03.08.23 - Omaha, Nebraska
Bill and Todd with Marc Longbrake, Festival Exec. Dir.
Nebraska in March? Who does that?
The Omaha Film Festival is a hidden gem hiding in plain sight in the middle of America’s Great Plains. The award-winning team from The Artist & the Astronaut was thrilled to be invited to this very prestigious event. Undaunted by a stiff, moist wind, and snow showers, Bill Muench and Todd Hobin braved the weather to enjoy some glorious days celebrating their film.
This festival was going to be the first screening in an area not familiar with their previous work. No relatives, no fans to speak of, and no notoriety. Not one familiar face.
Last night’s screening looked ominously doomed by a scheduling conflict. A prime-time logjam of locally produced films couldn’t have been more untimely. A series of film shorts in one theater in the complex and a huge film about the local Nebraska football team threatened to attract a large contingent of viewers to the theater right next to the A&A showing.
Omaha did not disappoint. Our theater filled up with a wonderfully attentive audience who applauded enthusiastically and stayed late to ask questions. Our celebrity moderator could not have been more knowledgeable and engaged.
It turns out that Jeff Koterba is not only an award-winning political cartoonist, but he’s also a brilliant musician and space enthusiast. There were so many eager questions directed at the team. Most important was the ardent desire on the part of many audience members to ask how they can help move the film forward.
Bill and Todd were mobbed after the screening. Lots of selfies, many more questions, and a raucous after-party late into the night added to the shock of the evening.
The festival continues for the rest of the week. Bill and Todd will be mentoring and sharing their experiences with a convention of young filmmakers as part of the festivities. Perfect for two teachers, right?
Omaha, Nebraska!! New friends, new fans, and a wonderful event. Who knew?
See some of Bill’s photos from Omaha below:
The trip to Omaha got off to a great start when I ran into Wendy Gawlik and Sean Kelly of The Samples in the Albany Airport. Todd and I enjoyed our first night in Omaha by watching films, eating pizza and popcorn .
