Bringing the Id to EgoFest: Day #1

This weekend we went to Brainerd, Minnesota, for the 2nd ever EgoFest Short Video Film Festival hosted by our friend (and TILT collaborator) Phil Holbrook.  There we screened our short films Snow Bunny and Libidoland (part of The Idville Collection).  But the screenings weren’t until Day #2; here’s what happened on Day #1:

DAY ONE, FRIDAY, 2/19

• Woke up bright and early; drove to Brainerd. Jessica made sure we had clean underpants and film festival swag.  I (Julie) made sure we had bottled water, fake vitamins, and fruit to pretend to eat on the road.  (Because everyone knows the only respectable road trip food includes Twizzlers, Doritos, and gas station coffee.  Duh.)

• As usual, I drove. Jessica printed out maps and directions, which I promptly ignored. We might have gotten a teensy bit lost before we got out of the city, but it was only because I was thinking a step ahead. The wrong step, but anyway…

• Sidenote: I might move to Wisconsin or Minnesota. Why? Because the highway speed limit in those states is often 75mph.  Flying AND legal.  Fun.

• After 10 hours, 1 fight, and 0 stops for Wisconsin cheese (look at that will power!), we rolled into Brainerd.

• First thing we did in Brainerd: checked into our motel. Being city girls, we have to say we were a little freaked out by our accommodations.  It’s not that our room was bad – quite the contrary: it was clean, cozy, and even had wifi.  So what was our issue?  Well, it sort of had a Bates motel vibe.

• Now you’ll have to believe us when we say we’re not princesses. But there’s something about not having someone at the front desk that can make a couple of girls in a strange town in the middle of the frozen tundra a teensy bit nervous.  For a moment, we wondered if this internet-arranged meeting with Phil was a set-up…but we got over that pretty quick.

• Luckily, we had a friend in our room. Encased in one of the picture frames was a dead mosquito.  Jessica became quite fond of it.  We’re pretty sure Phil planted it in our room on purpose.  Why?  Two possible reasons.

Possibility #1: The mosquito (which was just pretending to be sleeping) was supposed to get samples of our blood so that Phil could create a King is a Fink-themed amusement park in Brainerd (opening Summer 2011).  “Keep your hands in the car, kids.”

Possibility #2: Because Phil wanted to remind us that Brainerd is nice and warm in the summer, not always as toe-freezingly cold as it was this weekend.  You had us at ‘Squito, Phil. You had us at ‘Squito.

• Before the EgoFest pre-party, we had a little time to kill. It was the perfect opportunity to sight-see, grab coffee, and calm our nerves.  We’re not gonna lie: we were a little anxious about our first face-to-face meeting with Phil, so we took some deep breaths, reminded ourselves that everything was going to be okay, and practiced our firm, confident handshakes.

• Of course, handshakes went out the window as soon as we walked into the EgoFest pre-party at E Squared Cafe. Big hugs all around.  For anyone who has not yet had the pleasure of meeting Phil, rest assured that he’s as funny, welcoming, and engaging in person as he is on Twitter. Or on Skype.  Or in the Film Snobbery Live Chat (every Tues night at 9pm EST).

• The pre-party was wonderful. The food was great.  But the best part?  We found out that everyone who’s anyone in Brainerd LOVES Phil Holbrook.  We met the best group of people, many of whom have worked with him on films or on EgoFest.  I was a little starstruck when I met some of the cast members from Honest Work.

• One of the most important people that we met that night, besides Phil, was Jeremy Doyle. Jeremy has worked with Phil on several shorts, makes his own shorts (several of which showed at EgoFest), and is going to be the cinematographer for TILT.  Jeremy and Phil have a great rapport, and it’s easy to see why they make a great team.  More on Jeremy and his many talents tomorrow…

• Within an hour or so, we were thick as thieves. But, eventually, we had to head back to the motel.  A full night’s rest was essential if we were going to survive the next day.  12 hours, 40 films, 30 filmmakers – EGOFEST!

On EgoFest Day #2, find out about the movies we saw, the filmmakers who attended, how Phil did as a festival organizer, and what Julie saw on a Brainerd menu that made her make this face:

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 4:34 am. It is filed under FILM, FILM FESTIVALS and tagged with Brainerd, EgoFest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.