Having kicked off on Tuesday, the 25th Cinequest Film Festival proudly showcases new films by both emerging and established artists, and using the newest technologies — so, lots of neat movies by interesting people on various formats. One of the aforementioned established artists is John Boorman, who'll be on hand to speak about his new film Queen & Country, and receive the richly deserved Maverick Spirit Award. Meanwhile, emerging artist Nick Brandestini's documentary Children of the Arctic considers Iñupiat teenagers in Barrow, Alaska, struggling with whether or not to spend their lives in a town where an average summer day is all of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The big new technology showcased at the festival is the Barco Escape format from Belgium, featuring three screens to create a 270-degree, periphery-filling experience. Of course, there's nothing new under the sun — 1963's How the West Was Won was shown on a ginormous curved screen in three-projector Cinerama, while the final reel of Abel Gance's 1927 Napoleon was shot and initially projected in a triptych format — but just as 3D never quite clicked until digital, Barco Escape may finally get the three-screen trick right, and presentations like a Barco-fied Maze Runner as well as a Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett concert film will put it to the test.
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