OGDEN’S BIG LEBOWSKI FEST RETURNS TO HISTORIC THEATER SATURDAY

By Austin Buckius

News

All the “Walters” in the costume contest at Ogden’s Big Lebowski Fest 2021. PHOTO BY MADISON EASLEY

It’s already November my friends and that can mean only one thing. No not turkey or Christmas carols. No, it means Lebowski Fest. Next Saturday, November 12 it will be time to break out our rugs, and bowling balls, crack open an oat soda or get a white Russian and join our fellow dudes to enjoy the great modern myth.

I am of course talking about the Big Lebowski. If you’re unfamiliar The Big Lebowski, it is the 1998 cult classic that follows Jeff “the Dude” Lebowski and his bowling buddies as he tries to get a new rug following a couple of thugs peeing on his. Sounds kind of out there “but it really tied the room together.”

But while the organizers of this great event looked at the ins and outs and whatnot I took the time to talk to a fella. Now, I won't call him a hero because what's a hero? But sometimes, there’s a man. Sometimes, there’s a man, well, he’s the man for his time and place.  And Ryan McDonald is definitely the man for his time and place.

Independent filmmaker and founder of Ogden’s Big Lebowski Fest Ryan McDonald. PHOTO BY MADISON EASLEY

You see Lebowski Fest started as an idea about ten years ago by McDonald and his buddies. When asked, McDonald said, “I like to say I created the idea of Lebowski Fest but the reality is that someone else out there in the world before me did.”  

You see, ten years ago Lebowski festivals were popping up across the United States and McDonald had reached out to see if they would come to Ogden. Unfortunately, the organizers of those festivals were more Walter than Dude and thought we wouldn’t get the numbers in our quiet little mountain town. However, hope was not lost. McDonald and his friends decided to throw their own personal Lebowski Fest. The blu-ray was coming out and so they got their oat sodas and costumes and hosted a house party for the twelve of them. However, they were not satisfied.

Thankfully, McDonald had just joined the Board of Directors for The Egyptian Theater Foundation.  They were looking for ways to spark interest in a new crowd for support of Ogden's very own historic theater. So McDonald pitched the idea to do a Lebowski Fest. While at first it was received hesitantly, his persistence paid off and after a year he got approval to throw the first Ogden Big Lebowskifest.

In the early years, there were staples like the costume contest but also things we hadn’t seen in a while like bowling. One of the challenges was organizing a bowling game off-site and gathering at the movie after. Finding their audience took some work, they shifted their energy from bowling to how they market. Increasing the use of posters and social media was found to be more cost-effective than trying to reserve a bowling alley. However, all was not lost. Bowling was replaced with a cash bar on-site, allowing for mingling and meeting our fellow dudes, nihilists, brother shamuses, and what have ya. Now we can enjoy trivia and drinks and costume contests, allowing the community to gather and mingle before the showing of the film.

Ogden’s Big Lebowski Fest 2021. PHOTO BY MADISON EASLEY

McDonald and the volunteers for The Egyptian Theater Foundation put quite a bit of work into fostering and growing this wonderful community and when asked his favorite part McDonald said, “It was kinda a ‘me thing’ a little bit. I wanted to go to a Lebowski fest but there was nothing here. I wasn’t traveling to one so I just created one.”

However, McDonald’s love for Lebowski Fest went from simply wanting to share a movie with his friends and community to more the community’s reaction. “It’s been a lot of fun having an audience who receives it.”  

Today, Lebowski Fest has grown from a twelve-person house party to an annual staple of the Ogden community in its eighth year, and it’s still growing.

McDonald talked about how he hoped that while they are able to support the festival right now they hope they will soon be able to fundraise for the Egyptian Theater and give back and tackle projects that support its home. “It would be nice to get there, where it’s not self-serving its own continuation but a money fundraiser, a set project for the theater.”

McDonald doesn’t just want it to be a fundraiser. He talked about bringing actors to the festival. We have been fortunate to have James G. Hoosier swing by one year and interact with fans but McDonald would also like to see John Goodman or Jeff Bridges join our festivities one year.

Two of the costume costume winners at Ogden’s Big Lebowski Fest 2021, Nick Fletcher and his dog Mars. PHOTO BY MADISON EASLEY

Whatever the future holds for Ogden's fans of the Big Lebowski it's in good hands with film buffs like McDonald and the other volunteers for The Egyptian Theater Foundation. These passionate folks bring films and fun to Ogden and so I strayed a bit away from the Dude to see what was coming down the pipeline after Lebowski Fest. On the weekend after Thanksgiving just in time for Christmas “The Polar Express” is being shown with bells, coco, and all.

But that's not all that is in store for this lovely historic theater. McDonald, an award-winning independent filmmaker, would like to bring an independent film festival to Ogden that focuses on the smaller creators and smaller names. The theater's 100th anniversary is also coming up so we’ll have to stay tuned for that.

If you are chomping at the bit and interested in getting involved, the foundation is looking for new members and they could always use more boots on the ground to promote Lebowski Fest and other events. Like McDonald says, “It's nice to be a part of something in a town that had its economic decline moments but is finding its economic boom again, and new people coming into a city and finding their roots. And if you already call it home you can point them where to go.”

I don’t know what the 12th holds for all of us Lebowski fans or what the future of our theater looks like, but I do know two things, Ryan Mcdonald and the rest of the board have some awesome plans to look out for, and The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in both of those. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners.

Ogden’s 8th Annual Big Lebowski Fest is this Saturday, November 12, 6 p.m., at Peery’s Egyptian Theater. Tickets are available online at ogdenpet.com/events.