The hub of activity for this year’s fest was CineVegas Headquarters & Condé Nast Travelers Lounge, known to most as CVHQ. In a stroke of brilliance this converted ballroom served as the info desk and registration area but was also outfitted with a bar and comfy lounge furniture. Daily happy hours raged on mere feet away from more “serious” business, though most of the folks I talked to agreed that for networking purposes CVHQ was a much more suitable venue than any of the raucous evening parties.

Not that those evening soirées weren’t as fabulous as you’d expect. A fair number of them took place in the Palms’ numerous themed nightclubs, of course, but there were also parties up and down the Strip and even a makeshift drive-in theater downtown for a screening of the ’50s classic THEM! (Cinevegas is also the only film festival I know of that has an official gentlemen’s club.)

For most of us, however, the week was all about the movies, and CineVegas’ interactive program guide (provided by B-Side) was the best place to find out the audience buzz about the films. Controversial noir crime flick “South of Heaven” topped the ratings chart, followed by a mixture of shorts and features like the whimsical “Women in Boxes” and hard-core British crime doc “The End.” Other fan favorites included “Last Cup: Road to the World Series of Beer Pong” (moviegoers had an opportunity to challenge the world champs at an afterparty) and character-study documentary “Hi My Name is Ryan.”

If you were in attendance at CineVegas, there’s still time to create an account at cinevegas.bside.com. Don’t forget about your favorite flicks — let the filmmakers know what you thought by rating and reviewing the films on the CineVegas site.