THE PARTY ANIMAL
Yes, you love movies and want to support an amazing cultural experience taking place in your hometown. But let’s face it: what you really want to do is party. Good news, Party Animal: Cinequest is packed with opportunities for you. From the Opening Night and Closing Night bashes to the free drinks in the VIP Lounge, plus nightly Soirées and Maverick Meetups at locations throughout both host cities, the festival can truly be a nonstop party for those who are committed to revelry.
THE STAR CHASER
If you’re obsessed with celebrities, don’t miss Cinequest’s Maverick Spirit Award events. The festival gives this honor to influential people who have been innovators in their fields; in recent years, this has included Harrison Ford, Andie MacDowell, Nicolas Cage, Rosario Dawson, Neil Gaiman, Tatiana Maslany, and others. This year, pioneering beat poet Ruth Weiss and actress Hong Chau are among the awardees, but additional names are often added closer to the event. And what are the odds you’ll bump into one of the stars—or perhaps an up-and-comer who starred in the movie you just watched—at an afterparty? Better than you might think: celebrities often want to see the festival and the city themselves; just approach them to say hi, and they are almost always happy to take a picture with a fan.
THE METICULOUS PLANNER
The festival guide is a goldmine of events, from the movies to the conversations to the parties. If you love planning out your days down to the minute, you’ll want to comb through the program and start marking up your calendar ASAP. Just be sure you’re paying attention to locations: the calendar mingles movie screenings in both San Jose and Redwood City, so don’t wind up late because you didn’t anticipate the travel time. But stay in one place and the venues are all within walking distance of each other, so planning your screenings, events, and meal breaks is a breeze.
THE SPONTANEOUS ADVENTURER
Some people revel in spontaneous fun. If this is you, the recommendation is just to pick a few days and show up at the festival. Don’t even look at the schedule. If you have an All Access Pass, drop into the VIP Lounge. See who’s around, talk to other attendees, ask what people are seeing, tag along, and figure it out as you go. It’s a great way to uncover the unexpected.
