{"id":204532,"date":"2026-03-04T22:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/204532\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T22:15:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:15:07","slug":"here-are-15-films-to-catch-at-beloved-san-jose-festival-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/204532\/","title":{"rendered":"Here are 15 films to catch at beloved San Jose festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cinequest,<\/a> the South Bay\u2019s popular and prestigious annual film festival, returns next week for its 35th celebration of independent filmmaking<\/a>, and has it ever whipped up a diverse, massive menu that will dazzle and delight movie lovers\u2019 palettes.<\/p>\n

The theme for the March 10-22 festival<\/a> is \u201cUnbridled,\u201d which certainly reflects the spirit of the event\u2019s eye-popping 268-film selection,<\/a> including short-film programs. Screenings will take place at the California and Hammer theaters in San Jose and the Alamo Drafthouse in Mountain View.<\/p>\n

This year also marks a first for Cinequest, with the presentation of two Maverick Spirit awards: one to beloved character actor Steve Zahn<\/a> (March 14, after a screening of \u201cShe Dances\u201d which he co-wrote and stars in) and the other to the accomplished star Vivica A. Fox<\/a> (March 14, after a screening of the thriller \u201cPlan C,\u201d in which she co-stars).<\/p>\n

The fest kicks off 7:15 p.m. March 10 with the world premiere of John M. Keller\u2019s breezy comedy \u201cHer Song,\u201d at the California Theatre.<\/p>\n

Highlights abound, including director Ben Wheatley\u2019s violent and funny neo-Western \u201cNormal\u201d (March 21) starring the always dependable Bob Odenkirk; and director Steven Soderbergh\u2019s latest \u201cThe Christophers\u201d (one of two closing night features on March 22) starring Sir Ian McKellen in a skewering of the art world.<\/p>\n

As it\u2019s done in the past, the festival will spotlight a silent film classic and this year\u2018s hot-ticket item is 1925\u2019s \u201cBen-Hur\u201d (March 13) starring Ramon Novarro.<\/p>\n

Of course, there will also be films with Bay Area ties, including two shorts from multi-talented Dana Nachman of Los Altos \u2014 a rom-com about a fan fiction writer\/NYU film student and her stories about a certain Chalamet, \u201cWriting for Timoth\u00e9e\u201d; and the touching \u201cThe Second Life of Freddie Nole\u201d about extending a helping hand to someone who\u2019s\u00a0 just been released from incarceration. (Don\u2019t miss that one.)<\/p>\n

Meanwhile former Mountain View resident John Kim will debut his peppy comedy \u201cReunion,\u201d about a 20-year high school reunion that is a blast from the past, while former San Bruno\/Burlingame resident Joel Veach conjures up the spirt of neo-noir from yesteryear with \u201cAmerican Muscle.\u201d Also, Bay Area filmmaker Helen Zhu and her son Ethan focus on a life-changing trip to China in the documentary \u201cComedy Family Style.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s just scraping the Bay Area surface.<\/p>\n

Here are 15 recommend films that we checked out in advance.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe Dances\u201d: Steve Zahn \u2014 one of Cinequest\u2019s two 2026 Maverick Spirit Award recipients \u2014 and his talented real-life daughter Audrey\u2019s soulful performances distinguish a personal drama from director\/co-screenwriter Rick Gomez. Prepare for a healthy cry. High school senior Claire (Audrey Zahn) and bestie Kat (Mackenzie Ziegler) require an adult guardian to accompany them to a dance competition. Claire\u2019s estranged dad Jason (Steve Zahn) reluctantly signs on, and the friction between the two speaks to unresolved issues that need to be addressed. \u201cShe Dances\u201d straddles the line between sweet and sad and handles both sentiments well.\u00a0 Ethan Hawke, Sonequa Martin-Green and Rosemarie DeWitt co-star, but this is the Zahns\u2019 film. They\u2019ll win your heart even if the three \u201cDance Moms\u201d steal every scene they\u2019re in. Screening: 2 p.m. March 14 at California Theatre; includes Maverick Spirit Award presentation.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaddie\u2019s Secret\u201d: On paper, it sounds like it would be a horrifying disaster \u2014 a melodrama on the travails and triumphs of an anguished dishwasher-turned-food-influencer and chef who\u2019s hiding an eating disorder from a bear-like hubby (Eric Rahill) and a jabberjaw co-worker (Kate Berlant). That it cast John Early, a guy, to portray Maddie, a woman, makes it even more circumspect. But Early, who also wrote and directed this high-wire act, couldn\u2019t be better for a John Waters light delight that lampoons handwringing specials that used to dominate TV.\u00a0 Give it a try. Screening:\u00a0Closing night film, 7:20 p.m. March 22 at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoad to L\u2019\u00c9tape du Tour\u201d: Bay Area cyclists won\u2019t be the only ones falling for screenwriter\/director Julia Coulter\u2019s low-key drama about a 29-year-old woman (Coulter) with a heart condition who decides to train for a 300-mile ride that\u2019s part of the Tour de France. Resolved to that goal after a tragedy, Amy\u2019s goal radicalizes her life. A hunky cycle store manager (Luis Augusto Figueroa) offers encouragement and tips, and serves as more than mere eye candy. Coulter performs triple duties well in an inspiring film about taking risks and taking the road less traveled to find happiness. Screenings: 2:40 p.m. March 15 and 9:45 p.m. March 18 at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cGive It Up\u201d: Mortimer (Gareth Reynolds) just had his career go up in flames and it all got filmed by a crew documenting what happened before and after a 9-year-old replaced him on a podcast he co-hosted. Blaming everyone but his own lazy self, Mortimer returns to stand-up comedy but his touring shtick bombs. Mortimer\u2019s cluelessness and strong sense of self make him a pain in the butt but that\u2019s what adds to \u201cGive It Up\u2019s\u201d high laugh count. The other reason? Reynolds. The co-screenwriter mines comedic gold out of this material. Screenings: 2:30 p.m. March 15 at California Theatre; 11:30 a.m. March 18 and 2:15 p.m. March 20 at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cBorn to Lose\u201d: Garrett Hardy Davis\u2019 cinematography emulates the dark path that director\/co-screenwriter Joseph Zentil chooses to follow in a character study of restless small-town Kentucky motorcyclist Andy Logan (Dylan Arnold), a handsome guy who isn\u2019t catching much of a break. Just consider: His dad has OD\u2019d; his sister works at a strip club and fears her hot-headed boyfriend\/boss. And then there\u2019s that bag stuffed with cash and drugs, the real troublemaker. Arnold\u2019s committed performance makes us care what fate will befall Andy while James Le Gros\u2019s presence as Logan\u2019s de-facto guide gives the film extra depth. Screenings: 4:30 p.m. March 14 at Hammer Theatre; 12:15 p.m. March 17 at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer Song\u201d: An author returns to her grandmother\u2019s quaint French village where she settles into the rhythms of country life while researching a novel that takes more than a few pages from her family tree. She has breezy encounters with various town eccentrics and develops a close friendship with a captivating woman who becomes fodder for her main character. James Ivory executive-produced this COVID-era-set drama and it\u2019s up to his usual high standards. And leads Kalki Koechlin and El\u00e9a Clair make for some pleasant company. Screening: 7:15 p.m. March 10 at California Theatre.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerican Muscle\u201d: Former San Bruno resident Joel Veach has a real ear for Quentin Tarantino-esque wise-guy dialogue and inserts some delicious twists in this killer neo-noir, which gets into the headspace of a Jim Thompson novel. Ray (David W. Thompson) operates a mechanic shop way out there in Kern County while tending to his severely ill dad. He starts feeling the heat from two debt collectors along with his estranged sister (Liana Wright-Mark) who stops by unannounced. Ray goes on to make one bad move after another in a taut thriller that makes one good move after another. Screenings: 11:30 a.m. March 14 at California Theatre; 4 p.m. March 16 and 4:50 p.m. March 20 at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarolina Caroline\u201d: Caroline (Samra Weaving of \u201cReady or Not\u201d) needs an escape hatch from\u00a0 a humdrum existence in a small Texas town where she stocks shelves at a gas station. Enter slick swindler Oliver (Kyle Gallner of \u201cStrange Darling\u201d). He teaches Caroline shady ways to bilk bucks from the unsuspecting, and soon they\u2019re red-hot lovers. They later zip off like Bonnie and Clyde wannabes on a crime spree. Director Adam Carter Rehmeier (\u201cDinner in America,\u201d \u201cSnack Shack\u201d) and screenwriter Tom Dean keep this thriller zipping along but what really fires it up are its two leads and a great assist from Kyra Sedgwick in a hold-on-to-your-socks cameo.\u00a0 Screening: 7:15 p.m. March 11 at California Theatre.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeartworm\u201d: No doubt Miriam and Mitchell Arens\u2019 feature debut seems timely with its concerns about the seductive power of AI, but it\u2019s also a moving portrait about grief. Stage\/screen star Amber Gray (a Tony nominee for \u201cHadestown\u201d) is phenomenal as a mourning mom\/wife worried over her depressed hubby (Juan Riedinger) opting out of real life to devote more time in NeuraLife, a sort of nirvana otherworld that scrubs him clean of his paralyzing grief. Desperate to save her husband, Avena (Gray) enters that AI zone and confronts a new challenge herself. Mitchell Arens\u2019 cinematography simulates a fugue-like state that mirrors the vortex of grief that pervades through this heartrending film. Screenings: 2:30 p.m. March 14 and 2:35 p.m. March 17, Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis Tempting Madness\u201d: Is Mia (\u201cBridgerton\u2019s\u201d Simone Ashley) going insane or is someone \u2014 a relative, perhaps, or that hot husband \u2014 gaslighting the hell out of her? That\u2019s what confronts our heroine when she awakens from a coma after a near-fatal plunge in an airport terminal. Director Jennifer E. Montgomery keeps audiences off-balance throughout as the pieces of the puzzle start to lock together. She does so through fragmented, perhaps untrustworthy flashbacks and Mia\u2019s visions. Set mostly in a sprawling Architecture Digest-like L.A. home complete with a pool and a wine cellar, \u201cThis Tempting Madness\u201d worms into your psyche as its reaches its shattering conclusion. Inspired by a true story, it\u2019s ominously yet glossily shot and features a searing performance from Ashley. Screenings: 7 p.m. March 14 and 9:55 p.m. March 17 at\u00a0 Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cWardriver\u201d: A Salt Lake City hacker (Dane DeHaan of \u201cKill Your Darlings\u201d) and his unparalleled criminal techie skills gets called out by a doorman (Mamoudou Athie) at a swanky restaurant. Rather than turning the hacker in, he demands that he work his computer magic to bilk a dirty politician (Jeffrey Donovan) out of big bucks. The loss of cash puts a target on the back of that married politician\u2019s mistress (Sasha Calle). To avoid disaster, the two hatch a foolproof plan. But is it really foolproof? This slick femme fatale thriller from director Rebecca Thomas finds DeHaan in fine form and and features a screenplay from Daniel Casey that\u2019s lined with surprises. Screenings: 9:30 p.m. March 14 at California Theatre; 11:30 a.m. March 16 at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cMermaid\u201d: Cape Cod drag queen Pepper (Arturo Lu\u00edz Soria) \u2014 still mourning the death of\u00a0 his husband \u2014 bonds with a suicidal 10-year-old (Devyn McDowell) whose mother has died and whose father (Nat Faxon) won\u2019t accept who she truly is. Director Fia Perera\u2019s uplifting drama doesn\u2019t soft pedal the hair-trigger emotional distress either of these two characters are experiencing, which is what makes \u201cMermaid\u201d that much more powerful. Perera draws out good performances from all, but it is Soria and McDowell\u2019s from-the-heart acting that sets this one apart. Screenings: 7 p.m. March 14 at Hammer Theatre; 12:20 p.m. March 18 at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Vanishing of Dolores Wulff\u201d: For decades, relatives suspected the one responsible for the disappearance of Dolores Wulff, a Woodland mother of four who vanished without a trace one night in 1979, was her husband. And they tormented the man, who claimed he had no clue about the crime but showed little emotion. Director Paul Sadowski revisits what happened that night through re-enactments and interviews with relatives, including Dolores\u2019 son Paul, a football coach at Cal Poly, who was 12 when she disappeared. They share stories of trying to get a confession from Paul\u2019s father and about the investigation that went on to solve the case and give the family some peace of mind and closure. It\u2019s engrossing and moving, especially in its closing moments. Screenings: 7:10 p.m. March 16 and 12:30 p.m. March 19, both at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdult Children\u201d: Four adult siblings discover that growing pains are here to stay in Rich Newey\u2019s family dramedy that\u2019s bolstered by a terrific cast. The hottest mess in this brood, at least from outward appearances, is Josh (Thomas Sadoski), a firefighter battling demons, pills and booze. His three sisters (Betsy Brandt, Aya Cash and Ella Rubin) agree to watch him and keep him clean while their mom (Mimi Rogers) goes on a European trip. (Each child has a different dad.) But Josh isn\u2019t the only one wrestling with problems, as these tightknit sibs\u2019 secrets bubble to the fore. Be prepared to see elements of yourself \u2014 and perhaps your own family \u2014 while watching this charmer. Screenings: 4:50 p.m. March 15 at California Theatre; 6:15 p.m. March 17 at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember Me Always\u201d: At one point in Mateo Garimberti\u2019s dreamy B&W film, one character observes, \u201cI\u2019m not who she thinks I am.\u201d It\u2019s a line that drips with noir nourishment. But it also sums up this moody, artful piece, which all but demands attentive viewers pierce through the shadows and fog to get at its meaning. It\u2019s worth the effort. Set mostly in a hotel in Argentina, \u201cRemember\u201d uses a classic plot schematic where the past comes back to haunt someone, in this case, a hotel manager (Javier Kussrow). If you\u2019re a fan of classic noirs, you won\u2019t want to miss it. Screenings: 4:30 p.m. March 12 at Hammer Theatre; 7:05 p.m. March 19 and noon March 22 at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.<\/p>\n

CINEQUEST<\/p>\n

When: March 10-22 in person; March 24-31 virtual<\/p>\n

Where: Screenings are at California Theatre and Hammer Theatre, San Jose, and Alamo Drafthouse, Mountain View<\/p>\n

Tickets: $14 general, $9 students, $8 matinee (weekdays before 5 p.m.); 10-pack, $110; $30 for opening night events and party; $15 opening night film only and Maverick Spirit Awards.<\/p>\n

More information: www.cinequest.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cinequest, the South Bay\u2019s popular and prestigious annual film festival, returns next week for its 35th celebration of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":204513,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[967,3056,1924,181,88,90,89,420],"class_list":{"0":"post-204532","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-jose","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-features","10":"tag-film","11":"tag-latest-headlines","12":"tag-san-jose","13":"tag-san-jose-headlines","14":"tag-san-jose-news","15":"tag-things-to-do"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204532\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}