In 2010, the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival was hosting a 25th Anniversary "Back to the Future" Reunion. Writer/producer Bob Gale, actors Claudia Wells and James Tolkan, and designer Michael Scheffé were the special guests, and Terry and Oliver Holler brought their replica Delorean Time Machine to help raise funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. One of BTTF's biggest fans is a gentleman in Ireland named CIan, and he REALLY wanted to come to the festival and celebrate his favorite film, so he challenged all of his Facebook friends to donate a small amount each to pay for his airfare. Once we learned about his campaign on this side of the Atlantic, we used our social media lists to spread the word, and Cian reached his goal and got on a plane to Florence, Alabama.
Cian was picked up at Muscle Shoals Regional Airport and expected to be taken directly to his hotel, but instead he was taken to where all our celebrity guests were enjoying dinner. It was a great meeting of a super fan and the subjects of his adoration. The weekend held many more opportunities for our new friend from Ireland, including a drive across town in a time machine. And we all really hated to see him get on that plane once the festival was over.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the million little things it takes to put this event on, but then we meet someone like Cian and remember that neither filmmakers nor film festivals would have much reason to do their thing if it weren't for film fans and super fans!
Cian was picked up at Muscle Shoals Regional Airport and expected to be taken directly to his hotel, but instead he was taken to where all our celebrity guests were enjoying dinner. It was a great meeting of a super fan and the subjects of his adoration. The weekend held many more opportunities for our new friend from Ireland, including a drive across town in a time machine. And we all really hated to see him get on that plane once the festival was over.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the million little things it takes to put this event on, but then we meet someone like Cian and remember that neither filmmakers nor film festivals would have much reason to do their thing if it weren't for film fans and super fans!
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