Update#2: Both Snow Bunny and Libidoland are going to be showing at EgoFest up in Brainerd, MN in February, where we will finally meet the indomitable PhilonTilt.  It’s a good thing it finally got cold in Chicago so we can start prepping ourselves to deal with wintery Brainerd.  Jessica might have to get a snowsuit.

Update #3: We’re almost finished with our third feature-length script, a dark and demented comedy.  We’ve been revising constantly since we started and are hoping to have it finished by next week or the following so that we can submit it to the Script Pimp Screenwriting Competition.

Update #4: By the end of the week we should know if our last NYC Midnight Challenge screenplay was up to par.  Our assignment: genre, comedy; setting, pawn shop; prop, bullet proof vest.  We have mixed feelings on this one.

Update #5: Check back later this week for part one of a series of short, media-rich essays on film.

Now we’d like to share some behind-the-scenes pics from our first movies, short films that we made between 2001 and 2008 with our friends, starring our friends, to be shown only to our friends.  We made these movies before we cared about film festivals, talent releases, or music copyright laws.

The Girl Rods series focused on a group of goofy adult movie stars.  No nudity; lots of laughs.

The Olive Loaf Project was an experiment in film.  One scene list was given to two directors who filmed the scenes in their respective cities (Chicago and New York). Then the directors swapped footage and edited their movies.

We can’t share the movies, but we can share the pictures. Enjoy!

DAY ONE, FRIDAY 11/13

• Left our humble Chicago home while it was still dark. Our bags were packed with DVDs, posters, postcards, and business cards.  And a couple of pieces of clothing. Once at O’Hare, we found out our flight to LaGuardia had been cancelled due to high winds. Caught first available flight to Newark, NJ.

• In Newark we took an air tram to the train. The tram was so slow that we decided it was propelled on the backs of hundreds of crawling babies. Completely abomidable AND inefficient. (DISCLAIMER: We neither saw nor heard anything that confirmed out baby theory.)

You lookin' at Jess?

• Made our way to Manhattan, walked to Times Square, got sneered at, got over it, then took train to Queens. Also started getting hilarious updates about the film fest from friend Matt Shea (@MattOfAllMedia on Twitter).

The Verve Hotel, Queens

• Checked into The Verve Hotel on the recommendation of travel expert / cell phone afficianado / lifetime New Yorker Sascha Segan. Clean, quiet, pretty, healthy treats in the vending machines, free espresso drinks. Everything we wanted and more.

Julie @ QIFF

• Headed to the QIFF Film Fest headquarters (Cafe Bizarre) to get our QIFF Filmmakers All-Access passes: “They’re not here right now,” we were told with a smile. Weird. Maybe our passes were taking a walk around the block? Odd for the 2nd day of a festival in its 7th year, but anyhoo…

Jess & Leontine, probably making fun of Julie

• Met our friend (artist Leontine Greenberg) for dinner before heading to her art opening on the lower east side at MyPlasticHeart. She sold almost all of her paintings. We’re pretty sure we’re her good luck charm.  She might also be a beautiful and amazing painting genius.

Art Show @ My Plastic Heart

wine + gourds = fancy

The goods at the show

• Got a snack at the gigantic Whole Foods mothership across the park. Fell in love with it even before we found out that it’s where they film NY Top Chef shopping scenes.  Took turns breathing in the air that Padma Lakshmi might have once exhaled.

• Julie’s high school friend, NYC theatre director Justin Donham, dropped in for a moment, then we grabbed drinks & apps w/ Leontine. Headed back to the Verve way past our bedtime, but when in New York…

Ready for Day #2 of our QIFF / NYC Adventure? Click here to find out what we did and why Jessica made this face:

"What the what?" Jess on Day 2 of QIFF

Last night

Even though we couldn’t make the trip, we were honored, excited, and, strangely, nervous last night when the screening was scheduled to begin.  A little under the weather, we toasted each other with OJ and headed to bed, delighted that our little movie was about to be watched in a real theater by real film lovers who bought real tickets to see it.  Those are our favorite kind of people.

Today, Lakedance (@lakedancefilm) was kind enough to send us a Tweet (I heart Twitter) about how the screening went.  Here’s what they said:

“@kingisafink (that’s us) great screening, big applause at the end. Comments were “creepy” and “that was seriously messed up”.. but said with a smile”

We couldn’t have asked for a nicer less than 140 character review. Is Snow Bunny creepy?  Sure.  Is it messed up?  Hell, yeah.  The family in our movie is quiet but raging, calm yet churning, appropriate (oh so appropriate) yet ready to burst at any moment.  We love  Snow Bunny, and we’re glad the audience at Lakedance did, too.

So what’s next? Snow Bunny screens at the Queens International Film Festival on Saturday, 11/14, at 8pm at the stunning Frank Sinatra School of the Arts.  This’ll be the first film fest we’ve been able to attend, and we intend to make it count. Can’t wait to see old friends, meet Twitter friends, and make new friends who can, maybe, help us figure out the next step in this fun indie movie making journey.