequence: Ding and Daisy
Best “No Budget, No Problem” Film: Dreamkiller
Best Screenplay: 5 Stars

Why GainesCon Matters for Creative Entrepreneurship

As a festival built around independent production, GainesCon represents the intersection of art, strategy, and innovation—values that are foundational to Alter New Media’s mission and to the emerging creator economy.

GainesCon highlights:

• Filmmakers operating as founders
• Creatives building personal brands
• Directors forming micro-studios
• Independent musicians leveraging digital tools
• Storytellers transforming ideas into sustainable businesses

Nevada’s creative ecosystem is accelerating, and GainesCon stands as a strong contributor to that momentum.

FIN

GainesCon 2025 delivered an inspiring showcase of creator-led entrepreneurship. Through screenings, interviews, community engagement, and the Dragon Awards, the festival reinforced the importance of independent voices in shaping culture and the creative economy.

As Nevada continues to evolve into a destination for filmmakers and digital creators, GainesCon remains a testament to what is possible when vision, resourcefulness, and opportunity converge.

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