Cinequest 2026: Brenda

Riotous, witty, and full of heart, Brenda throws open the door to a seemingly ordinary family whose small secrets are about to explode into hilariously chaotic, sometimes outrageous, trouble.
Dennis and Valerie are a married couple with a secret. He may be a glass artist and she a piano tuner, but on the side they deal small amounts of marijuana to make ends meet.
One day their five-year-old son Roscoe overhears the name Brenda, their code word for contraband. An aspiring sleuth, Roscoe is determined to uncover the truth about his parents’ mysterious “friend.”
Meanwhile, Valerie receives an unexpected diagnosis of early menopause, leaving their eccentric son destined to be an only child. She decides it’s time to get “Brenda” out of their lives. Dennis reluctantly agrees—but he’s just acquired a five-pound brick of marijuana in a hasty scheme for extra cash. Going straight proves more complicated than anticipated.
A series of increasingly absurd misadventures ensues: Dennis hides the brick in the car, faces a relentless kindergarten interrogation about Brenda, attempts a covert park bathroom deal with Roscoe in tow, and narrowly avoids a police sting. Through it all, the family navigates chaos, secrecy, and a growing sense that sometimes the rules of adulthood don’t quite apply.
In the end, Roscoe is left marveling at the enigmatic “Brenda,” a larger-than-life presence who may or may not exist—but either way, she ensures his last taste of childhood is full of wonder, mischief, and the kind of chaos only a five-year-old can truly appreciate.

We'll meet in the lobby around 7:15 for the 7:30 showtime. Tickets can be purchased here: https://tickets.cinequest.org/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=594198~a12ee803-7eae-437e-8208-1c4d52da2020&epguid=83980c85-25e4-4e57-9648-95e2018763c5&mdy=3/17/2026&