create, innovate, empower
Contact: Jessica Gelico
Tel: (408) 995-5033 ext. 128
E-mail: publicity@cinequest.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Cinequest Film Festival 2016 (CQFF2016)
Festival Highlights
Storytelling Reimagined Conclave, First Three-screen Feature, Maverick Spirit
Winners James Franco and Rita Moreno, plus Superlative Premieres Highlight
Cinequest Film Festival (CQFF), March 1-13, 2016 will unite 700 world leading artists and
innovators with audiences (expected to top 100,000) in the Silicon Valley to experience the fusion
of creativity and innovation—and to celebrate and reimagine storytelling via film and new
technologies.
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Cinequest’s Future Of Film Showcase reimagines storytelling and audience experiences of
filmed media. Cinequest has always stood at the forefront of film’s future possibilities,
discovering technology and talent and enabling them to connect, both collaboratively and
with audiences. Here’s this year’s take on what’s hot today and driving the future:
o The First Barco Escape Three-Screen Feature Film: Technology has always
facilitated the film arts, and Barco Escape technologies new three-screen format
brings a thrilling new cinematic experience to audiences and a dramatic opportunity
to film artists. Cinequest presents the first fully realized (end-to-end) three-screen
feature film, Mr. Invincible. Starring Alyson Stoner (Cheaper By The Dozen, Step
Up), Bill Engvall (Blue Collar Comedy Group), and written by Cinequest Screenplay
Competition Winner Stacie Shellner, Mr. Invincible, a comedy about a man who
cannot kill himself, plays as a work-in-progress. Cinequest has also commissioned
members of its illustrious filmmaker community to create diverse short film
experiences in three-screen format. These short films and more will play in the
future of film Barco Escape series.
o Storytelling Reimagined Conclave: Global Leaders (representing diverse media,
art, and technology fields) join Cinequest’s Leadership Council for an electrifying
event around story-telling opportunities in new and exciting media. It used to be
that story-telling was relegated to “the creatives.” Now filmed story-telling is a
normal part of people’s lives from social media to executive communications.
Further, new technologies, such as virtual reality, open new ways for audiences to
experience stories and for artists to tell them. Conclave event will include a
moderated conversation with a thrilling roundtable of leaders, video presentations,
and a Maverick Spirit Award presentation to a futuristic and dynamic story-teller,
James Franco. The Conclave will give leaders a chance to cross-pollinate and grow
their ideas with a stunning group of thought influencers from different walks of life,
forging inspiration, collaborations and opportunity for our future.
o Virtual Reality Experience: CQFF will unveil a ground-breaking Virtual Reality
experience. Venturing into the “Virtual Reality Lounge,” Cinequest attendees will
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once again be on the cutting edge of a new, viable technology that reimagines the
story-telling tradition.
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Opening Night Screening and Celebration: March 1, 7:15 pm, California Theatre: Academy
Award-winning director Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) will present his captivating new thriller Eye in
the Sky, starring Dame Helen Mirren (The Queen, Trumbo), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter,
Die Hard), Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey),Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips),
and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad). Is the life of one innocent worth the lives of thousands?
Colonel Katherine Powell (Mirren) is in charge of a top-secret mission: to capture, not kill,
a terrorist. Pre-screening includes special presentations and Jerry Nagano filling the lavish
California Theatre with the glorious sounds of the Wurlitzer organ. Post-screening
festivities and fun will take place at The Farmers Union.
"Cinequest is definitely the first time I've ever come to a festival where
my immediate reaction is, 'What do I have to do to be invited back?'
It's a perfect film festival in a glorious place." - Neil Gaiman, Maverick
Spirit Award Winner

Maverick Spirit Award Events: Cinequest’s most prestigious accolade, the Maverick Spirit
Award recognizes bold, visionary, and creative forces—the finest in the worlds of Silicon
Valley innovation and the film arts. Previous guest recipients include: J.J. Abrams, Kevin
Spacey, Rosario Dawson, Harrison Ford, William H. Macy, Gus Van Sant, Spike Lee,
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sir Ian McKellen, Neil Gaiman, Alec Baldwin, and Sir Ben Kingsley.
Please watch the Cinequest Maverick Spirit Award video to see past recipients in action.
This year’s recipients are:
o Actor-writer-educator, James Franco. Mr. Franco has amassed well over 100
acting credits, including 127 Hours, (Best Actor Academy Award nomination), Milk,
Spider-Man Trilogy, Pineapple Express, Oz the Great and Powerful, Rise of the
Planet of the Apes, and Eat, Pray, Love. He is also an accomplished writer and
committed to giving back as an educator of emerging youth. (Special Pre-festival
event, Feb. 28, in conjunction with Cinequest’s Storytelling Reimagined Conclave.
Event details TBA.)
o Screen and American Icon, Rita Moreno. Star of the Robert Wise masterwork,
West Side Story, Ms. Moreno has received America’s highest civilian honor, the
Medal of Freedom, as well as a stunning Kennedy Center Tribute. (A conversation
with Ms. Moreno and Award Presentation occur after the world premiere of her new
comedic gem, Remember Me Saturday, March 5, 7 pm, California Theatre.)
o Champion-advocate, Robert Hawk. For over thirty years, Hawk has discovered
new cinematic voices, nurtured those voices, and has been the unsung champion of
some of the most influential independent cinema. Kevin Smith (Clerks), Edward
Burns (The Brothers McMullen),Rob Epstein (The Times of Harvey Milk), and
Barbara Hammer (Nitrate Kisses) have had a major impact on the world of cinema.
Each and many others started their careers with a champion who never sought
praise or a spotlight. His only wish was to see these artists reach the world with
their work. That champion is Robert Hawk. (A conversation with Mr. Hawk and
Award Presentation occur after a screening of the movie Film Hawk, Friday, March
4, 7:30 pm, Camera 12 Cinemas.)
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Media Legacy Award Event: Cinequest’s Media Legacy Award recognizes the preeminent
role journalists play in discovering artists and connecting audiences with their art.
o
o
This year, Cinequest is honored to present its Media Legacy Award to beloved
journalist Owen Gleiberman (bbc.com, Entertainment Weekly) after a screening
of his favorite film, Manhunter, occurring Saturday, March 12, 7:00pm, Hammer
Theatre Center, during CQFF2016. The event will include a dynamic conversation
with Mr. Glerberman on his work and the world of cinema.
Previous media Legacy Award recipients include Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson of
Indiewire, Harry Knowles, founder of Ain’t It Cool News, Richard von Busack of
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Metro Newspapers, and Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times. Please watch
Cinquest’s Media Legacy video.
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Notable Premieres and Star Performances: Cinequest presents a superlative lineup of 129
World and U.S. premieres of which 64 have women directors. Please see the Cinequest
Premieres Press Release for full line-up with includes:
o Helen Mirren (The Queen, Trumbo), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter, Die Hard), Iain
Glen (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey), Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), and
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) in Eye in the Sky (Opening Night)
o Geoffrey Rush (Shine), Ewen Leslie (Sleeping Beauty), Paul Schneider (Lars and the
Real Girl), Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings), Anna Torv (Fringe), Odessa Young
(Wonderland), and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) in The Daughter (Closing Night)
o Alyson Stoner (Step Up), Bill Engvall (The Bill Engvall Show) in Mr. Invincible
o Kevin Smith (Clerks), Edward Burns (The Brothers McMullen), Ira Sachs (Love Is
Strange), and Rob Epstein (Howl) in Film Hawk
o Rita Moreno (West Side Story) in Remember Me
o Gordon Getty (Composer and Subject) in Gordon Getty: There Will Be Music
o Clea Duvall (Argo, American Horror Story) in Heaven’s Floor
o Emma Watson (Harry Potter, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower) and Daniel Bruhl
(Inglourious Basterds, Rush) in Colonia
o Jason Ritter (Parenthood) in Embers
o Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men), Emma Roberts (American Horror Story), and Lucy
Boynton (Miss Potter) in February
o Annette O’Toole (Smallville) and John Glover (The Good Wife) in We Go On
o Comedians Dana Carvey, Bob Saget, Paula Poundstone, Ellen DeGeneres, Bobcat
Goldthwait, Bill Maher, and Robin Williams in The Comedy Club
o Sally Field (Forrest Gump), Max Greenfield (New Girl) and Michael Showalter (Wet
Hot American Summer) in Hello, My Name Is Doris
o Daphne Zuniga (Spaceballs), Joely Fisher (Ellen), Michelle Hurd (90210), Natasha
Gregson Wagner (Two Girls and a Guy), Nick Court (The Last Ship), Barry Watson
(7th Heaven), Jonathan Slavin (Better Off Ted), Devon Graye (Dexter), and singing
legend Connie Stevens in Search Engines
o Grant Rosenmeyer (The Royal Tenenbaums) and Lindsey Shaw (Pretty Little Liars)
in Temps
o Aly Michalka (iZombie), AJ Michalka (The Goldbergs), and Mimi Rogers (Austin
Powers) in Weepah Way for Now
o James Franco (127 Hours), Ed Harris (Pollack), Amber Heard (The Danish Girl), Jim
Parrack (True Blood), Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), and Christian Slater (Mr.
Robot) in The Adderall Diaries
o Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket, Fluke) producer on The Brainwashing of My Dad
o Penelope Cruz (Volver) in Ma Ma
o Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, Hairspray) and Amber Heard (The Danish
Girl, Hidden Palms) in One More Time
o Terence Davies (The Deep Blue Sea, The House of Mirth) director of Sunset Song
o Briana Evigan (Step Up 2: The Streets), Tyler Blackburn (Pretty Little Liars), Emily
Osment (Cyberbully), Kyla Kennedy (The Walking Dead), Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty),
Elisabeth Röhm (The Client List), and Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) in Love Is All You
Need?
o Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski), Rachel McAdams (Spotlight), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man),
Marion Cotillard (Inception), James Franco (127 Hours), Ricky Gervais (The Office),
Paul Giamatti (Straight Outta Compton), Bud Cort (Pollack), Benicio Del Toro
(Guardians of the Galaxy), and Albert Brooks (Finding Nemo) in The Little Prince
o Briana Evigan (Step Up 2: The Streets) and Kerry Norton (Battlestar Galactica) in
ToY
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
Closing Night Screening and Celebration: March 13, 6:00 pm, California Theatre:
CQFF2016 culminates with the United States Premiere of Simon Stone’s beautiful and
haunting The Daughter, which boasts an incredible ensemble cast including Academy
Award winner Geoffrey Rush (Shine), Ewen Leslie (Sleeping Beauty), Paul Schneider (Lars
and the Real Girl), Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings), Anna Torv (Fringe), Odessa
Young (Wonderland), and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park).
For more on Cinequest’s story, please watch This Is Cinequest video.
Cinequest Film Festival 2016 occurs March 1 – 13, 2016 in San Jose/Silicon Valley.
About Cinequest
A vanguard organization set in the Silicon Valley, Cinequest’s uniqueness and impact result from being
ahead of the curve in the powerful integration of creativity and technology. Cinequest fuses the world of the
filmed arts with that of Silicon Valley’s innovation to empower youth, artists, and innovators to create and
connect - driving transformations and a better tomorrow. Cinequest does this through Cinequest Film
Festival, Picture The Possibilities, and its sister company Cinequest Mavericks Studio. (Voted Best Film
Festival by USA Today Readers.)
CQFF Partners: Applied Materials (NYSE: AMAT), City of San Jose, Barco (EBR:BAR), Kaiser Permanente,
Harmonic (NYSE: HLIT), Synaptics (NYSE: SYNA), Canon (NYSE: CAJ), Panasonic (OTCMKTS:PCRFY), Cisco
(NYSE: CSCO), Dolby (NYSE: DLB), Stella Artois (NYSE: AHBIF), Tito’s Handmade Vodka, , Google (NYSE:
GOOG), SIMEON Property Group, Inc. (NYSE: SPG), Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESS), Atomos, Macy’s
(NYSE: M), Hint Water, PayPal (NYSE: PYPL), Sonic.net, Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), Seagate
(NYSE: STX), VTA, Agile Ticketing Solutions, NBC Bay Area, Metro, 94.5 KBAY, Mix 106.5, Fairmont San Jose
(NYSE: FHR), Hyatt Place San Jose (NYSE: H), Hilton San Jose (NYSE: HLT), Marriott San Jose (NYSE: MAR),
Hotel De Anza, Camera 12 Cinemas, and San Jose State University.
Picture The Possibilities Partners: Kaiser Permanente, The Hearst Foundations, John S. and James L.
Knight Foundation, The David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Morrison & Foerster Foundation, Capital Group,
Hewlett Packard Workstations (NYSE: HPQ), Brett Company, AT&T (T) Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV),
Google (NYSE: GOOG), Liquid Agency, Seagate (NYSE: STX), Litepanels, Cisco (NYSC: CSCO),
AudioTechnica, Media Center, Adobe (NYSE: ADBE), Eddie Lira, GlideCam, Atomos, CreaTV, Rhino Camera
Gear, Manfrotto, Red Giant (NYSE: REDG)
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