FESTIVAL GETS A BUMP FROM A-LISTERS
Organizers strive to blend big names with unique film events to bring quirky to the mainstream
San Jose’s Cinequest Film & VR festival is going bigtime.
While the festival has been applauded for its quirky blend of off-the-radar gems and arthouse favorites, its spotlight on hightech developments and eclectic mix of of invitees, the 28-yearold event this year is embracing the mainstream.
With a cavalcade of celebrity guests, from Nicolas Cage to Charlie Sheen to Andie MacDowell, and legions of star vehicles on tap, not to mention the newly-added horror category and the cutting-edge Virtual Reality project, this is a film fest that you don’t have to a celluloid snob to love.
“When I first started out, I programmed just the movies that I loved, my very favorite movies,” says co-founder Halfdan Hussey. “As time went on, I realized you have to have a lineup of movies that everyone can be excited about. Plus, it wouldn’t be any fun to just program the same-old, same-old every time. You need a diverse mix.”
Among the other big names booked include William H. Macy and Rosario Dawson, whose film “Krystal” opened Cinequest on Tuesday, and Spirit Award winners Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”) and Tom Cullen (“Downton Abbey), who will screen their film “Souls of Totality.” An appearance by Spirit Award winner John Travolta had to be postponed due to a scheduling issue.
Meanwhile, high-profile films starring Peter Fonda (“You Can’t Say No”); Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike (“Beirut”); Shia LaBeouf (“Borg vs. McEnroe”), Michelle Pfeiffer (“Where Is Kyra?”), Hilary Swank (“What They Had”) and Stanley Tucci (“Submission”) are on the lineup. It’s by far the buzziest lineup the festival has ever rolled out.
“We’ve very excited about it, the high-powered movies help definitely shed light on the festival as a whole,” says Hussey. “Our reputation has evolved because artists know that this festival isn’t just about business, we really care about the artists and the movies and that’s what attracts them to us.”
“The people who make movies are now very aware of the power and cache of this festival and they want to be included,” says Rick Jensen, spokesperson for the San Jose Downtown Association.
Impact is the theme of the festival, which has a lineup of 229 movies, including 130 world or U.S. premieres, and raising Cinequest’s visibility in Hollywood is part of the plan. Star vehicles can be the gateway that gets audience members in the door.
“And then later they may discover an emerging filmmaker,” says Hussey.
In addition to more celebrities, the festival is also thrusting horror movies and VR films
“We’ve very excited about it, the highpowered movies help definitely shed light on the festival as a whole. Our reputation has evolved.” —Halfdan Hussey, Cinequest o-founder
into the spotlight. While scary movies have always been shown at Cinequest, this year they are being celebrated in their own program, which is dubbed “Thrills.”
The virtual reality program likewise targets gamers and other tech-obsessed ticket buyers. You can be the star of your own adventure with 29 immersive virtual and augmented reality films such as “Speed Kills VR Experience,” which stars Travolta, and “Rick and Morty: Virtual Rickality,” which riffs on the popular animated series.
“Cinequest is trying to appeal to millennials and that’s smart, “says Amy Glazer, a filmmaker and stage director. “There’s something refreshing about their willingness to reach out and attract different audiences. Halfdan has always created a culture of inclusion.”
Some warn that going mainstream can also undercut the attention on more offbeat fare. In an effort to minimize risk, the commercial impulse can overshadow the artistic.
“Festivals have shifted from wildly liberal exhibitors to gunshy presenters,” says Steve Seid, retired curator at Berkeley’s Pacific Film Archive. “As instincts moved toward the box office and away from outright risk-taking, celebrity and novelty entered the mix as never before. The risk of discovery withers and certainty takes over.”
For his part, Hussey says he also makes sure to spotlight new
indie and foreign films that will never have a life outside the festival circuit.
“Some movies will never be seen outside of Cinequest but they may well be the best movies of them all,” he notes, “particularly some of the foreign films.”
Of course, serving both the bottom line and artistic merit is a key part of running a festival as big as Cinequest, which attracts
100,000 people to the downtown every year, generating $9 million in economic impact. That’s the quest Hussey goes on every year.
“You can’t just have big splashy movies and you can’t just have heavy Eastern European political dramas either,” he says. “The sweet spot is the balance.”