Las Vegas is known for shining lights, thrilling nights, and anything in between. Filmmaking might be overlooked within the parade of activities this city has to offer, but rest assured, there is plenty of innovative storytelling happening in the Silver State.
Film Producer and Executive Producer Steven B. Mandel has resided in Summerlin for the past 22 years, where he’s received at least six awards for his films and has worked alongside some notable figures within the industry. Despite his hard work and determination on the slow road to make Las Vegas a place where film can thrive, he keeps his attitude bright.
Mandel learned much of his craft through his apprenticeship with Producer Frank Capra Jr., son of three-time Oscar winner, Frank Capra. Putting his carefully honed talents to use, Mandel has gone on to produce/executive produce several films, all made here in Las Vegas, one of them being called ‘Luckey Quarter,’ a Stephen King short film that won the Dam Short Film Festival’s “Best Filmmaker” award. Another film Mandel co-produced, and executive produced, ‘Unwritten,’ won the Silver State Film Festival in 2019. His most recent film, ‘House In Time,’ recently won the Golden State Film Festival in Hollywood, California, for “Best Film From an Original Screenplay.”
Alongside his many formidable crew members like Dale Neven, director of ‘Unwritten’ and ‘House In Time,’ Jeremy Settles, executive producer of ‘Unwritten’ and ‘House In Time,’ and Deanna Shapiro, producer of ‘House In Time,’ Mandel has been able to create films with originality that true creatives are proud to indulge. Not only were they up against major competition, but also time restraints and budget played a big part in the process of production. ‘House In Time’ had to be shot in one week, so the cast and crew worked as hard as they could from morning until night. Fortunately, all that hard work paid off when they won the award, and now
‘House In Time’ will be playing in select Galaxy Theatres in Nevada and four other surrounding states, adding to the roster of activities for a fun summer evening.
Mandel has created a home for himself and his two sons here in Summerlin, just minutes away from beautiful hiking trails. His devotion to film motivates Mandel to bring new opportunities for aspiring producers, filmmakers, and actors. With plans to create a hotel casino with a full studio and a new film sequel to ‘Unwritten,’ and a new film, ‘Laredo,’ in the works, Mandel assures this is just the beginning, stating, “There is a film community here. People are into independent films, and we want to expand that industry.”