Part of the fun of Cinequest, Silicon Valley’s film festival, always has been the party scene where fans mingle with each other — and often with filmmakers and performers — to talk about what they’ve seen at the festival. After two years of virtual festivals and a cautious return to in-person last year, Cinequest co-founder and Festival Director Halfdan Hussey is excited to bring people back together.
This year’s festival opens Aug. 15 with Jennifer Esposito’s debut directorial film, “Fresh Kills” at the California Theatre. And that’ll be followed by the return of the opening night party in the courtyard of City View Plaza, the vacant office park on Park Avenue that’s scheduled for a massive makeover by Jay Paul. Another party is planned for Aug. 19 after the world premiere of “Breakwater,” starring Dermot Mulroney .
The Mountain View venue will make it easier for Peninsula audiences to come to a movie without fighting as much rush hour traffic into downtown San Jose, but Hussey said another key reason is that there simply aren’t enough movie screens in downtown San Jose for Cinequest to use since the Camera 12 closed in 2016. The festival previously has shown movies in Redwood City and Campbell because of that, he said.