Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival in San Jose, CA wrapped to pre-pandemic audience levels and critical acclaim. Cinequest’s Virtual Festival (on the Creatics platform) followed and wowed audiences with its unique and proprietary integration of live and streamed experiences. Cinequest showcased 238 films (110 World or U.S. Premieres) presented by 620 artists from 52 countries. Cinequest (domiciled in the Silicon Valley) lived up to its reputation of providing the technological integrations that create the “future of film” via a spectacular showcase of AI cinema. Cinequest opened with Paul Walter Hauser and Walton Goggins starring in the The Luckiest Man in America and closed with Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, and Constance Wu starring in The Friend.
The following won Cinequest’s Maverick, Jury and Audience, and Screenwriting Awards:
MAVERICK SPIRIT AWARD
GILLIAN ANDERSON
JURY FILM AWARDS
Best Narrative Feature: Drama
THE COURAGEOUS
Director: Jasmin Gordon
Producers: Brigitte Hofer, Cornelia Seitler
Best Narrative Feature: Comedy
BURT
Director: Joe Burke
Producers: Joe Burke, Oliver Cooper
Best Narrative Feature: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
PUSH
Directors: David Charbonier, Justin Powell
Producers: Ryan Scaringe, David Charbonier, Justin Powell
Best Documentary Feature Film:
AMERICAN AGITATORS
Directors: Raymond Telles
Producer: Kenn Rabin, David Telles, Olivia Heffernan
New Visions Award:
NORA
Director: Anna Campbell
Producers: Anna Campbell, Sascha Fix, AJ Gordon
Global Vision Award:
NEWBORN
Director: Alejandro Zuno
Producers: Mónica Lozano, Érika Ávila, Eamon O'Farrill
Best Narrative Short Film: Drama
MALKA
Director: Stacey Maltin
Producers: Jaclyn Amor
Best Narrative Short Film: Comedy
BOOTIE’S
Directors: Milana Vayntrub
Producer: Gracie Canaan, Milana Vayntrub
Best Narrative Short Film: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
THE UGLY CHICKENS
Directors: Mark Raso
Producers: George R.R. Martin, Mauro Mueller, Philippe Woodtli
Best Animated Short Film
TRASH
Directors: Gregory Bouzid, Maxime Crançon, Robin Delaporte, Mattéo Durand, Romain Fleischer, Alexis Le Ral Margaux Lutz, Fanny Vecchie
Producer: Karim Khenissi
Best Documentary Short Film
LOVE IN THE TIME OF MIGRATION
Director: Erin Semine Kökdil, Chelsea Abbas
Producer: Erin Semine Kökdil, Chelsea Abbas, Priscilla Gonzalez Sainz
Best Student Short Film
LITTLE BIRD
Director: Oanh-Nhi Nguyen
Producer: Eva Zheng
Best Television Pilot
FOLLOW
Director: Louis Farge
Producers: Victoire d'Aboville
Best Music Video
GUN
Director: Lado Kvataniya
Producers: Pavel Karykhalin, Alexander Medvedko, Egor Solomatin, Nadin Usmanova, Lado Kvataniya
AUDIENCE FILM AWARDS
Audience Award: Best Narrative Feature, Comedy
SAY LESS
Director: Michael Kellman
Producers: Michael Kellman, J. Zachary Thurman
Audience Award: Best Narrative Feature, Drama (TIE)
BECOMING VERA
Director: Sergio Vizuete
Producers: Jiarui Guo, Sergio Vizuete
Audience Award: Best Narrative Feature, Drama (TIE)
BIRDSONG
Director: Renso Amariz
Producers: Morgan Bentz, Margy Kennedy, Marnie Near, Renso Amariz
Audience Award: Best Narrative Feature, Thriller, Horror, Or Sci-Fi
THE SNARE
Director: Merlin Camozzi
Producers: Merlin Camozzi, Kristifor Cvijetic, Jenny Leigh Reed, Kareem Mortimer
Audience Award: Best Documentary Feature
A LITTLE FELLOW: THE LEGACY OF A.P. GIANNINI
Director: Davide Fiore
Producers: Anna Laclergue, Davide Fiore, Sacha Smith, Joe Mancini
SCREENWRITING AWARDS
FEATURES
1st Place: Coming in Second; By: Don Cabreana / Genre: Comedy
2nd Place: Dancing on a Tightrope; By: Jesse Kalfel / Genre: Historical
3rd Place: Haunted Objects Transportation; By: Eric Miller /Genre: Horror/Action
TELEPLAY 60-MINUTE
1st Place: Unpredictable; By: Lisa Hickey / Genre: Drama
2nd Place: The Comb Sisters; By: Dralla Aierken / Genre: Drama
3rd Place: The Zookeeper’s Daughter; By: Lisa Hickey / Genre: Drama
4th Place: Good, Bad Luck; By: Russell Beneke / Genre: Drama
TELEPLAY 30-MINUTE
1st Place: Happy Medium; By: Becca Blackmore / Genre: Comedy
2nd Place: The Temp; By: Devi Snively / Genre: Sci-Fi
3rd Place: Lights! Camera! Cluster#^&@!; By: Ryan Dooley / Genre: Comedy
SHORT-FILM
1st Place: The Big Cheese; By: Isabella Spadone / Genre: Comedy, Drama
2nd Place: Bobby vs Bobby vs Bobby; By: Rodolfo Salas / Genre: Drama
3rd Place: Girl Texts; By: Zoë Mills / Genre: Comedy