With Help From Facebook Friends, 'Back to the Future' Fan From Ireland to Attend Film Festival

Feb. 16, 2010

FLORENCE, Ala. – With a little help from his Facebook friends, Cian Hennigar, of Limerick, Ireland, has finally booked his plane tickets to next month’s George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, which will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his favorite movie, “Back to the Future.” The festival will include several of the film’s stars: actors Lea Thompson, James Tolkan and Claudia Wells and screenwriter Bob Gale.

After reading of the March 4-7 festival, Hennigar was quick to create a Facebook event, “Save to Clock Tower! Send Cian Hennigar Back to the Future,” which invited his Facebook friends to join and pledge 5 Euros each – about $6.82 in U.S. dollars – to help cover the price of his plane ticket.

His strategy worked. Hennigar will arrive in the Shoals March 4, just in time to help kick off this year’s George Lindsey UNA Film Festival. In addition to the “Back to the Future” celebration, Hennigar is also looking forward to viewing the films selected for this year’s festival. Hennigar is a graduate student in visual media at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

The George Lindsey UNA Film Festival is one of the few film festivals hosted by a university. The event was founded in 1998 in part by UNA alumnus and celebrated actor and entertainer George Lindsey. Lindsey’s own film career has included several important roles, including the character Goober Pyle on “The Andy Griffith Show.”

For more information on the 2010 George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, visit www.lindseyfilmfest.com, or contact the festival staff at lindseyfilmfest@una.edu or 256-765-4592.