Closing Night Gala - Passing Glory

Running time: N/A

Cinequest is proud to present such a special event for our 1999 closing night films. It's always been our tradition to honor maverick films and filmmakers at our festival, and you can be assured to enjoy the screenings of these two exciting films. We start off with a special screening of Shonda Rhimes' Blossoms & Veils, a short film starring Jada Pinkett Smith and Omar Epps. The film was produced by Will Smith Enterprises and is a beautiful story of discovery and love. Following immediately is Passing Glory, the latest achievement from the acclaimed director of Hoop Dreams, Steve James, who is scheduled as a guest for the evening. Executive produced by Quincy Jones and Ervin "Magic" Johnson, Passing Glory tells the story of an idealistic, young black priest who uses a basketball game to challenge the social conventions of a segregationist city. Based on a true story, Passing Glory follows Father Joseph Verrett (played by Emmy Award-winning Andre Braugher) as he organizes a game between his own undefeated black team and an undefeated prep school team from the white community. With powerful performances by Andre Braugher, multi-award-winning actor Rip Torn, Ruby Dee, Bill Nunn and the inspirational Sean Squire, TNT Classics' Passing Glory tells the motivational story of a few individuals who make a change when it was customary to not mix whites and blacks. After the screenings of these two films, our audience will join the filmmakers and Cinequest for a delightful celebration with food, drink and friends at Art-Tech. This is definitely a party not to miss since we also will be announcing the winners of the 1999 Maverick Competition of films, including this year's Audience Favorite Award (which we hope you will have seen). - Mike Rabehl