San Jose State University has starring role at Cinequest

Originally published in the San Jose Mercury News March 6, 2011

By Sal Pizarro

San Jose State University has a big role at this year’s Cinequest Film Festival.

The school has two entries in the festival’s student short film competition: “Jimbo,” directed by Daniel Maggio, and “No Robots,” directed by Yung-Han Chang and Kimberly Knoll.

David Chai, an assistant professor of animation and illustration, directed his students’ work on the animated short “Enrique Wrecks the World” — and they also made the Cinequest trailer that plays before movies.

Two other movies from Spartan Film Studios — the production arm of the department of TV, Radio, Film and Theatre — “Super Hero Party Clown” and “Cheap Fun” will be shown at the festival.

“Super Hero Party Clown” was shown in a “rough cut” version at Cinequest last year, and director Jeremy Inman incorporated some audience feedback into the finished film, which includes an added scene and improved special effects. Its last screening is Sunday at 9:30 p.m. at the California Theatre.

Barnaby Dallas, co-director of Spartan Film Studios, says the process of bringing the audience into the filmmaking process inspired Cinequest to create the Rough Cut Forum for this year. Of course, SJSU was happy to provide a movie for the forum, as well.

Audiences will get a chance to see an in-progress version of Zack Sutherland’s “Cheap Fun” and provide their thoughts at 9 p.m. Tuesday at the San Jose Rep.