create, innovate, empower
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Jessica Gelico
Tel: (408) 995-6305
E-mail: [email protected]
CINEQUEST FILM & VR FESTIVAL 2017
INDIAN CINEMA CELEBRATION
SAN JOSE, Calif. – January 25, 2017 – For the 2017 edition of the Cinequest Film & VR
Festival (CQ2017), Cinequest is proud to present a stellar lineup of Indian Films.
Celebrating Indian culture and history, CQ2017 presents six outstanding works that offer
insight and understanding to the lifestyles and mysteries of this endlessly fascinating part
of the world as well as perspective on the Silicon Valley. Festival audiences will be able to
immerse themselves in these unique stories through the universal language of cinema.
Screenings and events occur February 28 – March 12 in San Jose & Redwood City (Silicon
Valley) at lavish venues.
Feature Films
The Black Prince (World Premiere): A true story of the last king (Maharaja Duleep Singh)
of Punjab kingdom (now Pakistan), The Black Prince unveils the truth of the monarch’s past
and probes the uncertainty behind what lay in his future path. Kidnapped from the Sikh
Empire throne at age five, then exiled to Britain, where he was raised mostly by Queen
Victoria, up until finally meeting his birth mother upon turning eighteen, this little-known
tale follows Singh’s life and the troubling questions surrounding his true destiny.
India in a Day: An inspiring and uplifting cinematic journey, as Google and executive
producer Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) join forces to explore and celebrate the culture,
passion, and people of the world’s largest democracy. India’s first crowd-sourced feature,
India in a Day keenly focuses on the vastly complicated culture and underlying stories of
India’s 1.3 billion inhabitants.
Kingdom of Clay Subjects: When his very young friend is forced to become a child bride,
a ten-year-old boy personally experiences one of India’s perplexing social injustices.
Attempting to make sense of these deeply entrenched traditions, he uncovers secrets in his
own family and the past his mother needs to hide. Determined to make a difference and to
defend his mother, the boy takes a stand against the social oppression that shadows daily
life for so many powerless Indians.
The Valley (World Premiere): After the suicide of his youngest daughter, a Silicon Valley
Indian-American entrepreneur embarks on a deep inward journey to come to grips with his
sudden, heart-rending tragedy. While seeking answers to the suicide, he searches for hereto-fore unknown persons who so profoundly affected is daughter’s life. His once perfect life
Page 1 of 3
is thrown into turmoil when lingering questions torment him and force him to completely
re-examine the worth of his previous existence.
You Are My Sunday (Tu Hai Mera Sunday): After inviting an old stranger to join his and
his friends’ Sunday soccer games, the group is suddenly banned from the beach, spoiling
their much-loved tradition. Despite their best efforts, the team comes to realize that a
replacement venue is virtually impossible to find. But just as all hope seems lost, the old
stranger invitee works some surprising magic, unexpectedly introducing one of the players
to love. What follows is a brand new game altogether, where balancing romance and
friendship proves to be even more difficult than keeping numerous soccer balls in the air.
Short Film
The School Bag: In a small town of Peshawar, Pakistan, Farooq has a simple demand of a
new school bag on his seventh birthday. But his mother, despite her love and affection
seems to be unfazed by her child’s plea. Unknown to Farooq, there is something waiting for
him on his birthday.
Join us for Maverick Spirit events with Jane Lynch (Glee) and Jason Reitman (Juno); 129 World and
U.S. Premiere Films (featuring stars like Amanda Seyfried, Shirley MacLaine, Jessica Chastain, Oscar
Isaac, Nathan Lane, James Franco, Ben Mendelsohn, Michiel Huisman, Sir Ben Kingsley, Michelle
Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver, Rooney Mara, and Christian Bale); 800+ presenting artists and
innovators; spectacular virtual reality experiences; and fabulous celebrations. Complete lineup,
passes, and tickets at www.cinequest.org
Cinequest Film and Virtual Reality Festival 2017 will occur February 28th to March 12th in
San Jose and Redwood City (Silicon Valley).
Join us for Maverick Spirit events with Jane Lynch (Glee) and Jason Reitman (Juno); 129 World and
U.S. Premiere Films (featuring stars like Amanda Seyfried, Shirley MacLaine, Jessica Chastain, Oscar
Isaac, Nathan Lane, James Franco, Ben Mendelsohn, Michiel Huisman, Sir Ben Kingsley, Michelle
Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver, Rooney Mara, and Christian Bale); 800+ presenting artists and
innovators; spectacular virtual reality experiences; and fabulous celebrations. Complete lineup,
passes, and tickets at www.cinequest.org
About Cinequest
A vanguard organization set in the Silicon Valley, Cinequest’s uniqueness and impact result from
being ahead of the curve in the powerful integration of creativity and technology. Cinequest fuses
the world of the filmed arts with that of Silicon Valley’s innovation to empower youth, artists, and
innovators to create and connect – driving transformations and a better tomorrow. Cinequest does
this through Cinequest Film & VR Festival, Picture The Possibilities (PTP), and its sister company
Cinequest Mavericks Studio. (Voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers.)
Cinequest 2017 Partners: Applied Materials (NYSE: AMAT), Kaiser Permanente, Harmonic (NYSE:
HLIT), Unity Technologies, Canon (NYSE: CAJ), IMDb an Amazon Company (AMZN), Panasonic
(OTCMKTS:PCRFY), Stella Artois (NYSE: AHBIF), Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Google (NYSE: GOOG),
AMD Radeon (NYSE: AMD), RED, Samsung (KSE:KS005935), Hint Water, Comerica Incorporated
(NYSE: CMA), Agile Ticketing Solutions, NBC Bay Area, Metro, KQED, SF Media Co., Telemundo,
Cinemark (NYSE: CNK), Fairmont San Jose (NYSE: FHR), Hyatt Place San Jose Downtown (NYSE:
H), Hilton San Jose (NYSE: HLT), Marriott San Jose (NYSE: MAR), Hotel De Anza, Wiivv, Barco
(EBR:BAR), VTA, Caltrain, SamTrans, Eddie Lira, SV Creates, San Jose Downtown Association, Team
San Jose, and the City of San Jose
Page 2 of 3
PTP Partners: Kaiser Permanente, The Hearst Foundations, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Morrison & Foerster Foundation, Capital Group, Hewlett
Packard Workstations (NYSE: HPQ), Brett Company, Google (NYSE: GOOG), Liquid Agency, Seagate
(NYSE: STX), Litepanels, Cisco (NYSC: CSCO), AudioTechnica, Media Center, Adobe (NYSE: ADBE),
Eddie Lira, GlideCam, Atomos, Rhino Camera Gear, Manfrotto, Red Giant (NYSE: REDG)
www.cinequest.org
###
Page 3 of 3