The film “Party People” premiered on Oct. 24 and 28 at the 31st Austin Film Festival. Director Joey LePage (mathematics, theatre and dance, ‘10) and writer Lindsey Robertson (theatre, ‘13), also husband and wife, crafted the film, which comprises eight interconnected vignettes that follow students navigating the chaotic lead-up to the semester’s first big party. They sat down with The Daily Texan to discuss why the film pays tribute to the inspiring Central Texas community they grew up in.

The Daily Texan: What initially drew both of you to this project? Was there a particular moment, experience or idea that sparked the story of “Party People,” and how did it evolve from there?

Joey LePage: We’re both drawn to comedy — that’s typically what we do. So, we were just looking for fertile ground to tell a lot of stories. We wanted to do an ensemble comedy, and the dorm felt right. …  We came up with a lot of ideas and pared them down to the six we liked the most. 

Lindsey Robertson: We realized that the best way to connect all of them was a party. Spoiler alert: you don’t see them there. It’s all a lead-up to kind of thing, which we thought was interesting because we haven’t seen that before. Most college party movies are totally at the party and are about what happens there, as opposed to what happens beforehand.

DT: The theme of “life happening while you’re trying to get to the party” feels reflective of the college experience. As UT alumni, how did your experiences at the University shape the story and creative direction of “Party People”?

JL: That’s precisely where it began. I quickly changed majors when I got to UT, and … I had a rough first semester — not in any tragic way, but the emotional way of not feeling like I belonged or like I’d made the right decision. … I think that was a big inspiration — that feeling of “I thought I was ready for something.” 

DT: The film is very Austin-centric, featuring local bands and scenes from the area. How important was it for you to capture the spirit of Austin in the film?

LR: Completely (important), even in ways that probably no one needed. The music — except for the very last song — all featured Austin bands, even if it’s just in the background of a convenience store. Our poster was illustrated by Kerry Awn, an old-school Austin artist known for his concert posters and the mural near The Drag. Some people have noticed that, which is very cool, but some people don’t, and that’s fine. We knew that we would know, so we wanted to add those (elements). 

JL: We wanted to win this audience first. If we can convince them that this is authentic, then that sets the tone. There were a lot of places, like the bar we shot in, that were important to us because it was not on Dirty 6th. We didn’t want to go there. We thought this was a different type of place — something a little weirder and a little off the beaten path that you might want to know about.