Cinequest film festival back in Silicon Valley with more than 300 screenings

By Loureen Ayyoub

Since 1990, the Cinequest Film and Creativity Festival has brought fresh films to Silicon Valley, and the event continues to evolve alongside technology.

Festival founder Halfdan Hussey is celebrating more than three decades of Cinequest with a new home for the festival in Mountain View.

“Wow. We’re here in the Alamo Drafthouse in Mountain View, California: The new home of the Cinequest Film Festival. We are absolutely thrilled to be here,” Hussey said.

The festival features more than 300 screenings, panels and special events across the region, highlighting the intersection of art and innovation.

“We have some stories that are really particular around technology here. We have a film called ‘Wardriver’ about this really intense thriller,” Hussey said.

Actor Dane DeHaan, who stars as an expert hacker in the film, said the story explores how powerful digital tools can affect the world.

“Technology is a thing that can be used for good, or evil, and or both. And I think Cole’s use of it, although illegal, has the purest of intentions. I think Cole is a person that could get a job at a desk in Silicon Valley if he wanted to. But he chooses to use his powers and intelligence in a different way,” DeHaan said.

Organizers say the Bay Area’s connection between storytelling and innovation is what makes Cinequest unique.

“It’s just so great to have Cinequest and these wonderful human artists interacting with the people of Silicon Valley, and right here, exploring technologies in this innovation capital of the world,” Hussey said.

For Cinequest, the future of storytelling may be shaped as much by code as by cameras. The 2026 Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival runs March 10–22, 2026, across San Jose and Mountain View, with dozens of premieres, panels and innovation‑centered events.