Cinequest strives to keep it interesting after 35 years

After 35 years, the Cinequest Film and Creativity Festival still has some tricks up its sleeve.

While the first half of this year’s festival, set for March 10-22, will take place in its homebase of downtown San Jose, the second half will be held at a venue that some Cinequest fans should find familiar yet changed. In deference to the Nvidia conference, which last March drew about 25,000 folks to downtown and took over many of the venues that Cinequest attendees usually frequent, the festival will pull up stakes and move to the Alamo Drafthouse in Mountain View starting March 14.

Cinequest held a festival at this movie theater in August 2023, when it was still run by ShowPlace ICON. Alamo Drafthouse took over the venue last June.

Films will be screened in both downtown San Jose and Mountain View on March 14-15. On that Saturday, Cinequest will host two Maverick Spirit Award events, marking the first time the festival has welcomed two recipients on the same day.

Vivica A. Fox will receive the Maverick Spirit Award during a moderated conversation following the world premiere of her latest film, “Plan C.” Steve Zahn will be honored following a presentation of “She Dances,” which also stars Ethan Hawke, Rosemarie DeWitt and Zahn’s daughter Audrey. After the screening, there’ll be a conversation with Zahn and director Rick Gomez.

Overall, this year’s festival will screen 268 new films from 44 countries, including 123 world and U.S. premieres.

“We like to keep it interesting,” Cinequest CEO Halfdan Hussey told those assembled for a Jan. 29 media launch at Hayes Mansion in San Jose. “It’s a feast of festival firsts.”

Multiple screens at Alamo Drafthouse means that Cinequest can screen not one but two closing night films on March 22.“Maddie’s Secret” is a comedy written, directed and produced by John Early in his directorial debut. Early also stars as the titular character, a food influencer who struggles with bulimia.

“The Christophers,” also a comedy, was directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Ed Solomon and stars Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel. The movie follows the estranged children of a well-known artist, who employ a forger to finish his incomplete paintings in order to sell them.

The opening night film, “Her Song,” is executive produced by James Ivory, who made his name in the ‘80s with a string of Victorian-period arthouse films. But the evening will begin with a 21st-century twist.

Five AI short films will be shown before the screening, followed by a conversation with industry leaders exploring the state of the art. Presenters include Flick.Art founders Zoey Zhang and Ray Wang, Stanford University’s Manasvini Kothari, and Jiajian Min, co-founder and director of MyStudio and chair of MIT AI Film Hack.

While there’s already plenty of conversation around using artificial intelligence to replace film actors and production staff, Hussey said he views the technology as “a tool and an opportunity.”

“Technology is neutral,” Hussey added. “When it’s in the hands of the user, that’s when it gains its identity.

“We promote technology that benefits humanity. The last thing we want to see is the human component removed.”

Cinequest tickets and passes go on sale Feb. 1 at https://cinequest.org/tickets-passes.