2008 Woodie Awards
Cinequest brings film world local
Tara Duffy
Issue date: 3/3/08 Section: News
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The 18th Cinequest Film Festival will be downtown from now until March 9.
Films are being shown at the San Jose Repertory Theatre, the California Theatre and Camera 12 Cinemas.
The Cinequest Film Festival, showing over 80 films this year, serves to introduce new and local filmmakers.
Scott Milder, 30, said he came to San Jose from New Mexico as a part of the 48 Hour Film Project.
"(It has been) so far, so good," Milder said. "Although, I have pretty much been inside the theater the whole time."
The 48 Hour Film Project is an international filmmaking competition, also known as "filmapalooza," where an entire film is made within one weekend, exactly 48 hours from a chosen Friday night.
The films are then presented and judged by an audience, and the makers of the winning film are awarded a $7,500 prize.
Jacob Hablin, 35, said he was attending Cinequest to premiere his film "The Sinking of Santa Isabel," a picture about a man who wants to make good on a goal he set when he was 12 years old.
The film made its world debut at the festival March 2.
Filmmaker Andrew James, 29, from Salt Lake City, premiered "A Better Life" on Sunday at Camera 12 Cinemas on Second Street. He said it is about the reality of the American Dream as it pertains to illegal immigrants.
James said he was very excited for his film to be shown here in San Jose.
Cinequest attendees can choose from 250 screenings during the week-and-a-half festival.
Robert Knopf, 47, said that he comes to the Cinequest Film Festival every year, and that he plans on seeing a whole list of movies. Knopf was waiting to see "The Art of Travel," which showed at Camera 12 on Saturday.
Ned Kopp, who lives in Burlingame and teaches at the department of television, radio, film and theatre at SJSU, was at the film festival to go to the seminars. Kopp said that he has gone to the festival for a number of years.
This year's Cinequest offers special events for attendees. A large crowd gathered outside the California Theatre on South First Street at 5 p.m. on Saturday for the Michael Keaton Maverick Spirit event.
According to a Cinequest press release, Keaton was "chosen for this honor because his work is that of a true Maverick, going against the grain of typecasting and true to the spirit of Cinequest which champions Mavericks of filmmaking."
Actor Danny Glover, a San Francisco State University alumnus, is also received of a Maverick Spirit Award, to be presented on March 8 at the California Theatre.
Tickets for this event are $15 and can be purchased at any of the participating venues.
A list of the films to be shown can be found at www.cinequest.org. Regular screenings are $5.00 for students.
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