Our Vision

Vision and legacy

Cinequest empowers, discovers, and showcases great film, media, creativity, and technology. Cinequest engages artists and their creations with audiences—forging community, illumination, and joy. Based in the Silicon Valley, Cinequest's powerful integration of creativity and technology inspires and transforms lives. Cinquest produces the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival, Cinejoy Virtual Festival, and Picture The Possibilities youth programs.

CINEQUEST CULTURE

CINEQUEST WORKS TO EXEMPLIFY ITS FOUR TENETS:

Vanguard Achievement and Excellence.

Elevated Creativity: tech meets art and wisdom to empower and elevate creations and lives. 

High Energy: delivering honor, integrity, goodness, and joy through our work, experiences, and service.

Love of each other and the audiences, artists, innovators, and youth we serve.

Joyous Passion to fulfill the Cinequest Vision
CEO Halfdan Hussey
President Kathleen J. Powell

Leadership

"Strength comes from the people involved and how great their passion and skills are. The leaders of Cinequest have both of those. That's why it's been with us for some time and will still be here long into the future." - Steve Wozniak (Co-Founder, Apple Inc)

CEO Halfdan Hussey and President Kathleen J. Powell Co-Founded Cinequest.

Voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers, the Cinequest in-person festival occurs in the Silicon Valley while the virtual festival occurs via the Cinejoy online platform.

Set in the home of the world's most influential media technology companies (Apple, Cisco, Instagram, LinkedIn, Netflix, Twitter, Zoom) Cinequest empowers global connectivity between creators, innovators, youth, and audiences. Cinequest has led the world in its showcase and implementation of the innovations that have revolutionized creativity and filmed media.

Voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers
Cinequest’s highest honor, the Maverick Award

Annually, over 300,000 participate in Cinequest experiences from all walks of life, engaging with great art, tech and each other. Cinequest's renowned hospitality makes the festival experience as warm and personal as it is electrifying. Cinequest presents 300 films and virtual-augmented reality (many of which are World and U.S. Premieres), groundbreaking innovations, creativity forums plus writing, comedy, dance, music, and art. 2,000+ artists, innovators, and youth present from over 55 countries each year.

Cinequest's highest honor, the Maverick Award, recognizes bold, visionary and creative forces exemplary in the worlds of Silicon Valley innovation and the creative arts. Its Maverick Spirit Awards recognizes artists (Nicolas Cage, Harrison Ford, Tatiana Maslany, J.J. Abrams, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ben Kingsley, Elle Fanning, and Sir Ian McKellen are amongst the guest recipients). Its Maverick Innovator Award recognizes technologists (including Martin Cooper, father of the cell phone). A Maverick stands apart from the crowd willing to create and innovate from a place of personal yet global vision.

Picture it. Create it!

Picture The Possibilities (PTP) empowers global youth with the tools, confidence and inspiration to form and create their dreams from art to science—driving an optimal future for all of us. PTP provides youth with the following opportunities and creative power:

PTP City Sessions & Film/TV Creation
  • In PTP City Sessions & Film/TV Creation youth experience the 7 Powers of Creating program that teaches them how to create anything from art to science. They practice this power by making films (with mentors) on content vital to global youth. Seeing how to bring a picture from nothing into reality, they can then apply this creative process to other areas of their lives and dreams.
  • Telling Their Story: PTP also creates personal profiles on each participant sharing their story and dreams with the world.
  • PTP Annual Summits: Creativity is equally important to innovators and scientists as it is to artists. At PTP Summit Silicon Valley, global youth connect with luminaries to share their films and stories and empower each other and our future. The PTP Summit celebrates and fosters the creative force of science, technology and art.
  • The PTP Online Workshop provides global, ongoing access to the 7 Powers of Creating curriculum, activities, book, contests, community and opportunities.  

What people are saying

If you would like your support to be associated with one of these areas for further recognition, please email patrons@cinequest.org and we will make it happen!

ARTIST ADVANCEMENT—Industry Forums & Workshops
Equip artists with tools in AI, innovation, and storytelling.
You help artists gain the knowledge to navigate and lead the future of film

ARTIST CONNECTION—Artist Brunch Series… and of course you are invited! 
Where filmmakers, patrons, and industry connect.
You help create the relationships that lead to future collaborations and careers.

CAREER-DEFINING RECOGNITION—Artist Awards (Film & Screenplay) 
Support Jury Awards, Audience Awards, and Screenplay Awards.
You help create the recognition that opens doors to distribution, funding, and future work.

ARTIST DISCOVERY—Support a Genre / Section of the Festival Line-up... 
Documentary, Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Student, Short Films, Spanish Language.
You are the reason new voices are discovered and seen for the first time.

STORY DISCOVERY—Screenplay Competition Support 
You discover stories before they become films and help bring them to life.

INSPIRATION & LEGACY—Maverick Spirit Events 
You celebrate bold, visionary creators and inspire the next generation to follow their path.

— Direct Your Giving

1. DISCOVERY

Unearthing extraordinary new voices from around the world

  • Open submissions drive over 90% of festival programming 
  • Strong focus on first- and second-time filmmakers 
  • Curated exposure (in-person and global) to audiences, industry, and press 
  • Diverse programming across genres, cultures, and perspectives 

2. ADVANCEMENT

Providing artists with the tools, recognition, and connections to move forward

  • Awards that elevate careers and visibility 
  • Direct access to industry professionals and collaborators 
  • Engagement with audiences and press 
  • Platforms that extend artist visibility beyond the festival 

3. INNOVATION

Empowering creators through technology and forward-thinking storytelling

  • AI and emerging technology forums 
  • Leadership in storytelling evolution (digital cinema, mobile film, 3D, distribution, AI) 
  • Hands-on workshops and future-focused conversations 
  • Integration of creativity + technology — “The Future of Film” 
— CAMPAIGN TENETS

"I think the most important thing about Cinequest is it's definitely the first time I've ever come to a festival where my immediate reaction is, 'What do I have to do to be invited back?' and that's not normally my reaction. It's a perfect film festival in a glorious place."

— Maverick Spirit Award Winner

"Move over Cannes! Of the more than 4,000 film festivals around the globe, more than half take place on U.S. soil, and many rank among the best of the best. Our panel of film experts, movie buffs and festival gurus were tasked with narrowing down the field to the best 20 film festivals in the nation before we turned it over to USA TODAY and 10Best readers to choose their favorites. After four weeks of voting, we have a winner. Cinequest Voted Best Film Festival!"

— USA Today

“Cinequest is the cure...while we're here, we're in a world that's different.”

— Harry Knowles, Ain't It Cool News

"This festival is one that sets the trends and is actually ahead of the trends. Other festivals are copying Cinequest; I see it all the time."

— Chris Gore, Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide and Film Threat

“The film and technology forums delved into the important realms of integrating internet delivery into the home entertainment environment, creating true Internet revenue streams for film artists, and effectively leveraging the budding mobile marketplace.”

— Forbes Magazine

“Cinequest has consistently managed to pull in heavyweight guests.”

— Dennis Harvey, Variety

“Technology always drives the film business. In Cinequest, we have a good window on the future. I think they’re leading the world in this regard.”

— Peter Belsito, Executive Vice President, Film Finders

"At Cinequest you often haven't heard of the film before you go see it, but the audiences come anyway. That's a testament to the festival -- that audiences are willing to take that leap of faith."

— Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times