Cinequest returning this month, even though normalcy hasn’t

Last year’s Cinequest may have been the last “normal” outing for the thousands of people who attended the film and creativity festival in March. As COVID-19 flared up and Santa Clara County moved toward a stay-at-home order, founders Halfdan Hussey and Kathleen Powell made the prudent decision to postpone the festival’s second week.

Now, a full year later, we are still not anywhere close to returning to “normalcy” — and who knows when we will — but Cinequest is coming back with a virtual edition to fit the times. That means there won’t be any in-person screenings or parties, but movie lovers will get to watch a big lineup of the independent films Cinequest is known for.

Cinejoy, as the online edition is being called, will run March 20-30, with more than 150 U.S. premiere and world premiere movies featured in the Showcase lineup and a dozen high-profile movies in the Spotlight portion. Unlike the Showcase films, which can be viewed anytime by passholders, the 12 Spotlight movies will be shown at specific times and will include extras like a conversation with actor Gabriel Byrne before the opening night screening of his film “Death of a Ladies’ Man.” You can get all the schedule and ticket information at www.creatics.org/cinejoy.

Of course, part of the real joy of Cinequest has always been not just watching movies but talking to other people about them. It would be impossible to truly replace the nightly soirees — where filmmakers and performers often mingled — but Cinejoy is attempting to create a sense of community with Zoom-hosted “screening parties.” Ticketholders can host one or join in someone else’s.

“Think super-fun ‘book clubs’ but for films, where you share your thoughts and feelings about a Cinejoy movie with old and new friends alike,” says Hussey, the festival director.

Hussey and Powell were encouraged by the success last October of the first Cinejoy virtual festival, which clearly served as both a make-up for the unfinished 2020 Cinequest and a tryout for a fully virtual edition. And if you really miss Cinequest — whether it’s seeing old friends, hearing the Wurlitzer organ at the California Theatre, or just going to a Tito’s-fueled party — don’t fret too much. The founders say a live edition of Cinequest will be back when that’s safe to do.

STAGE PRESENCE: City Lights Theater Company’s streaming series “The Next Stage” is another virtual venture that’s really taken off. Rebecca Wallace, City Lights’ marketing director, found herself thrust into the spotlight almost a year when the theater shut down because of COVID-19 restrictions and the series was launched as a way to keep audiences and artists engaged.

“Honestly, I’d never even been on Zoom before, and I wasn’t sure how the series would go,” Wallace said. “It’s been a joy to connect with audiences all over and share our love of the arts.” And she does mean “all over,” with people watching from as far away as Finland.

No doubt it’s the lineup of great guests that’s drawing a global audience. Tony Award-winning Broadway actor James Monroe Iglehart, a Hayward native, will join Wallace for an interview on this week’s edition, streaming on Zoom at 8 p.m. March 4.

On March 11, playwright-songwriter Michael Mitnick will have a conversation with City Lights sound designer and actor George Psarras, who was in Mitnick’s play “Spacebar: A Broadway Play by Kyle Sugarman.” And the Next Stage will host one of my favorite local musicians, Cellista, and her ensemble for a virtual adaptation of her stage poem, “Finding San Jose,” on March 18. Tasi Alabastro, another City Lights fan favorite, will host that evening, which will feature a 40-minute film directed by Cellista and edited by filmmaker Jennifer Gigantino, with dance choreography by Lilith Ransom and Lauren Baines.

The events are all free to view, and you can get more information or register to watch at www.cltc.org/thenextstage.

SILICON VALLEY JUSTICE: The pandemic didn’t do much to derail this year’s Santa Clara County High School Mock Trial tournament, which took place entirely on Zoom and dealt with a case involving YouTube and the theft of confidential government documents. Willow Glen High School’s team, led by Maya Carpenter, Sanvi Manik and team captain Sam Schnaars, defeated Cupertino High in the final round and knocked off six-time champion Lynbrook High along the way.