Cinequest 2014
Movies playing at the Cinequest film festival in 2014
List activity
413 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
54 titles
- DirectorPeter FranzénStarsOlavi AngervoMatleena KuusniemiMilja TuunainenA ravishing story about little Pete and his survival and growth in the gray area between love and fear.
- DirectorSimon ChristenAdrift is a love letter to the fog of the San Francisco Bay Area. The film maker chased it for over two years to capture the magical interaction between the soft mist, the ridges of the California coast and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The film showcases a unique way of looking at the movement of fog, which is usually hidden in time. Simon Christen lifts us above that thick cold blanket to reveal a beautiful ocean that crests, flows and ebbs. Only the highest points of the city and it's bridges can peek through, becoming adrift, while the rest is caressed by this natural beauty.Short from Shorts 7 program
- DirectorJorge Gil MunarrizStarsEsteban ArrietaLourdes ArrietaMentxu ArrietaLourdes and Mentxu Arrieta were born with a serious problem: although they were sisters and used to spend all their time together, an illness concerning their bodies prevent them for communicating among them. They couldn't use neither voice or their hands. Till the day they found their own and original way to do it. A communacting system that was completely original and everyone around them thought it was crazy. A language that that has been totally secret for the last 30 years... till now.The Arrietta Method
- DirectorJoshua OverbayStarsTodd BagleyShannon Kathleen BakerLuke BeaversAfter the death of the Prophet, a man is called to lead his small religious sect as they anxiously await the end of the world they were promised.
- DirectorStefano LodovichiStarsMaria Vittoria BarrellaLorenzo ColombiIlaria GiachiThe first time is unforgettable, especially if the video ends up on the web.Asquared
- DirectorCorbin BillingsStarsDavion BlandMoy GutierrezEmily PatrickBite Size tells the stories of 4 kids around the country as they embark on a journey to become healthier and lose weight. All it takes is someone to believe in you and the will to try.
- DirectorMatt WinnStarsTom BurkeNatalie DormerRufus SewellA thirty something couple, concerned that they're out of touch and no longer fashionable, decide to rectify the situation by dragging themselves to the latest hip brunch eatery. As they journey through London, they discuss the idiosyncrasies of their friends and the ups and down of their aberrant relationships. However, when they bump into Tom, an uber-hipster friend of theirs, what he reveals puts their quest into a thoroughly different light.Short from Shorts 7 program
- DirectorBill PlymptonStarsSophia TakalJeremy BaumannAlex MarkowitzIn a fateful bumper car collision, Jake and Ella meet and become the most loving couple in the long history of romance. But when a scheming "other" woman drives a wedge of jealousy into their perfect courtship, insecurity and hatred spell out an untimely fate. With only the help of a disgraced magician and his forbidden "soul machine", Ella takes the form of Jake's numerous lovers, desperately fighting through the malfunction and deceit as they try to reclaim their destiny.
- DirectorRok BicekStarsIgor SamoborNatasa Barbara GracnerTjasa ZeleznikRelations between the students and the new teacher of German are extremely tense. When one female student commits suicide, her schoolmates blame the teacher for her death. An awareness that things are not quite so black and white comes too late... (based on true events)
- DirectorRyan Bruce LeveyStarsMick Petitpas RoselandTwo men plus three decades, equals a love of a lifetime.Short shown before Sex(ed): The Movie
- DirectorMarlon JohnsonDennis SchollChad TingleDeep City is an inspirational story that explores the early days of soul music in South Florida, the pioneers of that era and their lasting contributions to the broader American musical landscape. During mid-1960s Miami, producers Willie Clarke and Johnny Pearsall masterminded Deep City Records. Both from the mean streets of Miami, this duo honed the business and musical skills learned in college and went on to change the face of soul music in Miami, and eventually the country by creating the first black-owned record label in Florida. Deep City is a documentary that delves into the life and times of these groundbreaking producers, their label, the unique artists they spawned and the remarkable era in which they accomplished it.
- DirectorMohammad GhorbankarimiStarsIman AfsharMohsen HosseiniAyoub AfsharA poetic, visual treat about a young boy in search of his mother who was lost at sea more than eight years ago, the story inspires courage, hope and determination.
- DirectorRichard ShepardStarsJude LawRichard E. GrantDemián BichirAfter spending 12 years in prison for keeping his mouth shut, notorious safe-cracker Dom Hemingway is back on the streets of London looking to collect what he's owed.
- DirectorAnthony LuceroStarsDiana Elizabeth TorresYutaka TakeuchiRodrigo Duarte ClarkAn immigrant single mother disenfranchised by her regular life decides to take a chance working at a Japanese restaurant and realises her dreams to become a sushi chef to provide a better future to her family.
- DirectorFrauke FinsterwalderStarsGisela AderholdChristoph BachMargit CarstensenA number of individuals in Germany whose lives are connected in some ways, and all of them have dark sides which may shock us to the core.
- DirectorSarah SmickStarsRyan HansenJames ImmekusZach McGowanA dark comedy about a social media junkie who fakes his own death via social media just to see which of his "friends" will show up to the funeral.
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsMichael B. JordanMelonie DiazOctavia SpencerThe story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.Event with film critic Kenneth Turan
- DirectorThien DoStarsNguyen HauJayvee Mai The HiepPhuong Anh LeuA man of dubious background, Lucky Loc has worked his way into respectable society as the owner of a company producing high-end ceremonial gifts to be burned as offerings to the dead. When his luck takes a sudden nosedive, he's convinced that it has to do with a torn money note which he slipped to a salesgirl at a flower shop, knowing local businesses don't accept damaged money. Believing that the same bill is his lucky charm, he scrambles to retrieve it from her. Complications arise when she decides to hold it for ransom. Set in Vietnam, Tien Chua is a social satire about a man struggling to survive the increasingly materialistic world with his soul and sanity intact, or at least partially intact.Funny Money
- DirectorDon McKellarStarsTaylor KitschBrendan GleesonLiane BalabanTo survive, a dying Newfoundland fishing village must convince a young doctor to take up residence by any means necessary.Opening night film
- DirectorDome KarukoskiStarsPeter FranzénLaura BirnJasper PääkkönenNeo-Nazi falls in love with a woman who has a black son and finds himself fighting with conflicting feelings.
- DirectorMárk BodzsárStarsAndrás ÖtvösRoland RábaTamás Keresztes1992. Milan Kolarov escapes from Yugoslavia to Hungary. Shortly after that, he gets recruited by paramedics, who are making big money of selling identities of the people died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
- DirectorDon HardyDana NachmanStarsSean PennA documentary that explores chemicals found in everyday household products.
- DirectorReshef LeviStarsSasson GabayMoni MoshonovPatrick StewartIn Jerusalem, a bullied teen befriends his grandfather and long lost uncle and soon they decide to solve their financial problems by robbing a bank.
- DirectorPawel PawlikowskiStarsAgata KuleszaAgata TrzebuchowskaDawid OgrodnikA novice nun about to take her vows uncovers a family secret dating back to the German occupation.
- DirectorMoisés SepúlvedaStarsPaulina GarcíaValentina MuhrA bitter woman in her fifties accepts reluctantly the biggest challenge of her life, which is learning to read.The Illiterate
- DirectorCaroline StrubbeStarsKimke DesartZoltán Miklós HajduMark HanneyA road movie. An unorthodox crime story. Portrait of an unlikely companionship. Belgian director Caroline Strubbe's uniquely crafted second feature combines all of these to tell the moving story of a man and a child in mourning as they journey through Western Europe.
- DirectorIsabel Muñoz CotaStarsFlavio MedinaMaricela PeñalosaMontserrat ÁngelesIn the emergency room at a hospital, Lucia runs into Felipe, an ex-boyfriend who is hospitalized. She ends up taking car of him and finding closure to their unresolved relationship.
- DirectorArild Østin OmmundsenStarsSilje SalomonsenTomas Alf LarsenEgil BirkelandA woman goes to prison for murder. After being released back into society, she tries to create a new life for her and her now-nine-year-old daughter. But her dark past comes back to haunt her and threaten both of their lives.
- DirectorJérôme BonnellStarsEmmanuelle DevosGabriel ByrneGilles PrivatA French actress meets a foreigner who awakens something deep within her.
- DirectorStian KristiansenStarsEili HarboeØyvind Larsen RunestadKristoffer JonerTeenagers ambitiously set up a famous play by Jon Fosse and hire a well-known actor to be the instructor, but he's going through a life crisis and makes the experience hell for all of them.
- DirectorMatthew KowalchukStarsBen CottonDaniel Smith ArnoldKatharine IsabelleSuicidal accountant Holloman forms a strange relationship with happy-go-lucky salesman Lawrence. As he tries to teach Holloman to stay positive and turn his life around, Lawrence's own life begins to crumble.
- DirectorHalfdan HusseyKathleen J. PowellStarsSomaly MamSrey Pov ChanSina VannHeroes lead with their heart. Cinequest Mavericks Studio brings you LIFE IS LOVE, the provocative film about a group of inspirational young women who have triumphed over severe adversity and their highly controversial leader. Arguably, the world's most renowned and controversial leader in the movement to free and transform girls from the ravages of human trafficking, Somaly Mam, a survivor and empowered inspiration, signs her books: "Life Is Love." TIME MAGAZINE recognized Somaly Mam as recognized as one of the 100 most influential women in the world today. Recently her story has come under media attack. Filmed prior to these recent allegations from renowned journalists, LIFE IS LOVE presents her story and those of the young women who idolize her, raw and in their voice. Much of the film shocks, much inspires and ultimately LIFE IS LOVE is an exploration of the best of humankind as well as the worst: from lies and brutality to compassion and love. The backdrop? Cambodia: the alluring land and people that hold the reputations of being both the Pearl of Asia as well as the place of the Khmer Rouge outrages. LIFE IS LOVE stirs your senses and emotions, captivates your mind, and ultimately challenges your spirit to transform the light and darkness of humanity.
- DirectorElías León SiminianiStarsElías León SiminianiThis is the story of a young Spanish director burned out by his job on TV, who went to India in search of his first feature film only to discover that the real search was not for him in India but back home. However, upon return in Madrid, everything went the opposite as he expected...
- DirectorAlexander GrayJeff MaynardStarsMike CarlinBob GoodmanKlaus JansonMasterpiece: Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns- Documentary -78 minutes This is the master-crafted work of the legendary writer and artist Frank Miller. The film encapsulates, and celebrates the stunning achievement of Batman: the Dark Knight Returns, galvanizing the reason why this story ushered in the modern take of the dark and brooding protector of Gotham. This is the journey of Frank Miller, seeking the freedom that some authors only dream of in a lifetime. -Narrated by Malcolm McDowell.
- DirectorChelsea McMullanStarsChase ConstantinoRae SpoonAlberta singer/songwriter Rae Spoon reflects on gender identity, faith, and the challenges of family through songs and stories.
- DirectorSerge AvedikianOlena FetisovaStarsSerge AvedikianYuliya PeresildKaren BadalovA film director Sergey Paradjanov creates brilliant films. His nonconformist behavior conflicts with Soviet System. He is committed to prison for being eccentric. His indestructible love for beauty allows him to withstand the years of imprisonment, isolation and oblivion.
- DirectorHua YaStarsXiang BinYaShu ZhanRun ZhangParallel Maze The story begins with one of Hitchcock's master work -- Psycho, which depicts a female bank clerk who stole a huge sum of money from the bank and fled to a hotel, and what happened later. As time and space begin to split, the relations between the two couples in the film turn complicated, and all ends in the maze existing in the parallel universe. The theme of the film centers on Arthur Schopenhauer's idea -- "The world is my will", and the structure form bases on the multiverse theory. The splitting of science and culture has been a worldwide issue ever since the 1960s when C.P. Snow delivered his famous speech on The Two Cultures. What will be revealed when we examine the traditional humanistic thoughts with advanced science and technology? Quantum Theory and Chaos Theory have put an end to our traditional cognition and forced us to rediscover the universe and ourselves. The core ideas of modern science like nonlinearity, indeterminacy, probability theory, etc, are well combined with the structure of the film as well as the destinies of the characters. The world and life presented in Parallel Maze is like the superposition of quantum, forming a mass of chaos. The film conveys the director's understanding and expectation on films in the 21 Century.
- DirectorGraham HughesStarsMandy BhariRay CrofterScott CunninghamA feel-good film about suicide! After many failed attempts at suicide, twenty-something Tom comes to the conclusion that he needs to think outside the box. He plans out the spectacular suicide.
- DirectorMatt SzymanowskiStarsEdwin LiNoreen LeeCarla ClayInspired by the standup acts of real life Chinese American comedian Edwin Li, a young man in San Francisco spirals downward into disappointment until he finds solace in a brief sexual encounter with an older woman to whom he may or may not be related.
- DirectorSean HanishStarsJoseph MarcellPaul AdelsteinMinnie DriverA couple navigate their way through a pregnancy filled with doubt, grief and trepidation.
- DirectorScott GracheffStarsMark BinghamAlice HoglanTHE RUGBY PLAYER is an uplifting and stereotype-shattering documentary that tells the story of a mother, a son, and what it takes to be a hero. The film explores the lives of Mark Bingham, one of the passengers of United Flight 93 on 9/11, and his mother, Alice Hoagland, a former United Airlines flight attendant. THE RUGBY PLAYER is an intimate portrait of how a son's heroism can inspire a nation, and how a mother's love can turn profound loss into unshakable resolve. Utilizing footage shot by Bingham himself, this timely film provides keen insights for the national debates on LGBT rights, marriage equality and gay athletes in sports.
- DirectorBrenda GoodmanRemember how you learned about sex? Sex(ed): The Movie captures the humor, shock and vulnerability people face when learning about sex, through the lens of the often hilarious, only sometimes informative, sex-ed films from 1910 to the present day.
- DirectorPaul LazarusStarsDean KamenSlingShot focuses on noted Segway inventor Dean Kamen and his work to solve the world's water crisis. An eccentric genius with a provocative world view, Kamen is an inspiration for future scientists. His inventions help people in need and ease suffering. SlingShot is about an indomitable man who just might have enough passion and innovative thinking to create a solution for a crisis affecting billions. Kamen lives in a house with secret passages, a closet full of denim and a helicopter garage. His latest passion: the SlingShot water purification system created to obliterate half of human illness on the planet. Kamen reminisces about improving home dialysis technology and choosing to forgo parenthood while lamenting he has only one lifetime for inventing. SlingShot is both an inspirational character study and a look at Kamen's vapor compression distiller from its earliest development through recent trials in rural Ghana and beyond.
- DirectorJoel SurnowStarsChristopher MeloniDevon BostickDean NorrisA young guy decides to skip college in favor of joining his father on the lot of his used-car business.Closing night film
- DirectorJeffrey D. BrownStarsGillian AndersonDavid ArquettePriyanka BoseA girl risks everything for freedom after being trafficked from her mountain village in Nepal to a brothel in India.
- DirectorMatt WolfStarsJena MaloneBen WhishawJulia HummerTeenagers did not always exist. In this living collage of rare archival material, filmed portraits, and voices lifted from early 20th Century diary entries, a struggle erupts between adults and adolescents to define a new idea of youth.
- DirectorDominik LocherStarsFlorentine KrafftJosé BarrosAnatole TaubmanYoung wannabe novelist Dominique Piepermann sets out with a lively kebab vendor through a forgotten valley in the Swiss Alps where she comes face to face with love, loss and a Fiat Panda obsessed pimp.
- DirectorOnur ÜnlüStarsAli AtayDemet EvgarDamla SönmezCemal is a man who lives with his father in Akhisar town of Manisa and works in his own barber shop. Cemal, who seems to be at his own pace, is in trouble, and even he doesn't know what's going on. On the other hand, in this town where almost everyone knows each other, seemingly ordinary people have extraordinary powers.
- DirectorSameh ZoabiStarsAli SulimanDirar SuleimanMahmoud Abu JaziPalestinian and Israeli businessmen co-found solar energy company amid community opposition. Utilize social media to garner support for their venture and Israel-Palestine peace process.
- DirectorSang-il LeeStarsShioli KutsunaKen WatanabeJun KunimuraJapanese-Korean filmmaker Sang-il Lee (Villain) has decided to reinterpret Eastwood's Oscar®-winning Unforgiven as a Japanese period film.
- DirectorJan VerheyenStarsKoen De BouwJohan LeysenVeerle BaetensA Belgian business executive takes on his country's justice system after a procedural error that released his wife's murderer drives him to take matters into his own hands.The Verdict
- DirectorAlex BernsteinStarsSoane PrescottKelepi FonohemaSione Ma'uInstructed to set out on a journey by his village chief, Flying Fox heads South to learn about his strengths as a man. During his journey he encounters two warring villages and attempts to mediate their differences. Flying Fox applies the lessons he learned on his journey when he returns to his home village to find trouble.
- DirectorMatteo OleottoStarsGiuseppe BattistonTeco CelioRok PrasnikarPaolo, passes his days dragging himself between drinking sessions in the local bar with his friends, an unsatisfying job and an infantile stalking of his ex-wife. One day, he comes across his nephew Zoran, a curious boy of fifteen, born and raised in the mountains along with an aunt that Paolo did not know to have. After her death, Paolo is the only person who can take care of the boy. Thanks to the wise man owner of the Paolo's usual bar, he discovers that Zoran has a bizarre and unexpected gift: he is a real champion in playing darts. This is an opportunity for Paolo to take a revenge against the world. But things do not always develop as we would like them to.Zoran, My Idiot Nephew