Minnie Driver to Receive Maverick Spirit Award at Cinequest Film Festival

Cinequest Film Festival is proud to announce that actress Minnie Driver will receive the festival's highest honor, The Maverick Spirit Award this Saturday, March 3 at Cinequest. Driver will receive the award after a moderated conversation from the stage. The event will take place in the incredible California Theatre, a 1920s movie palace in downtown San Jose, from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) March 1, 2007 -- Cinequest Film Festival is proud to announce that actress Minnie Driver will receive the festival's highest honor, The Maverick Spirit Award this Saturday, March 3 at Cinequest. Driver will receive the award after a moderated conversation from the stage. The event will take place in the incredible California Theatre, a 1920s movie palace in downtown San Jose, from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Driver made her film debut, co-starring with Chris O'Donnell in Circle of Friends and her diverse, eclectic talent became evident early on, playing drama and comedy with equal facility. Following winning portrayals in Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci's surprise hit, Big Night, Barry Levinson's Sleepers, and Grosse Point Blank with John Cusack, Driver had her breakout role as Will Hunting's (Matt Damon) rich and brilliant girlfriend, Skylar, in Good Will Hunting.

Her finely nuanced performance in Gus Van Sant's riveting drama earned her both Oscar® and Screen Actor's Guild nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Since then Driver has been continually honing her skills in a variety of films, appearing most recently as opera diva Carlotta in Joel Schumacher's version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera.

Diversity has always been a force throughout Driver's career. A tireless worker, she has demonstrated time and again that she is both richly talented and never shy about tackling new challenges. For instance, she has provided numerous voices for animated features, such as that of Lady Eboshi in the English version of Princess Mononoke, a deft impersonation of Brooke Shields in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, and as Jane in Disney's Tarzan. In 2003, she gained millions of new fans guest starring as Lorraine Finster on the hit NBC series, Will and Grace, and also returned to the London stage alongside Matthew Perry and Hank Azaria in David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago.

With music being another of Driver's life-long passions, she also possesses considerable talent as a singer-songwriter. In 2004, she released her first CD, Everything I've Got in My Pocket, penning 10 original songs and performing a haunting and memorable cover of Bruce Springsteen's Hungry Heart. Driver is currently at work on her second album while also starring in The Riches for the FX network.

Driver is also firmly grounded in the real world. As spokesperson for the venerated Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (Oxfam), Driver continually strives to draw attention to the plight of impoverished and underpaid garment workers throughout Southeast Asia.

For her Maverick achievements in film and her dedication to activism, Cinequest is proud to present Minnie Driver with Cinequest's highest honor, the Maverick Spirit Award.

Tickets
Tickets for A Conversation with Minnie Driver are $15 and may be purchased by calling (408) 295-FEST, or by logging onto the Cinequest Web site at www.cinequest.org.

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