Cinequest 15 Starts Up in San Jose (March 2-March 13)



The Cinequest San Jose Film Festival launched on Wednesday, March 2, with a rollicking opening night at the opulently restored California Theatre, a 1927 movie palace in downtown San Jose. Festival goers clapped along to “California Here I Come” as Bill Taylor played the Mighty Wurlitzer organ until it disappeared beneath the stage of the historic 1,100-seat house.



“Now this is cool, absolutely cool,” said Halfdan Hussey, Cinequest Co-founder and Executive Director, as he welcomed the crowd to the festival that runs until March 13.



Fifteen years ago, Hussey and Kathleen Powell started Cinequest “to serve and to make an impact on people’s lives through the art of cinema.” Six thousand movie lovers attended the first festival, whereas this year the organizers expect 60,000 viewers at the 78 World and U.S. premieres representing over 30 countries. Despite Cinequest’s expansion, Hussey hopes to maintain the human touch that makes this festival unique.



Silicon Valley has long been home to catch phrases like “Do you Yahoo?” Everybody googles. Hussey and company have added the word “Maverick” to the lexicon—as a noun, adjective, verb and adverb. Cinequest has always celebrated Mavericks with independent spirits, whether pioneers or emerging film artists. Actors Sir Ben Kingsley (with work ranging from Gandhi to Sexy Beast), Jon Polito (Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski) and Blanchard Ryan (Open Water) will receive Maverick Spirit Awards, as well as Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah of Ghana (the inspirational subject of Emmanuel’s Gift).



Four screens will offer state-of-the-art digital film experiences courtesy of Panasonic, Sony Electronics and Dolby Laboratories. DXD (Digital by Digital) Forums will focus on maverick technology, the cutting-edge digital tools that enable creativity. Presentations include Digital Effects on a Dime, New Distribution and Delivery Strategies, From Lens to Lens, Mobile Video on Palm Powered Devices and Democratization of Digital Motion Picture Production. The festival continues to maverick the Internet by collaborating with Kontiki to deliver DVD-quality digital content to computers via Cinequest Online (http://www.cinequestonline.org/2005/index.php).



Perhaps no one embodies the “think different” spirit better than Honorary Chairman Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple Computer and current CEO of Wheels of Zeus. After being introduced on stage, Wozniak pointed out that technology drives change. He also performed a magic trick with a green laser pen.



José Roberto Torero’s Como Fazer Um Filme de Amor/Manual for Love Stories set the perfect tone for opening night. Spoofing the conventions of romantic comedies, the light-hearted Brazilian film kept viewers laughing.



Following the awards ceremony on March 13, the curtains will close with the Bay Area premiere of Annette Sjursen’s Min Misunnelige Frisør/My Jealous Barber from Norway.



Susan Tavernetti

Tavernetti is a San Francisco Bay Area journalist


Denise Fraga and Cássio Gabus Mendes star in Como Fazer Um Filme de Amor/Manual for Love Stories