In the past year, our country increased its national debt by $1.9 trillion, including $245 billion in bailout funds as part of a greater effort to create change. Conversely, Cinequest, a company that has stayed in the black since inception, spent less than $2 million to create change by empowering the artistic revolutionaries of our time: the Mavericks, those who astound, electrify, inspire, laugh, pioneer—and in turn create rippling effects throughout the world. The 20th Anniversary Cinequest Film Festival (CQFF20), Feb. 23 – March 7, 2010, celebrates the vision of Cinequest’s founding artists and innovators: Mavericks.

Highlights include:
A record 76 U.S., North American, and World Premieres.
Directors of global impact including Mika Kaurismäki (The House of Branching Love, The Sound of Rio: Brasileirinho, Moro No Brasil), Alain Resnais (Wild Grass, Hiroshima mon amour), Joon-ho Bong (Mother, The Host), Dagur Kari (The Good Heart, Noi the Albino)
Forty-five countries represented in global film program including: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tibet,Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and Uzbekistan.
Artist & Innovator Forums including 3D and Mastering the Art of Maverick Filmmaking with the Olson Brothers.
Maverick Spirit Award winner Benjamin Bratt with a special screening of La MISSION.
Superb state-of-the-art venues (palatial California Theatre, Camera 12 Cinemas, Camera 3 Cinemas, and the San Jose Repertory Theatre) and added screens equipped with digital servers, digital and 35mm projection, as well as select 3D all within a four block radius.
Enhanced customer service with pioneering Cinequest Interactive Scheduler and Application for the iPhone, Blackberry and Cinequest web site.
Expansion of Soiree events, connecting artists, innovators, media and film lovers to occur nightly.
Encore Day screenings of this year’s Cinequest Award Winners.
Films starring Brian Cox (The Good Heart, Troy), Pierce Brosnan (The Greatest, The Thomas Crown Affair), Susan Sarandon (The Greatest, Dead Man Walking), Carey Mulligan (The Greatest, An Education), Patrick Warburton (The Action Hero's Guide to Saving Lives, Seinfeld), Tabrett Bethell (Anyone You Want, The Legend of the Seeker), Laura Silverman (Cummings Farm, Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic), Paprika Steen (Applause, The Substitute, Adam's Apples), Paul Dano (The Good Heart, Little Miss Sunshine), Zoe Kazan (The Exploding Girl, It's Complicated), Benjamin Bratt (La Mission, Miss Congeniality), Zach Galifianakis (Little Fish Strange Pond, The Hangover), Matthew Modine (Little Fish Strange Pond, Weeds), Callum Blue (Little Fish Strange Pond, The Tudors), Robin Tunney (Passenger Side, The Mentalist), Adam Scott (Passenger Side, Step Brothers), Ravi Kapoor (Raspberry Magic, Heroes), James Franco (The Feast of Stephen (filmmaker), Spider-Man), Adam Baldwin (Little Fish Strange Pond, Chuck), Paul Adelstein (Little Fish Strange Pond, Private Practice), Liza Weil (Little Fish Strange Pond, Gilmore Girls), Nancy Kwan (To Whom It May Concern The Flower Drum Song), Joan Chen (To Whom It May Concern, Lust, Caution), France Nuyen (To Whom It May Concern, South Pacific), Vivian Wu (To Whom It May Concern, The Last Emperor), Michelle Forbes (Diplomacy, True Blood), Lewis Black (Ollie and the Baked Halibut, Unaccompanied Minors,), Lena Headey (The Devil's Wedding, 300)