Though unquestionably worth a second look, these movies hardly suffer from neglected reputations. Even the selection of some of the neglected films is troubling. The festival is particularly strong on documentaries this year, but then again, the South Bay is always strong on documentaries. Jan Krawitz of the graduate-school documentary program at Stanford is one of the judges at Cinequest, along with Paul Bartel and Sally Kirkland. If a South Bay-made film is worthwhile, the chances are very good that it was made by one of Krawits' students.
Opening night showcases a promising new documentary.
The Next Generation crew member Denise Crosby, who will show up in person. Cinequest runs Jan. 29-Feb. Check next week's Metro for capsule reviews of the festival's more notable entries.