Cinequest brings international films to San Jose

By Aitor Zabalegui

If you thought John McCain was a maverick, prepare yourself to see the work of some true mavericks at this year's Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose.

The annual festival has grown to be one of the prominent showcases for new and international filmmakers.

In recent years, the festival has featured movies such as "Thank You for Smoking" and "The Namesake" and has attracted celebrity guests like Minnie Driver, Ben Kingsley and James Woods.

Cinequest prides itself on its uniqueness and ability to stay ahead of the curve as a major festival, whether by introducing new technology or redefining the methods of film discovery and distribution.

This year will feature the biggest offering of films yet, with more than 150 films representing 40 countries over the course of a 12-day event. Here is a sampling of some notable films to look out for at this year's festival.

Festival Dates

Wednesday, Feb. 25 through Sunday, March 8

Festival Venues

California Theatre, 345 South First St., San Jose

Camera 12 Cinemas, 201 South Second St., San Jose

San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose

Facts

72 U.S., North American and world premieres

First festival in world to enable online downloads of feature films in DVD/HD quality.

Attendees in 2008: 80,000

Tickets

(408) 295-FEST

www.cinequest.org

Regular Screenings:

General: $10

Matinee: $7

Students: $5

Forums

Tickets for each forum: $10

'The Marriage of Television and the Internet'

A discussion about the merging of home entertainment systems and online mediums to produce "Internet Television." February 28, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

'Lights, Camera ... P2'

A presentation of the cameras and production workflows for solid state filmmaking. March 7, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

'The Business of Art'

A discussion about the film industry's unique financial situation. March 7, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

Contact Aitor Zabalegui at (408) 551-1918 or azabalegui@scu.edu.