Cinequest, San Jose’s annual independent film festival, is nearing its closing date of Sunday, March 8, but there are still several action-packed days of events and films left. Check www.cinequest.org for details and ticket sales.

Friday, March 6 is the Day of the Writer, with forums and panels starting at 9:30 AM two tracks in the morning, one focused on film noir and the other on more general screenwriting. The day culminates at 3:00 PM with a Maverick Spirit Event featuring this year’s Maverick Spirit Award winner, Diablo Cody.
In the evening, there will be a screening of D.W. Griffith’s epic, “Intolerance.” Last Friday, Cinequest showed “The Birth of a Nation,” Griffith’s controversial masterwork. “Intolerance” was Griffith’s answer to those who accused him of racism in “Birth of a Nation.” Its four separate but parallel plotlines trace intolerance in different ages of humanity. Presented on the big screen in a restored print and accompanied by Dennis James on the magnificent Wurlitzer organ.
Saturday, March 7 there are two Film and Innovation Forums. “Lights, Cameras… P2” at 11:00 AM is a look at the new solid state filmmaking method from Panasonic. “The Business of Art” at 1:30 PM offers a panel of filmmakers, agents, producers, and distributors discussing the challenges of the business side of filmmaking.
Sunday, March 8, after a day packed with screenings, the closing festivities kick off at 7:30 PM with a screening of “The Nature of Existence,” Roger Nygard’s documentary about the big questions. The film is followed by a closing night party with appetizers, desserts, cocktails and entertainment at E & O Trading Co.
There are over fifty film screenings at the festival between Friday and Sunday, of everything from short film compilations to feature-length dramas, documentaries, and comedies. There’s something here for just about any taste, particularly those who tire of the same-old, same-old comfort food movies churned out by Hollywood the rest of the year. Cinequest makes it easy to see films that otherwise might never grace our local cinemas, so don’t miss this opportunity to check them out. See www.cinequest.org for the full schedule of films and events as well as summaries, and www.ealasaid.com/cineblog/ for Ealasaid Haas and Fred Crow’s reviews of the films they’ve seen so far.