For a filmmaker, few things rival the magic of a film festival. Where else can you watch a new voice rise, connect with cinephiles from all backgrounds, and feel the thrill of sitting in a room full of strangers, listening in silence as they react to your work?

If the rest of Team Beau Ideal had anything close to the same expierence as me, last weekend must have felt like a dream. We had screenings at both the Local Sightings Film Festival in Seattle and the North Idaho Film Festival (NoID) in Coeur d’Alene. When Patrick told me we were going to show the film at two different festivals on the same weekend, only to later find out the screenings were in the same time slot, I was floored. It was obviously exciting, since it's already challenging to get into one festival, and these were our sixth and seventh festival appearances. However, having two screenings at the same time is madness! We wished we could share both experiences, but in the end, we knew the best way forward was to split our responsibilities: Patrick would head to Seattle while I went to Coeur d’Alene, and that meant the world to me since I have a fond history with the area.