By Khalida Sarwari
Actor and director John Turturro will be among the movie stars and politicians walking on the red carpet tonight for the opening night of the 21st annual Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose.
Turturro’s latest documentary film, “Passione,” will be screened tonight following a red carpet event at 5:45 p.m. at the California Theatre, located at 345 S. First St.
After the screening, Turturro, who has acted in more than 80 film and television productions and directed four films, will be presented with Cinequest’s Maverick Spirit Award.
San Jose’s Mayor Chuck Reed is expected to give welcoming remarks at about 7 p.m.
Tickets for opening night are $40 and include the film screening and after party. Room in the 1,100-seat theater is still available, Brittany Welby, a spokeswoman for the festival, said.
Doors open around 6 p.m.
On Wednesday, “I Am,” the latest film by Tom Shadyac, the director of “Liar, Liar” and “Ace Ventura,” will be screened at 7 p.m. Shadyac will receive the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Award following the screening.
Information about single tickets and passes for the rest of the festival, which will continue through March 13, is available online at http://www.cinequest.org.