Cinequest is back (2009)!

Weird. I thought I blogged about my Cinequest experiences from last year but I realized I actually wrote it in a journal and NOT online! Well, this year, it's going to this blog. For those that are unfamiliar with it, Cinequest is a widely known Film Festival based in the Silicon Valley. The organization utilize The California Theatre, Camera 12 and San Jose Repertory Theatre to host the films and local establishments for various uses.

Last year I spent most of it wandering around, watching films and just talking to some filmmakers. I was mostly a passive observer. At the closing night gala I told myself, "next year, I'm going to be involved in Cinequest somehow", lo and behold, I'm fulfilling that by being part of a media team that's diving into the festival with a show called "Inside Cinequest", appropriate, no? I mentioned in the previous entry that I was fortunate enough to participate in Adobe Youth Voices and here is a wonderful clip from that event (can you spot me in it?):



Inside Cinequest has a host of exceptionally talented people behind it. Among them are Sinohui Hinojosa, Thomas Koch and Amy Puzia from Emerging Artist. A fellow 48hr filmmaker (and San Jose coordinator), Vincent Lowe and a slew of other great folks. As an aside, there's a terrific web series you have to check out, especially if you love theatre! It's called EXIT STAGE LEFT created by Sinohui. I highly recommend it. In fact, keep an eye out for future bloggage. Following is the latest episode of Inside Cinequest:



At any rate, I asked myself recently, "What am I looking forward to to this year's Cinequest (19)?". My head flooded with answers, each one of them valid and worthy of my best efforts. Here are some of them:

• Meet new people and reinforce friendships from prior networking
• Watch at least 10 films
• Work work work work work (yes, work)
• Fulfilling my commitments with Inside Cinequest
• Earn some exposure with filmmakers, local and out of towners alike

I'd like to toss a shout out to my friend and Cinequest alum, Alejandro Adams. His film, "CANARY" is featured this year (some of you may remember "Around the Bay" from Cinequest 18). Some of you may also remember him from previous entries regarding BABNIK. Show dates will be March 1st 6:30p and March 7th 4p. Both shows will be hosted in San Jose Repertory Theatre. You can purchase your tickets HERE.

Don't forget to bookmark or RSS for updates on the Cinequest romp.

The Phantom of the Opera (SF 2008)

THREE words: PHENOMENAL, MEMORABLE and BEAUTIFUL.

I could go on writing volumes about how mind blowing the tech was, or how elaborate the costumes were; I could probably chat your ear off about how intelligent the staging was, or how memorizing the cast was. I could even go on about how this production has provided me "passion-energy" the way the sun re-energizes Superman after a long day of hard battles with evil-doers.

But I won't.

Instead, I'll just use those THREE words. And coincidentally they're exactly how I'd describe my date (in a very non-traditional sense of the word date, mind you) for the evening.

All in all, a terrific way to have spent a Friday evening.

A pocket full of thought

Quickly, before I forget. I met up with a friend and previous castmate to watch another former castmate's play, "The Dentist" by John Rebstock. (More on this in another blog). Anyway, we had one of the deepest conversations I've ever had. And it wasn't deep to be deep, it just turned out that way. Unfortunately, like most things that are precious, their gone just like that and they end up reserved in the deepest recesses of our memories. But here are some questions that came up.

1. What are your principles?
2. Are you open minded?
3. What philosophies do you adhere to?
4. Am I offending you?
5. Which would you pick, truthful or real?
   
6. Are they inexplicably connected?
   

You're probably thinking, "Those are simple questions". Okay, maybe. But they start being complicated, complex and exciting when the person asking them challenges them. Or asks a side question that spurns you into gear and the conversation gets deeper and deeper. It occured to me, a couple of times, that I'm answering some of his questions in a way feels like I'm only answering it in this way to justify my reasoning when I should be answering it in a way that's truthful to me.

Does that make any sense?

Anyway, I just want to make a shout out to my friend, Bizachin for a terrific and thought provoking conversation. Which, if I were to describe in one sentence, would be:

"It was profound to me in a cerebral way, in that, I want to rave about it to the world, but I know the experience and feeling was singularly mine and his, and everyone else will only feel the aftershocks."