The Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival is an annual independent film festival held in San Jose and Redwood City, California. Founded in 1990 by Halfdan Hussey and Kathleen Powell, the festival combines cinematic arts with the innovation of Silicon Valley, showcasing films, virtual and augmented realities, comedy, television, fashion, art, and dance. Recognized as an Academy-qualifying festival for short film categories, it presents Maverick Spirit Awards and has been voted the "Best Film Festival" by USA Today readers. Cinequest also aims to connect artists, innovators, and audiences, facilitating distribution deals for many featured filmmakers.