Indy Film Fest Presents “Dress A Cow”

Photos Courtesy Indy Film Fest

The Indy Film Fest begins Wednesday, bringing tons of hand-picked feature length and short films to Kan-Kan Cinema screens, as well as online streaming. 

The week welcomes expert film buffs and newcomers alike. There is something for everyone in the lineup. Indy Film Fest opens Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. with the highly anticipated Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, then takes off the next day with all kinds of peculiar documentaries, indie horrors, and experimental films. Dress A Cow will air on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. This documentary short, directed by Dawn Luebbe, naturally caught the attention of PATTERN. 

“Indy Film Fest is one of the best short film festivals in the country,” Luebbe says.

Luebbe is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker who grew up in Nebraska spending most weekends on her grandparents’ dairy farm. Dress A Cow was inspired by her desire to share the beauty of small town events that most people aren’t aware. Luebbe says her perception of cows going into the film was that they were funny and sort of charming. She recalls her favorite cow growing up, Moose, who she describes as having the most beautiful eyelashes. In making the film she found that she had underestimated cows.

“I came to recognize them as something much greater: beautiful, massive animals all at once feisty, patient, and intelligent,” Luebbe says. 

Every year at a rural Ohio fair, the competition has a specific theme that the cows get to show off their looks for a panel of judges. The short celebrates the seriousness of this contest where people dress up and beautify their cows. Luebbe says the cows are pampered to look their best with essential oils, glitter, and all kinds of makeup and costumes. She says her favorite cow was dressed as Tweety Bird.

The combination of midwestern culture and fashion, in a sense, is portrayed through Luebbe’s film. The midwest is stereotypically overlooked by coastal residents, and forgotten by those who once lived here. Luebbe instead celebrates the culture in which she grew up with a quirky, yet important, event for one Ohio county. 

Indy Film Fest, one that focuses on more artistic and daring films, is the perfect platform for Dress A Cow. Lisa Manthei, one of the Indy Film Fest Documentary Programmers, says the film fest team welcomes and embraces more experimental films. This year’s festival is definitely worth checking out at Kan-Kan or at home. Get tickets or all access passes and plan your schedule for the next few days. 

Dress A Cow is in my top five of the year. It’s a lot of fun. I highly recommend it,” Mathei says. “Dear Audrey will hit you in the feels.”

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