By Marlon Johnson, Filmmaker

Take two weeks, 200 films, hundreds of artist, innovators, filmmakers, students & technologists and drop them in the heart of Silicon Valley and you get the groundbreaking film festival known as Cinequest. Located in San Jose and founded by film producers and Silicon Valley innovators, the festival prides itself on discovering & producing original voices, showcasing new technology and redefining film distribution – it’s billed as a “celebration of premium quality Maverick cinema, television and innovation.” This March, fellow filmmaker Chad Tingle and I had the opportunity to screen our short documentary Sunday’s Best, funded by Knight Foundation, at the event – here are some of my takeaways…  Upon arrival, one quickly gets the sense of Cinequest’s uniqueness. First, there is the film lineup. There are notable pictures like John Tuturro’s Passione, portraying the robust and diverse sounds created by past and present Italian artists, as well as many inspired independent documentaries and shorts, including The World According to ION B, a 60-minute documentary chronicling the life of Romanian artist Ion Barduleanu. “Dying to Do Letterman” was the festival’s hands-down, crowd favorite. It’s the story of comedian Steve Manzan, who is diagnosed with cancer and given five years to live in the midst of pursuing his lifelong dream to perform standup on the David Letterman Show. Lighthearted and inspirational, the film showcases Manzan’s true comedic spirit while directors Biagoi Messina and Joke Fincioen offer new meaning to the celebration of life.

Buoyed by corporate partners like Intel, HP, Nokia and Adobe, Cinequest also offers an array of workshops, seminars and opportunities to get up close and personal with the people who are the driving force behind the industry’s next big ideas. We explored a next generation high-speed camera from AbelCineTech and a 12-megapixel mobile phone from Nokia. We also enjoyed artist discussion & brainstorming about 3D filmmaking and an honest & frank discussion about festival markets, media and international sales with a panel of leading salespeople & distributors.

Throughout the week’s events, we were engaged on many levels. Whether having lunch with the festival’s co-founder, or talking shop with fellow filmmakers in the interactive VIP Lounge, Cinequest is much more than a film festival. You get the entire industry experience. Cinequest does not allow you to sit idly by experiencing it in neat little one-dimensional moments.  It’s a constant dialogue, questioning what it means to be in the film and technology industry.  From non-conventional marketing strategies to cutting-edge inventions and groundbreaking cinema, there is a little something for everyone that enjoys film and the innovative times we are living in.