Cinequest 2026: Here are 15 films to catch at beloved San Jose festival
Cinequest, the South Bay’s popular and prestigious annual film festival, returns next week for its 35th celebration of independent filmmaking, and has it ever whipped up a diverse, massive menu that will dazzle and delight movie lovers’ palettes.
The theme for the March 10-22 festival is “Unbridled,” which certainly reflects the spirit of the event’s eye-popping 268-film selection, including short-film programs. Screenings will take place at the California and Hammer theaters in San Jose and the Alamo Drafthouse in Mountain View.
This year also marks a first for Cinequest, with the presentation of two Maverick Spirit awards: one to beloved character actor Steve Zahn (March 14, after a screening of “She Dances” which he co-wrote and stars in) and the other to the accomplished star Vivica A. Fox (March 14, after a screening of the thriller “Plan C,” in which she co-stars).
The fest kicks off 7:15 p.m. March 10 with the world premiere of John M. Keller’s breezy comedy “Her Song,” at the California Theatre.
Highlights abound, including director Ben Wheatley’s violent and funny neo-Western “Normal” (March 21) starring the always dependable Bob Odenkirk; and director Steven Soderbergh’s latest “The Christophers” (one of two closing night features on March 22) starring Sir Ian McKellen in a skewering of the art world.
As it’s done in the past, the festival will spotlight a silent film classic and this year‘s hot-ticket item is 1925’s “Ben-Hur” (March 13) starring Ramon Novarro.
Of course, there will also be films with Bay Area ties, including two shorts from multi-talented Dana Nachman of Los Altos — a rom-com about a fan fiction writer/NYU film student and her stories about a certain Chalamet, “Writing for Timothée”; and the touching “The Second Life of Freddie Nole” about extending a helping hand to someone who’s just been released from incarceration. (Don’t miss that one.)
Meanwhile former Mountain View resident John Kim will debut his peppy comedy “Reunion,” about a 20-year high school reunion that is a blast from the past, while former San Bruno/Burlingame resident Joel Veach conjures up the spirt of neo-noir from yesteryear with “American Muscle.” Also, Bay Area filmmaker Helen Zhu and her son Ethan focus on a life-changing trip to China in the documentary “Comedy Family Style.”
And that’s just scraping the Bay Area surface.
Here are 15 recommend films that we checked out in advance.
“She Dances”: Steve Zahn — one of Cinequest’s two 2026 Maverick Spirit Award recipients — and his talented real-life daughter Audrey’s soulful performances distinguish a personal drama from director/co-screenwriter Rick Gomez. Prepare for a healthy cry. High school senior Claire (Audrey Zahn) and bestie Kat (Mackenzie Ziegler) require an adult guardian to accompany them to a dance competition. Claire’s estranged dad Jason (Steve Zahn) reluctantly signs on, and the friction between the two speaks to unresolved issues that need to be addressed. “She Dances” straddles the line between sweet and sad and handles both sentiments well. Ethan Hawke, Sonequa Martin-Green and Rosemarie DeWitt co-star, but this is the Zahns’ film. They’ll win your heart even if the three “Dance Moms” steal every scene they’re in. Screening: 2 p.m. March 14 at California Theatre; includes Maverick Spirit Award presentation.
“Maddie’s Secret”: On paper, it sounds like it would be a horrifying disaster — a melodrama on the travails and triumphs of an anguished dishwasher-turned-food-influencer and chef who’s hiding an eating disorder from a bear-like hubby (Eric Rahill) and a jabberjaw co-worker (Kate Berlant). That it cast John Early, a guy, to portray Maddie, a woman, makes it even more circumspect. But Early, who also wrote and directed this high-wire act, couldn’t be better for a John Waters light delight that lampoons handwringing specials that used to dominate TV. Give it a try. Screening: Closing night film, 7:20 p.m. March 22 at Alamo Drafthouse.
“Road to L’Étape du Tour”: Bay Area cyclists won’t be the only ones falling for screenwriter/director Julia Coulter’s low-key drama about a 29-year-old woman (Coulter) with a heart condition who decides to train for a 300-mile ride that’s part of the Tour de France. Resolved to that goal after a tragedy, Amy’s goal radicalizes her life. A hunky cycle store manager (Luis Augusto Figueroa) offers encouragement and tips, and serves as more than mere eye candy. Coulter performs triple duties well in an inspiring film about taking risks and taking the road less traveled to find happiness. Screenings: 2:40 p.m. March 15 and 9:45 p.m. March 18 at Alamo Drafthouse.
“Give It Up”: Mortimer (Gareth Reynolds) just had his career go up in flames and it all got filmed by a crew documenting what happened before and after a 9-year-old replaced him on a podcast he co-hosted. Blaming everyone but his own lazy self, Mortimer returns to stand-up comedy but his touring shtick bombs. Mortimer’s cluelessness and strong sense of self make him a pain in the butt but that’s what adds to “Give It Up’s” high laugh count. The other reason? Reynolds. The co-screenwriter mines comedic gold out of this material. Screenings: 2:30 p.m. March 15 at California Theatre; 11:30 a.m. March 18 and 2:15 p.m. March 20 at Alamo Drafthouse.
“Born to Lose”: Garrett Hardy Davis’ cinematography emulates the dark path that director/co-screenwriter Joseph Zentil chooses to follow in a character study of restless small-town Kentucky motorcyclist Andy Logan (Dylan Arnold), a handsome guy who isn’t catching much of a break. Just consider: His dad has OD’d; his sister works at a strip club and fears her hot-headed boyfriend/boss. And then there’s that bag stuffed with cash and drugs, the real troublemaker. Arnold’s committed performance makes us care what fate will befall Andy while James Le Gros’s presence as Logan’s de-facto guide gives the film extra depth. Screenings: 4:30 p.m. March 14 at Hammer Theatre; 12:15 p.m. March 17 at Alamo Drafthouse.
“Her Song”: An author returns to her grandmother’s quaint French village where she settles into the rhythms of country life while researching a novel that takes more than a few pages from her family tree. She has breezy encounters with various town eccentrics and develops a close friendship with a captivating woman who becomes fodder for her main character. James Ivory executive-produced this COVID-era-set drama and it’s up to his usual high standards. And leads Kalki Koechlin and Eléa Clair make for some pleasant company. Screening: 7:15 p.m. March 10 at California Theatre.
“American Muscle”: Former San Bruno resident Joel Veach has a real ear for Quentin Tarantino-esque wise-guy dialogue and inserts some delicious twists in this killer neo-noir, which gets into the headspace of a Jim Thompson novel. Ray (David W. Thompson) operates a mechanic shop way out there in Kern County while tending to his severely ill dad. He starts feeling the heat from two debt collectors along with his estranged sister (Liana Wright-Mark) who stops by unannounced. Ray goes on to make one bad move after another in a taut thriller that makes one good move after another. Screenings: 11:30 a.m. March 14 at California Theatre; 4 p.m. March 16 and 4:50 p.m. March 20 at Alamo Drafthouse.
“Carolina Caroline”: Caroline (Samra Weaving of “Ready or Not”) needs an escape hatch from a humdrum existence in a small Texas town where she stocks shelves at a gas station. Enter slick swindler Oliver (Kyle Gallner of “Strange Darling”). He teaches Caroline shady ways to bilk bucks from the unsuspecting, and soon they’re red-hot lovers. They later zip off like Bonnie and Clyde wannabes on a crime spree. Director Adam Carter Rehmeier (“Dinner in America,” “Snack Shack”) and screenwriter Tom Dean keep this thriller zipping along but what really fires it up are its two leads and a great assist from Kyra Sedgwick in a hold-on-to-your-socks cameo. Screening: 7:15 p.m. March 11 at California Theatre.
“Heartworm”: No doubt Miriam and Mitchell Arens’ feature debut seems timely with its concerns about the seductive power of AI, but it’s also a moving portrait about grief. Stage/screen star Amber Gray (a Tony nominee for “Hadestown”) is phenomenal as a mourning mom/wife worried over her depressed hubby (Juan Riedinger) opting out of real life to devote more time in NeuraLife, a sort of nirvana otherworld that scrubs him clean of his paralyzing grief. Desperate to save her husband, Avena (Gray) enters that AI zone and confronts a new challenge herself. Mitchell Arens’ cinematography simulates a fugue-like state that mirrors the vortex of grief that pervades through this heartrending film. Screenings: 2:30 p.m. March 14 and 2:35 p.m. March 17, Alamo Drafthouse.
“This Tempting Madness”: Is Mia (“Bridgerton’s” Simone Ashley) going insane or is someone — a relative, perhaps, or that hot husband — gaslighting the hell out of her? That’s what confronts our heroine when she awakens from a coma after a near-fatal plunge in an airport terminal. Director Jennifer E. Montgomery keeps audiences off-balance throughout as the pieces of the puzzle start to lock together. She does so through fragmented, perhaps untrustworthy flashbacks and Mia’s visions. Set mostly in a sprawling Architecture Digest-like L.A. home complete with a pool and a wine cellar, “This Tempting Madness” worms into your psyche as its reaches its shattering conclusion. Inspired by a true story, it’s ominously yet glossily shot and features a searing performance from Ashley. Screenings: 7 p.m. March 14 and 9:55 p.m. March 17 at Alamo Drafthouse.
“Wardriver”: A Salt Lake City hacker (Dane DeHaan of “Kill Your Darlings”) and his unparalleled criminal techie skills gets called out by a doorman (Mamoudou Athie) at a swanky restaurant. Rather than turning the hacker in, he demands that he work his computer magic to bilk a dirty politician (Jeffrey Donovan) out of big bucks. The loss of cash puts a target on the back of that married politician’s mistress (Sasha Calle). To avoid disaster, the two hatch a foolproof plan. But is it really foolproof? This slick femme fatale thriller from director Rebecca Thomas finds DeHaan in fine form and and features a screenplay from Daniel Casey that’s lined with surprises. Screenings: 9:30 p.m. March 14 at California Theatre; 11:30 a.m. March 16 at Alamo Drafthouse.
“Mermaid”: Cape Cod drag queen Pepper (Arturo Luíz Soria) — still mourning the death of his husband — bonds with a suicidal 10-year-old (Devyn McDowell) whose mother has died and whose father (Nat Faxon) won’t accept who she truly is. Director Fia Perera’s uplifting drama doesn’t soft pedal the hair-trigger emotional distress either of these two characters are experiencing, which is what makes “Mermaid” that much more powerful. Perera draws out good performances from all, but it is Soria and McDowell’s from-the-heart acting that sets this one apart. Screenings: 7 p.m. March 14 at Hammer Theatre; 12:20 p.m. March 18 at Alamo Drafthouse.
“The Vanishing of Dolores Wulff”: For decades, relatives suspected the one responsible for the disappearance of Dolores Wulff, a Woodland mother of four who vanished without a trace one night in 1979, was her husband. And they tormented the man, who claimed he had no clue about the crime but showed little emotion. Director Paul Sadowski revisits what happened that night through re-enactments and interviews with relatives, including Dolores’ son Paul, a football coach at Cal Poly, who was 12 when she disappeared. They share stories of trying to get a confession from Paul’s father and about the investigation that went on to solve the case and give the family some peace of mind and closure. It’s engrossing and moving, especially in its closing moments. Screenings: 7:10 p.m. March 16 and 12:30 p.m. March 19, both at Alamo Drafthouse.
“Adult Children”: Four adult siblings discover that growing pains are here to stay in Rich Newey’s family dramedy that’s bolstered by a terrific cast. The hottest mess in this brood, at least from outward appearances, is Josh (Thomas Sadoski), a firefighter battling demons, pills and booze. His three sisters (Betsy Brandt, Aya Cash and Ella Rubin) agree to watch him and keep him clean while their mom (Mimi Rogers) goes on a European trip. (Each child has a different dad.) But Josh isn’t the only one wrestling with problems, as these tightknit sibs’ secrets bubble to the fore. Be prepared to see elements of yourself — and perhaps your own family — while watching this charmer. Screenings: 4:50 p.m. March 15 at California Theatre; 6:15 p.m. March 17 at Alamo Drafthouse.
“Remember Me Always”: At one point in Mateo Garimberti’s dreamy B&W film, one character observes, “I’m not who she thinks I am.” It’s a line that drips with noir nourishment. But it also sums up this moody, artful piece, which all but demands attentive viewers pierce through the shadows and fog to get at its meaning. It’s worth the effort. Set mostly in a hotel in Argentina, “Remember” uses a classic plot schematic where the past comes back to haunt someone, in this case, a hotel manager (Javier Kussrow). If you’re a fan of classic noirs, you won’t want to miss it. Screenings: 4:30 p.m. March 12 at Hammer Theatre; 7:05 p.m. March 19 and noon March 22 at Alamo Drafthouse.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.
CINEQUEST
When: March 10-22 in person; March 24-31 virtual
Where: Screenings are at California Theatre and Hammer Theatre, San Jose, and Alamo Drafthouse, Mountain View
Tickets: $14 general, $9 students, $8 matinee (weekdays before 5 p.m.); 10-pack, $110; $30 for opening night events and party; $15 opening night film only and Maverick Spirit Awards.
More information: www.cinequest.org