Making Friends and Meeting Ghosts at The Austin Film Festival
In 2015, I left my hole-in-the-wall apartment in New York City, flew to Texas, and checked in at Austin’s notoriously haunted hotel, The Driskill.
I didn’t know the hotel was notorious. Or haunted. I simply said yes to a lovely Austin Film Festival volunteer when they asked if I would like help booking accommodations at the festival’s hub. Having attended many festivals and conferences, I knew how exciting — and tiring they can be. So I figured staying at The Driskill meant that I could easily retreat to my room to charge my phone and my internal batteries when needed. I thought I could grab a nap if I got tired. I thought I would sleep well, five floors above all of the action.
The ghosts had other ideas.
On the first day of the conference, I collected my badge, chose a sticker for a roundtable event, and met a group women screenwriters for breakfast. I had been communicating with these ladies on social media through a screenwriting group all year, so seeing them in person felt like a first date and a happy reunion all rolled into one. We ordered our eggs, coffee, and pastries and talked about our lives and our projects. We crossed many generations, genres, states — even countries. But we all united here in Austin to learn, grow, and meet friends who were trying to do the same thing we were; create good work with good people.
After breakfast, I sat in on opening remarks, and attended a fantastic seminar about the psychology of character and story. I waited in a line that rolled out the door to a local taco spot for lunch. I crammed into a conference room where an academy-award-winning screenwriter gave a wildly helpful seminar on structure.
After that, my brain felt full. I was tired and dehydrated. So, I scribbled the last of my notes and headed up to my room for a nap.
Alone in my hotel room, my body tucked under two covers, dozing, I heard…footsteps.
Loud footsteps.
Frantic footsteps.
CLOSE FOOTSTEPS.
“Merridith, wake up!” A female voice yelled. “We have to find Harry!”
And then, panicky hands shook my shoulder.
I bolted upright. No one was in my room.
The windows were closed.
The door was locked.
Sporting crazy bed-hair, a wrinkled dress, and smeared make-up, I rushed down to the lobby. Out of breath, I placed my hands on the front desk. The concierge looked at me as if I were an escaped criminal.
“Excuse me? You probably think I’m nuts, but…is this hotel haunted?”
The concierge furrowed his brow. Great, I thought. I sound like a lunatic.
“Yes, ma’am. This is the most haunted hotel in Austin. Which floor are you staying on?”
“Five.”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. That is our most haunted floor.”
“I have a ghost.”
“I see.”
“…”
After a half-lucid conversation where I’m pretty sure the concierge told me there was nothing he could do, I found the screenwriting ladies in The Driskill Bar. Feeling a bit silly, I told them what happened.
“Oh my God!” One of my new friends exclaimed, swallowing a handful of truffle-butter popcorn. “I totally understand! Did you tell the ghost to leave?”
“Was I…supposed to?”
“Honey, if you want the ghost to leave you alone, you have a right. You paid for that room,” another new friend said.
“Any idea what the ghost wants?” Another third new friend — who is a horror writer, asked.
“She said she was looking for Harry.”
“Right,” said the horror writer. “Dead husband, I bet. Or boyfriend. Or child. Let’s go find out.”
To my great surprise, all of my new friends followed me to my room, where they proceeded to perform — what do I call it — an exorcism? A seance? A clearing? I don’t know. I do know that whatever they did worked. The ghost did not bother me for the rest of the conference.
Though I did not leave Austin with a ghost (thankfully), I did leave with a bunch of new friends, great insight into the writing process, renewed energy to pursue my career in screenwriting.
I’ve returned to Austin every year, with the exception of 2020-2021 to meet new and old friends, make new connections, and learn new things. In 2023, I returned to Austin as a finalist in the horror category of the screenwriting competition. Since then, inspired by the creatives wearing many hats, I made my first short film and joined a film company as their development lead. My new venture is working on funding for a feature film.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that AFF is not a singular experience. Every year, what I want and/or need is different. And while it certainly helps to make a plan, some of the best things — and friendships — emerge spontaneously. Just like stories.
If you’re heading to AFF this year as a Stowe Alum, I’ll see you at the Stowe meet-up!
If you’re heading to AFF for the first time, welcome to the experience!
If you’d like to connect with me as a human, writer, teacher, or development exec, I’d be excited to meet you!
And here’s today’s prompt, writers:
Have you ever been haunted? By a story? A person? And experience? What is the first thing that pops into your mind? Write the story of your haunting in whatever tone feels appropriate to you. Let the tale spontaneously emerge.
And later, what does this story tell you about yourself? Does it speak to something you’d like to write about? What did it teach you? Can you use your haunting to fuel a story, a life lesson, or a change you’d like to make in your life?
If you’d like, let me know how it goes in the comments!