CINEQUEST FILM FESTIVAL 23

Posted on February 22, 2013 by mlsentertainment

Harrison Ford, Salman Rushdie, 4K Film,

As the worldwide, preeminent discovery ground for both cinema and media innovation, on February 26, Cinequest Film Festival 23 (CQFF23) unleashes its biggest and most impactful lineup of global films, artists, and technologies. The festival runs until March 10 in San Jose / Silicon Valley.

 

Highlights include:

  • Maverick Spirit Award events with iconic actor Harrison Ford and renowned author Salman Rushdie. Cinequest’s highest honors go to leaders standing out from the crowd, daring to create and innovate with a personal yet global vision. It is this spirit that sums up the best of the worlds of cinema and Silicon Valley. Past guest recipients include J.J. Abrams, Kevin Spacey, William H. Macy, Gus Van Sant, Spike Lee, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jackie Chan, Sir Ian McKellen, Edward James Olmos, Robert Wise, Alec Baldwin, and Sir Ben Kingsley.
  • State-of-the-art film viewing and film making technologies:  Artist & Innovator forums on Sony 4K innovations will explore leading-edge cinema exhibition opportunities for audiences in both home and theatre environments, as well as applications for film artists on all budget levels. 4K restoration will be on grand display through astonishing screenings of classic films, such as Taxi Driver, Lawrence of Arabia, and Dr. Strangelove. Barco and Sony 4K projection will infuse the festival’s top quality venues with the highest illumination quality: The California Theatre, Camera 12 Cinemas, San Jose Repertory Theatre, plus official hotels (The Fairmont San Jose, Hilton San Jose, Hyatt Place San Jose), all within four blocks of each other.
  • Picture The Possibilities Season Two premiere event includes: 1) premieres of youth films from Beijing, Los Angeles, New York City, Mexico City, Hong Kong, and Silicon Valley, 2) conversations among business and entertainment leaders and the youth participants about their visions presented in the films for a better tomorrow and 3) release of 7 Powers Of Creating (written and published by Cinequest Picture the Possibilities).
  • Opening (Ginger & Rosa) and Closing (Midnight’s Children) events directed by international powerhouses Sally Potter (Orlando) and Deepa Mehta (Water, Earth, Fire).
  • Eighty-five World, North American and U.S. premieres from 48 countries, including star performances by Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Annette Bening, Oliver Platt, and Christina Hendricks (Ginger & Rosa – Opening Night); Jamie Chung (Eden); Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt); Laura Prepon and Dreama Walker (The Kitchen); Minnie Driver (Hunky Dory); Tommy Lee Jones (Emperor); Andy Garcia (as himself, Cubamerican); James Cromwell and Geneviève Bujold (Still); Chris Penn, Anthony Michael Hall, and Tony Danza (Aftermath); Clancy Brown, Chase Williamson, and Ashley Bell (Sparks); Chris O’Dowd (The Sapphires); Jessalyn Gilsig (Somewhere Slow); George A. Romero (as himself, Year Of The Living Dead); and Natalie Zea (Sweet Talk).
  • Over 700 presenting artists and innovators.
  • New audience engagements: audiences (expected to exceed 100,000) will engage with events, presenters, and films in fresh, exciting ways, including through audience immersive tablet applications, Knight Foundation Audience Awards ($50,000 to be allocated between top dramatic and documentary features) and new emotive segments to bring the films to the audience based on what they want to feel: Celebration, Innovation, Inspiration, Thrills, Laughs, Life, and Love.

CELEBRATION

            No matter what event or film you attend at Cinequest Film Festival, as it’s been for the past 23 years, there’s always reason to celebrate. We begin the festival with an electric evening on February 26, with Sally Potter’s (Orlando) latest, Ginger & Rosa, starring Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Annette Bening, and Christina Hendricks in the emotionally charged story of two young women coming of age in 1960s London during the Cold War and the sexual revolution. This irresistible tale, set against the backdrop of potential global, nuclear devastation, will take place in the palatial California Theatre at 7 p.m., immediately followed by the Opening Night party at the Corinthian Event Center. Throughout the festival, there will be over 20 VIP Soirees and Maverick Meetups to stoke up the fun. And don’t miss the Maverick Spirit Award presentation to Chef Dominique Crenn at The Fairmont San Jose on Friday, March 8, from 5-7 p.m., as she takes us on a culinary journey in her vastly inventive fusion of creativity and culinary innovation. An evening of artful hors d’oeuvres, delectably complex wines, and a conversation moderated by KCBS’s food expert Liam Mayclem will whet any attendee’s appetite. We close the festival on two of the highest notes. The Closing Night event will showcase Midnight’s Children, an epic story overflowing with romance, fantasy, humor, and magic, featuring the momentous collaboration between Deepa Mehta and world-renowned novelist Salman Rushdie who wrote the screenplay based on his own Booker Prize-award-winning book. Rushdie will receive Cinequest’s Maverick Spirit Award following the screening. After the closing awards presentation, we will celebrate the night away at The Tech Museum of Innovation, sponsored and catered by Black Tie Fine Catering. But as is the case with any major celebration you don’t want to end, we will continue the festivities with Encore Day on Sunday, March 10. Cap off your tremendous Cinequest experience with an encore screening of the festival’s award-winning and audience favorite films, while also enjoying culinary offerings from the top Bay Area’s gourmet food trucks.

 

INNOVATION

            At the core of Cinequest is the spirit of breaking the norm, extending the boundaries, and challenging accepted ideas to improve communities. At Cinequest Film Festival 23, we will showcase every film with Sony 4K or Barco projection technologies, offering audiences and artists a thrilling, leading-edge movie experience. In true Cinequest fashion, audiences will have breathtaking opportunities to see three cinematic masterpieces restored to a splendor light years beyond the best available theatrical experiences when the films were released: David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia (March 2 at 1:15 p.m.), Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (March 6 at 7:15 p.m.), and Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove (March 9 at 1:00 p.m.). But while we recognize these glorious films from the past, we will also showcase the freshest talent in the industry. Join Spartan Films and their student filmmakers on Tuesday, March 5 at 9:30 p.m. in this spotlight event that includes a sneak-peak screening of their latest Always Learning, preceded by interviews with Spartan Films’ principals, Barnaby Dallas and Nick Martinez, plus the directors of All About Dad and Super Hero Party Clown.

 

Cinequest Picture the Possibilities (PTP) presents the world premiere of their second season of the global youth’s work from Silicon Valley and New York, to Mexico City, Jakarta, and Beijing. On Sunday March 3, our youth connect with global leaders in a conversation about the steps they passionately feel will create a better tomorrow. Preceding the premieres will be the launch of the 7 Powers of Creating book, highlighting the tools necessary for creation, from art, to science, to business. At the center of where creativity meets innovation, Cinequest presents the dynamic Artist & Innovator (A&I) Forums where esteemed art and entertainment leaders meet their counterparts from innovation and business for revolutionary discussions and visual presentations focusing on cutting-edge topics.

 

INSPIRATION

            Harrison Ford (Witness, Indiana Jones, Star Wars and much more) is, without question, one of cinema’s most iconic actors, approaching his art with a brilliant array of integrity, commitment, profound charisma, and authority. Join Cinequest on Sunday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m. for a riveting evening with Mr. Ford, as we present him our Maverick Spirit Award. Event moderated by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, CEO of Girls Club Entertainment and director of Miss Representation.

 

Though film is primarily a visual medium, everything experienced in cinema began as words flowing across a page, emerging from a writer’s imagination. At the Writers Celebration, join conversations with Academy Award-winner Bobby Moresco (Crash) and several other movers and shakers in the screenwriting world for a dynamic event from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 2. Adding to these inspiring events, the entire line up of emotionally involving films showcase the strength, perseverance, and courage needed to achieve one’s dreams and the driving forces that motivate each individual. Andy Garcia (Ocean’s 11, The Untouchables) and San Franciscan interior designer Orlando Diaz-Azcuy and San Franciscan ballet dancer Lorena Feijoo, alongside many others help create Cubamerican, a spirited narration covering 60 years of those who fled Cuba during the Revolution and how they’ve become one of the most impactful groups of the last half century. Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself is an inspirational and fascinating journey through the life of a man who seemingly did it all. Bay Area residents will revel in Stable Life, a compelling story of high-stakes, family dynamics, immigration, and life on the racetrack. And for those who believe “it” just can’t be done, we are lucky to have the world premiere of Wampler’s Ascent as Steve Wampler refuses to allow any physical or mental obstacles stand in his way. An emotionally stirring story, it documents Wampler’s journey to become the first man with Cerebral Palsy to scale Yosemite’s granite monolith, El Capitan.  Regardless of film lovers’ choice, Cinequest 23 offers films that fill the entire emotional spectrum, some of which may inspire them, or someone they know, to go beyond the confines of the norm, to do something extraordinary.

 

THRILLS

            A powerful storyline, suspenseful music, and a cloak of mystery are elements that thrill. We’ve lined up the perfect blend of action, suspense, and disguises to have even the most seasoned audiences white-knuckling the arms of their seats. The world premiere of Chris Penn’s (Reservoir Dogs) final film Aftermath, starring Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone), Tony Danza (The Practice), Elisabeth Rohm (Heroes), and Frank Whaley (Pulp Fiction) is a powerhouse thriller where a man finds himself plummeting down a slippery slope of violence and hired hit men when one of his employees goes missing. From our usual treasure trove of Chinese cinema comes An Inaccurate Memoir, one of the most intriguing films of the year. The Far East meets Wild West action in this breathtakingly visual and poetic tale of a group of bandits taking on the Japanese government during Japan’s occupation of China. Cinequest is honored to present the critically-acclaimed Eden, starring Jamie Chung (Suckerpunch, Once Upon A Time) in the intense tale of a kidnapped woman fighting against all odds to save herself. Rounding out some of the notable Thrills films is the world premiere of Sparks. Great power breeds greater villains in this groundbreaking and stylized superhero noir film, starring Chase Williamson (John Dies at the End), Clancy Brown (Shawshank Redemption), Jake Busey (Starship Troopers), Clint Howard (Apollo 13), Ashley Bell (The Last Exorcism), Marina Squerciati (Gossip Girls), and William Katt (Carrie, The Greatest American Hero). Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or simply want to remember what goose bumps feel like, these Thrills films will fit the bill.

 

LAUGHS

            Laugh ‘til it hurts – that’s always Cinequest’s aim for its comedy line-up and this year is no exception. In fact, we have an awesome slate of humor lined up for CQFF23. Laura Prepon (That ‘70s Show) and Dreama Walker (Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23) star in The Kitchen, an ensemble, break-neck romp that truly gives meaning to the phrase “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!” We also the have world premieres of 7 Lives of Chance, Congratulations!, Leave of Absence, Lonely Boy, The Space Jockey Pursuit, and Twenty Million People. Ranging from the psychedelic comedy involving a red balloon to the delightfully twisted, romantic misadventures of a schizophrenic, the Laughs sections will giddily underscore its moniker and breathe some hearty guffaws into what will be a roaring good time.

 

LIFE

            Our most powerful program, Life, explores the inner emotions, conflicting, uplifting, messy, and mysterious, that are such an integral part of the human condition. Leading off, Academy Award-winner Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men) and Matthew Fox (Lost) star in Emperor, centered on a weighty decision General Douglas MacArthur must make when Japanese Emperor Hirohito surrenders to the Allied Forces, marking the end of WWII. Chapman beautifully captures the throes of first loves and their vital importance in discovering one’s place in the world, starring Jesse Johnson (Killing Lincoln), Chris Masterson (Malcolm in the Middle), Christine Woods (FlashForward), and Caitlin Thompson (Crazy, Stupid, Love.). Thomas Vinterberg directs The Hunt, featuring the incomparable Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) ― awarded Best Actor at Cannes for this performance ― in an intense tale of an innocent man wrongly accused of a horrendous act. Alongside this star-studded line-up and the plethora of amazing films, we have the distinct honor to host the world premiere of Idomeneo, Mozart’s personal favorite of all his operas. Presented by The Packard Humanities Institute, the recorded live performance by Opera San Jose screens at the California Theatre on Sunday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m.

 

LOVE

            It would be impossible for Cinequest to bring our audiences electrifying and dynamic programs year after year without a whole lot of love; love for artists, innovators, film lovers, and everyone else who adores and is passionate about cinematic art. This year, Cinequest 23 will present an extra-special selection of films evoking love in all its myriad guises and glory, from heart-felt romance and touching comedies, to the eternal and the sensual. James Cromwell (Star Trek: First Contact, American Horror Story, Babe) and Geneviève Bujold (Dead Ringers, Coma) bring tour-de-force performances to Still, a deeply affecting love story about a man attempting to provide a comfortable home for his new wife, until a government inspector makes it his personal mission to halt the construction. On the lighter side of love, One Small Hitch is a hilarious romantic comedy where one seemingly innocent white lie turns into a sticky web of deceit that’s far more trouble than the liar could have ever imagined. And in one of the most mysterious and evocative films this year, Natalie Zea (Justified, The Following) stars in Sweet Talk, where an unexpected phone call leads to unlikely destinations and resounding proof that romance can be as true as you want it to be. 

CQ23 Premium Partners: HP (NYSE: HPQ), Sony (NYSE: SNE), The San Francisco Examiner, AT&T U-verse (NYSE: T), Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT), Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), Barco (NYSE Euronext Brussels: BAR), and the City of San Jose.

 

CQ23 Partners: Adobe (NYSE: ADBE), CBS Radio (NYSE: CBS), Comcast (NYSE: CMCSK), Dolby (NYSE: DLB), eBay Foundation (NYSE: EBAY), Harmonic (NYSE: HLIT), Jen’s Cakes, Kaiser Permanente, Knight Foundation, Liquid Agency, Macy’s (NYSE: M), Panasonic (NYSE: PCRFF), Peet’s Coffee & Tea (NYSE: PEET), San Francisco Bay Guardian, Synaptics (NYSE: SYNA), United Airlines (NYSE: UAL), VTA, Stella Artois (NYSE: BUD), and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

 

For a full list of CQ23 sponsors go to: www.cinequest.org/our-partners

 

Ticket, event and schedule information:

 

CINEQUEST AT A GLANCE

 

CINEQUEST is a vanguard organization that fuses creativity with technological innovation to empower, improve, and transform the lives of people and communities, through Cinequest Picture the Possibilities (PTP), Cinequest Film Festival and Cinequest Mavericks Studio.

 

  • CINEQUEST Film Festival (CQFF) showcases premier films, renowned and emerging artists, and breakthrough technology—empowering global connectivity between creators and innovators.
  • CINEQUEST Picture The Possibilities (PTP) is a global youth and leadership movement to empower creativity and innovation that improves lives and communities worldwide. PTP gives youth the powers to create the world they envision.
  • CINEQUEST Mavericks Studio creates innovative and transformative motion pictures, television, and distribution paradigms.

 

CQFF23 occurs Feb. 26 – Mar. 10, 2013

www.cinequest.org

 

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About mlsentertainment

Bay Area photojournalist - Northern California, United States Promoting the lively film and music scene mainly through the Bay Area, as well as industry and technology events.
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