The 7th Annual San Jose International Short Film Festival

Next weekend the 2015 San Jose International Short Film Festival kicks off at Santana Row's CineArts Theater. This will be the largest event in the film festival's history. Over 180 short films will be screened over the four-day festival, grouped into 30 different categories. Film makers across 20 different countries will be represented this year.

Tickets range from $12 for a 90 minute collection of films to $125 for a VIP all-access plan (includes all screenings, special events, after-parties, access to the VIP lounge in Santana Row, and a T-shirt). The festival runs from October 22nd to October 25th.

For more information and to buy tickets, head over here.

The 88 Interactive Art Codes - "Show Your Stripes" v2.0

My favorite art project Downtown is still the LED light installation at The 88. Few people realize that the lights are completely interactive and can be controlled by anyone. Where else can you completely change four stories of a high-rise facade with nothing but a cell phone?

All you need to do is dial (408) 287-0128, wait for the tone, then enter any 3 digits (including # or *), then press 0 and hang up. I recommend saving this number on your phone and impressing your friends whenever you walk by The 88.

Last month, the artist Jim Conti significantly expanded the number of codes available. When "Show Your Stripes" launched in 2008, there were only 129 possible combinations. Now there are 318!!! During SubZERO last June, Jim asked festival-goers for feedback and ideas. The new additions are a direct result of that feedback.

Below you can find a full list of all public codes and a rough description of the effect. There are also some secret codes that are not on the list such as *14, *25, *69, *88, ***, and my personal favorite *#*. If you find any other "Easter Egg" codes that are not on the list below, let me know and I'll add them to this post!

Content Magazine Pickup Party Today!

Content is celebrating the release of Issue 7.4 "Phase" tonight with its readers and contributors. This time around the party will be at the Rockbar Theater (360 Saratoga Avenue) and run from 7pm to 10pm. Subscribers and a +1 get in for free and will even receive a drink ticket and appetizer on the house at the Vodka Lounge Bar (random fact, they have over 100 vodkas here). Non-subscribers can still get in by paying $15 at the door per person, and that includes the latest issue.

To subscribe to Content Magazine and get invite to great events like this one, head over here. This is truly the best magazine out there for San Joseans.

Silicon Valley Sign Art Contest

Silicon Valley needs more landmarks. We live in the most innovative place on earth, yet there is a severe lack of branding for the region. A while back, Hafid Alfonso proposed a dynamic sign on the hillside that would serve as a beacon for the Valley. Now to keep the conversation going, he has partnered with the SJSU Engineering Honors Society to discover who has the best idea for a Silicon Valley sign.

The Silicon Valley Sign Art Contest runs until October 25th and the winner will be published on local media (including this site) and presented to a local Chamber of Commerce.

You can find more details below. To participate or learn more about the contest, click here.

Downtown San Jose Restaurant List Updates! (2015 Q4 Edition)

Today we get to discuss the latest changes to Downtown San Jose Restaurants. First off, the good news. We are up to a grand total of 260 eateries! This is yet another record-breaking number for Downtown San Jose! Our little database had 206 eateries in 2011.

As always there were some significant closures as well. The ones that stood out to me were Sonoma Chicken Coup and South First Billiards (which was a cool place, but I'll be the first to say the food was not great). On the other hand, quite a few places opened up in the last few months. Here are some notable additions to the Downtown restaurant scene as well as a look into the future:

• Lou's Beachshack - The third incarnation of Lou's Village, located at the San Pedro Square Market. I love their fish sandwiches, popcorn shrimp, and abalone sliders. This is a solid addition to Downtown and a great nostalgic return of one of San Jose's most famous establishments.
• Oni Mexicantessan - Killer Mexican sandwiches, also at the San Pedro Square Market. This is a sister restaurant to Loteira Taco Bar down the hall.
• Deluxe Eatery & Drinkery - New American restaurant on San Fernando with a notable chef (Chad Ferry: The Plumed Horse, Paolo's, Spagos). Have not been here yet, but I can't wait to try their short rib tater tots.
• Voltaire Coffee House - New boutique coffee shop at the base of 360 Residences. Downtown San Jose has a lot of great coffee shops, and this already ranks among the best. 
• Aura Kitchen - New restaurant/nightclub replacing Motif in SoFA. They landed the chef from Nobu London. I've heard great things about this place even though it just opened.
• HOM Korean Kitchen - The Chipotle of Korean Food comes to Santa Clara St. and is open very late!
• Williams St. Restaurants: Added 6 restaurants that are technically within the boarder of Downtown San Jose: Sonia's Kitchen, SA-By Thai, Da Lat Cafe, Pho Cong Ly, Mi Chalateca, and Creasian. Highly recommend trying out Creasian.
• COMING SOON (Now you can find all "Coming Soon" restaurants at the top of the list)
• Hawaiian Poke Bowl (SoFA Market)
• Milk and Wood (SoFA Market)
• Vitamina Juices & Blends (SoFA Market)
• Origins Juicery (1st St., former Discovery Store)
• San Jose Pizza Co. (Santa Clara Street near San Pedro)
• Uproar Brewery (SoFA, former Zer01 Garage)

Below is the change log from the Downtown San Jose Restaurants Database:

7/31/2015	Chef Monalisa closed
7/31/2015	Added Uproar Brewery in SoFA
8/1/2015	Added Oni Mexicantessan and Lou's Beach Shack, both in the San Pedro Square Market
8/23/2015	Changed the formatting so that restaurants "COMING SOON" will always appear at the top of the list
9/8/2015	Sonoma Chicken Coop and South First Billiards closed
9/9/2015	Added Deluxe Eatery & Drinkery at 71 E. San Fernando
9/13/2015	Added 6 restaurants on Williams St. near SJSU: Sonia's Kitchen, SA-By Thai Cuisine, Creasian, Pho Cong Ly, Dalat Cafe, and Mi Chalateca
9/14/2015	Added Voltaire Coffee House in SoFA
9/21/2015	Motif has been replaced with Aura Kitchen and Bar on South First Street
10/4/2015	Replace Cheese Steak Shop on Santa Clara Street with HOM Korean Kitchen
10/4/2015	Added Origins Juicery, coming soon to 150 S. 1st Street

If you haven't bookmarked it yet, here's the link to the spreadsheet! There is also a permanent link over to the right entitled Downtown San Jose Restaurants.

Viva Calle SJ is Today! The 50 Tour @ St. James Park!

The amazing Villa Calle SJ event is happening today from 10am to 3pm. Six whole miles of streets stretching from Emma Prusch Farm Park (East San Jose) to Willow Glen to St. James Park will all be shut down, allowing residents to walk, run, bike, or play in the streets. There will be festivals at Emma Prusch, Parque De Los Pobladores, and St. James Park.

Each festival will have food, music, and special activities. One example I wanted to highlight is the "50 Tour" in St. James Park. There will be an autograph signing and story time with four-time Super Bowl Champion Eric Wright as well as San Jose-legend and Gold Medalist, Kristi Yamaguchi. All eight of the Super Bowl Vince Lombardi Trophies for the 49ers and the Raiders will be on display. There will even be a STEM Zone, an interactive space that shows how science and technology fuel innovation.

Please use the handy map below to locate the festivities. I'm going to try to walk from Emma Prusch to St. James Park... we'll see how that goes =).

50 TOUR: CHAMPIONS OF THE BAY PRESENTED BY CHEVRON COMES TO SAN JOSE OCTOBER 11

WHAT: The Tour: Champions of the Bay presented by Chevron will make its next stop in San Jose, joining VivaCalleSJ on October 11, 2015. The 50 Tour will be located at 1-99 East St. John Street, San Jose.

VivaCalleSJ is a free recreational program that closes miles of scenic San Jose streets. This free event brings together the San Jose community to walk, bike, skate, play, and explore downtown San Jose.

This 50 Tour stop will feature an autograph signing and story time with four-time Super Bowl Champion Eric Wright, who was considered one of the best cover cornerbacks of his day; and Kristi Yamaguchi, former figure skater Olympic gold medalist, world champion and philanthropist.

The 50 Tour is the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee’s mobile exhibit designed to celebrate the history of the Bay Area’s championship teams, the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. This 50 Tour stop will feature the eight Super Bowl Vince Lombardi Trophies of the two teams; the Chevron STEM Zone, an interactive space that demonstrates how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fuels innovation all around us – through the lens of football; and a youth area that includes the PLAY 60, Play On play space and The Re(a)d Zone early literacy corner.

WHEN: October 11, 10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M., with  autograph signings from Kristi Yamaguchi and Eric Wright at 2:00 – 1:00 P.M., followed by story time in the Tour’s Re(a)d Zone.

About the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee:
Working in partnership with Bay Area public officials and the NFL, the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee is responsible for Super Bowl 50 and its celebration elements, including the Super Bowl Village, public exhibits and planning of game day logistics. The Host Committee seeks to make Super Bowl 50 the most giving ever, and is investing in Bay Area community initiatives and high-performing nonprofits through the 50 Fund, its signature philanthropic fund. To be hosted in the state-of-the-art Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in 2016, Super Bowl 50 will be celebrated through a series of events that showcase all the Bay Area has to offer. For more information, visit www.sfbaysuperbowl.com.

Saturday Stats: San Jose's Economic Growth is #1 in the Bay Area

Of all the cities in the country with more than 300,000 residents, San Jose came in 7th in terms of economic growth between 2008 and 2014. In the Bay Area, San Jose was king of the castle. Oakland came in 13th place and San Francisco was 15th.

Metrics included income growth, unemployment rate decrease, and housing prices. I should also note that this study was for individual cities and not metro areas, making the results even more impressive.

For mid-sized cities of 100,000-300,000 residents, Santa Clara, Fremont, and Sunnyvale make the top 10. For cities under 100,000 residents, Milpitas, Mountain View, and Redwood City were in the top 15.

Source: SVBJ

Harvest Festival 2015 - November 27-29 at the Convention Center

Next month the Harvest Festival is bringing a huge assortment of arts & crafts to Downtown San Jose. The festival--now a San Jose Black Friday holiday shopping tradition--features 24,000 American-made arts and crafts. In fact, it is the largest indoor arts and crafts show on the West Coast. You have everything from original art, jewelry, clothing, toys, and home decor. Many of the gifts can be custom ordered or personalized.

To compliment the shopping, there will be an assortment of food and music. Several bands will be performing throughout the show including James Garner's Cash Tribute and Le Jazz Hot (French Gypsy Jazz). There will also be holiday-themed entertainers wandering the festival.

While parents shop, kids can play at an expanded and interactive KidZone. Here the tykes can build their own art projects such as gingerbread cookie decorating.

New to the San Jose Harvest Festival this year is a series of Safety and Basic Use classes hosted by TechShop San Jose. Topics include sewing and vinyl cutting. Usually these classes are $90, but will be offered first-come-first-serve for $5 at the festival.

The Harvest Festival will run from (Black) Friday, November 27 to Sunday, November 29th at the San Jose Convention Center. Hours are 9am-6pm on Friday, 10am-6pm on Saturday, and 10am-5pm on Sunday. Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $4 for teenagers, and those 12 & under are free. Admission includes the whole weekend, not just a specific day. The first 100 people in line on Black Friday get in for free. Also the first 100 people to visit the Christmas in the Park booth each day will get a special gift.

For more information or to buy tickets, head over to the Harvest Festival website over here.