A Gathering of the Angels Interview

August 22, 2024

A Gathering of the Angels: Interview

14th & 15th September 2024

A Gathering of the Angels, A Celebration of the Films & Fandom of David Lynch, will take place at The London Irish Centre on 14th & 15th September 2024.

We caught up with organiser Lindsey Bowden to find out more about the event:

Q. When this event was announced there was huge excitement among David Lynch fans. Can you give us an overview of the event?

A. Absolutely! A Gathering of the Angels is a weekend celebration of the films and fandom of David Lynch and is bought to the fans by the same team who created the very successful Twin Peaks UK festival. The event consists of screenings, special guests, online panels, celebrating the Lynch fans through our angels art gallery, and our Lynch inspired short film platform. There will also be immersive elements, live performances, and basically everything Lynchian a fan could desire!

Q. Everyone has a favourite David Lynch film/series but can you share details of the special screenings you’ll be showing over the weekend?

A. Indeed! We will be screening, one of my personal favourites of the Lynch catalogue, which is The Elephant Man, as we also have Actor Lesley Dunlop, coming to join us for a Q&A after the screening. There will be screenings of the Lynch inspired short films, which are films made by emerging filmmakers who are heavily influenced by David Lynch, we will also be screening, in my humble my opinion, Lynch’s masterpiece, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with me. And they’ll be a few surprises as well!

Q. You’ve mentioned there will be live performances at the event. Can you tell us more about who will be performing and what fans are likely to see?

A. We are really honoured that the Lynch inspired burlesque and cabaret troupe The Double R Club are going to be performing live at A Gathering of the Angels. They perform a monthly evening in East London, and are hugely respected performers on the London cabaret scene. You can expect Sultry, sexy, nightmarish, fun! And there will be really fun live music from Lynchian inspired bands as well.

Q. You have some really exciting panels lined up over the weekend with cast members from Twin Peaks on the Saturday and creatives who David Lynch collaborated with on the Sunday. What insights can fans expect from these panel discussions?

A. We actually have online sessions on the Saturday too! Our online Saturday panel is a Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with me special, featuring screenwriter Robert Engels, cinematographer Ron Garcia, music editor Lori Eschler, and sound designer, Douglas Murray. The Sunday panel is the long-term Lynch collaborators, and we have legendary cinematographer Peter Deming, who is also the cinematographer for all the Scream films, casting director Joanna Ray, who has cast every Lynch project since Blue Velvet, we have cinematographer Frederick Elmes, Editor, Duwayne Dunham, sound recordist, Mark Berger, Wild at Heart producer, Sigurjon Sighvattson , and make up department head, Debbie Zoller, who will now actually be at the event in person!

Then on the Saturday evening, we have our attending Lynch actors Q&A, where we will be chatting to Dana Ashbrook, who played bad boy, Bobby Briggs in the TV series Twin Peaks, and the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with me, we have Eamon Farren, who was in 2017’s Twin Peaks: The Return, and made a big impression on all the fans as the new bad boy! And very excitedly we have Sabrina Sutherland who is David Lynch’s executive producer and has been his right-hand woman for over 20 years. There really is nothing she doesn’t know about the world of David Lynch and she is also doing an exclusive Q&A on the Sunday!

Q. There are a good variety of ticket options available over the weekend with online options as well. Can you expand on what they are and share what benefits will be to fans attending on both days?

A. Definitely. We have general admission tickets available, both single days and weekend tickets. We have a brilliant VIP ticket which give those diehard fans an extra special experience, including best seats in the house, an exclusive VIP merchandise pack, exclusive entry into the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk Puzzle Experience, priority entrance into the venue and more! We also have created an online only ticket which allows people who cannot be at the event to watch the Lynch creatives panels on the Saturday and Sunday!

Q. What tips would you offer fans to maximize their time at the event?

A. Honestly, one of the best tips, I can give people is to mix with other fans and get to know other fans. David Lynch fans are incredible, so many of them have made friends all over the world, and people have even met at our previous events and got married! The fans really helped to elevate each other’s experiences.

I also say come along with an open mind, and be prepared for anything to happen!

Q. This is the ultimate experience for David Lynch fans but will the event appeal to film fans in general and if so, what will they take away from the experience?

A. 100%. This event will appeal to film fans, especially our Lynch creators online panels. Those incredible people will share their experiences of working with David Lynch, bringing his visions to life, and working within the film industry itself. These panels will not only entertain, but they will educate, and the event as a whole will provide memories for life, it really is something special.

Q. Part of the experience will surely be for fans to come together and discuss their favourite films/series and stories about David Lynch. Will there be an opportunity for this?

A. To be honest, this happens officially and unofficially because the fans don’t stop discussing this throughout the whole event with each other. In the Q&A’s the fans get the opportunity to quiz cast and crew, share stories, and participate in interesting discussion around David Lynch‘s work.

Q. This is a unique opportunity for film fans of all ages. What do you want them to take away from their time at the event?

A. Memories. I want people to have an experience they will remember for life, meet people who will become friends for life, and feel like they learnt a little something! Most of all I want them to feel special, that this event has been created for them, to celebrate their favourite director and mingle with like-minded fans, and I hope they will walk away from it feeling that they were part of something quite incredible.