FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Jens Michael Hussey Tel: (408) 995-5033 E-mail: jhussey@cinequest.org
CINEQUEST 15 WRAPS Attendance and Box Office Records Broken
SAN JOSE, CA — March 14, 2005 — The 15th Annual Cinequest Film Festival came to a close last night with a packed screening of the Norwegian comedy, My Jealous Barber at the palatial California Theatre. Annette Sjursen’s unpredictable film about being brave in love and life was a crowd-pleasing selection and a true example of Cinequest’s remarkable showcase of emerging talent in film. The SRO attendance at this year’s closing night screening was indicative of the crowds that occurred daily at each of Cinequest’s four venues. The buzz surrounding the 12-day fest was focused on the general vibe of Cinequest; that of a love of film versus a hostile environment where filmmakers desperately try to close a distribution deal. Cinequest has become known for this, a place where filmmakers can accomplish their business in a relaxed environment versus the cutthroat marketing zoos that many festivals have become.
“I will go to Europe and tell everybody that Cinequest is the festival to go to in the United States. You are the best,” said Ilmar Taska, Director of the highly-acclaimed Estonian film Set Point. Chris Gore, founder of Film Threat Magazine and producer of the smash hit My Big Fat Independent Movie, echoed Mr. Taska’s words at this year’s Cinequest press conference when he stated, "This festival is one that sets the trends and is actually ahead of the trends. Other festivals are copying Cinequest; I see it all the time. What they've done at Cinequest for 15 years is train audiences to come here to see emerging filmmakers and to discover great films."
The Numbers
Cinequest is excited to announce that film submissions and attendance for Cinequest 15 broke all records for previous Cinequest festivals. The programming department viewed 575 feature films and 1202 short films for a total of 1,777 submissions overall. Cinequest represented 40 countries as it debuted 80 World and U.S. premieres out of a program of 207 short and feature-length films. 61,200 people were in attendance — a substantial increase from the 2004 figure of 54,100. On top of this, the festival experienced a 34 percent increase in box office sales and the estimated fiscal impact to San Jose is an impressive 3.25 million dollars.
Awards
Cinequest is proud to announce the following award winners for the 2005 Festival:
MAVERICK COMPETITION Maverick Spirit Award
(The top prize at Cinequest — it goes to the film that most exemplifies Maverick)
Villa Paranoia
Director: Erik Clausen Producer: Peter Ingemann
Best First Feature
Uno
Director: Askel Hennie Producer: Jørgen Rosenberg
Best Feature Documentary (Tie)
We Are Dad
Director/Producer: Michel Horvat
Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary
Director: Arturo Perez Torres Producers: Arturo Perez Torres and Heather Haynes
Special Jury Award: Remarkable Achievement in Narrative
Our Own
Director: Dmitri Meskhiyev Producers: Victor Glukhov, Sergei Melkumov and Yelena Yatsura
Special Jury Award: Best Cinematography
From The Land Of Silence
Director / Producer: Samur Salur
Best Short Documentary
In Search of Coonass...and found a people
Director: John Darling Haynes Producer: (no producer name given)
Best Short Narrative
Boy
Director: Welby Ings Producer: Nic Finlayson
Best Short Animation
Ryan
Director: Sven Martin Producers: Steven Hoban, Marcy Page and Mark Smith
Best Student Short
Fields of Mudan
Director: Stevo Producer: Courtney Powell
Special Jury Prize: Short Film
Egg
Director: Benh Zeitlin Producers: Dan Jarvey and Erin Smith
DIRECTOR’S AWARDS
New Visions / Emerging Mavericks
Sundowning
Director: Jim Cole Producers: Jay Towle and Aaron Duffey
Global Landscapes
Boxers and Ballerinas
Directors: Brit Marling and Mike Cahill Producers: Nicholas Shoemaker
DXD (Digital by Digital): Best Feature, Digital Format
On The Outs
Director / Producers: Lori Silverbush and Michael Skolnik
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
Audience Choice Award Feature (Tie)
Our Own
Director: Dmitri Meskhiyev Producers: Victor Glukhov, Sergei Melkumov and Yelena Yatsura
Duck
Director: Nic Bettauer Producers: Nic Bettauer and Domini Hofmann
Audience Choice Award Documentary
Emmanuel’s Gift
Director / Producers: Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern
Audience Choice Award Comedy Feature
Terrorists
Director: Jay Martel Producer: Jim Paul
Audience Choice Award Short
Lift
Director/Producers: Jeff Garton and Hugh Dalton
Jury
Feature Films: Andre Bennet, Diane Gaidry and Paul Walsh
Documentary & Short Films: Alison McKee, Gwen Templeton and Lawrence Andrews
Mavericks
The following individuals received a Maverick Spirit Award during the 2005 Festival: Sir Ben
Kingsley, Jon Polito, Blanchard Ryan and Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah.
Last Call
The Closing Night Gala hosted by Blake’s Steakhouse and Bar along with O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub.
2006 Dates
Dates for the 16th annual Cinequest festival will be announced soon.
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