The audience for Cinequest’s opening night at the California Theatre got a glimpse into the future of filmmaking, courtesy of a showcase of two-minute short films produced this year for MIT’s AI Filmmaking Hackathon.
That’s right, artificial intelligence — feared by some to be the harbinger of the apocalypse — found its way into the majestic California Theatre in San Jose. One minute, Jerry Nagano was showing his talents on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ — the hot, new tech of the early 20th century — and the next, the crowd was transfixed by the AI movies, made by young filmmakers using tools that didn’t exist a decade ago.
From my seat, it was an intriguing but mixed bag of animated and “live action” stories. Some of the shorts — “Clown” and “Qatsi” in particular — were visually interesting, if a little disturbing like the doomed video in the horror movie, “The Ring.” Others like the delightful “For Pixi” and “Dance of E-Spark” kept the audience engaged with narratives. (One challenge to AI filmmaking at the moment is that you can add voiceover, but true spoken dialogue hasn’t been cracked.)
Some of the shorts will be shown before features during Cinequest, but you can see all of the finalists on the MIT contest YouTube channel (@MITfilmmakers).
It certainly was an audacious way to kick off the Silicon Valley film festival, which officially opened with “The Luckiest Man in America,” a dramedy based on the true story of an Ohio man who had an improbable winning streak on the 1980s game show, “Press Your Luck.” Director Samir Oliveros was at the screening of the film, which had its world premiere last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival and goes into release April 4.
In an onstage interview after the screening, Oliveros said he stumbled onto the story when he picked up a VHS tape at a thrift store that had a recording of the game show. And, in another bit of serendipity, the low-budget, independent production was able to get a waiver from the Screen Actors Guild during last year’s strike — so his ensemble cast is filled with recognizable names like Walton Goggins, David Strathairn, Maisie Williams, Johnny Knoxville, Brian Geraghty and Paul Walter Hauser.
Oliveros joined the capacity crowd at the opening night party, held at the Glass House on Market and Santa Clara streets, where he mingled with audience members and other filmmakers. Cinequest runs through March 23 at the California Theatre, the Hammer Theater Center and 3Below Theaters. The full schedule and ticket information is available at www.cinequest.org.
CAMP DISAPPOINTMENT: If San Jose Family Camp is one of your summer traditions, you’re going to have to find something else to do this season. Jon Cicirelli, the director of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services department, announced in a recent memo that the camp — nestled in the Sierras between Groveland and Yosemite — would not open in 2025 as repairs are made because of storm damage going back to 2017.
The damaged areas include the “pool” area and the playground, where the existing play structure and a wooden “fort” were damaged beyond repair. A concrete retaining wall enclosing the playground also was damaged. While various repairs are being made, there also will be upgrades made to other areas to bring the facility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Cicirelli expects the necessary work to be done this year, with plans to reopen Family Camp in 2026.
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE: Who says U.S.-European foreign relations are dead? Vincent Dubois, the titular organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, will perform a solo recital on March 20 at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Saratoga. Dubois struck up a friendship with Michael Burroughs, Saint Andrew’s director of music, on Facebook, and realized they share the same birthday. Burroughs invited Dubois to perform at the church, and the organist accepted — setting the stage for his first engagement in the Bay Area.
The 7 p.m. concert is free to attend, but donations will be accepted for Saint Andrew’s Community Grants Fund, which supports Santa Clara County nonprofits. Reserve a spot at www.st-andrews-saratoga.org.