Asif Akbar’s Redemption Celebrates Its World Premiere at SAHARA Las Vegas
The 1980s crime thriller, shot largely in Las Vegas, debuted Oct. 1 at The Pool at SAHARA with its cast, filmmakers and a packed local crowd.
Oct 2, 2026 · 2 min read
Las Vegas rolled out the red carpet Thursday night as filmmaker Asif Akbar’s Redemption celebrated its world premiere at SAHARA Las Vegas, bringing together cast, filmmakers, musicians and members of the local entertainment community for a packed evening centered around the new crime thriller.
Held at The Pool at SAHARA, the October 1 event was hosted by Bobby Khan and featured live performances from Sabine Sauvage and The Matt Farris Band before the feature presentation. Guests arrived for the red carpet ahead of the screening, followed by a Q&A with talent from the film.
Written and directed by Asif Akbar, Redemption is a crime thriller inspired by true events and set against the organized crime world of the 1980s. The story follows Leo Russo, played by Jon Lemmon, a young man who finds himself pulled deeper into a dangerous world involving crime families operating between Cleveland and Las Vegas.
The film brings together a recognizable ensemble cast including Billy Zane, Jon Lovitz, Jaime King, Frank Stallone, Robert Davi, Weston Cage Coppola, Nicholas Petroccione and Lemmon, along with James Di Giacomo, Joseph D’Onofrio, Kelly Lynn Reiter, Michael Sirow and Isaac C. Singleton.
Much of Redemption was filmed in Las Vegas, making Thursday night’s premiere feel especially fitting. Rather than simply bringing the finished movie to the city, the event marked a return to one of the places where the project came together.
The large turnout also reflected the growing appetite in Las Vegas for narrative film premieres and industry-driven events. The evening brought together local creatives, working filmmakers, cast members and supporters in a setting that felt more like a true hometown premiere than a traditional screening.
Following the film, guests remained for the Q&A before the celebration continued into the night.
For Akbar and the team behind Redemption, the premiere marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another as the film prepares for its next steps beyond Las Vegas.
For the local film community, it was another reminder that increasingly ambitious projects are being made here, screened here and supported by an audience that is clearly showing up for them.