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Carrie Ochal

@cochal

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After a magical summer, she is off to high school. by @cochal

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2 months ago

Cookie Queens in the New York Times!! Wrapping up a great week in New York with the sweetest surprise. by @cochal

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2 months ago

A massive part of Olive’s life for the past two years has been mostly unknown to the people she cares about — but today everyone gets to see Cookie Queens! We’re so excited for people to see the film. It’s in limited release, which means if you’re going to see it, catch it this week, because we don’t know if we’ll get a second week. I promise you’ll fall in love with the other three girls as much has we have in real life. by @cochal

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2 months ago

Last day of middle school! We’ve loved watching Olive flourish this year. She took on a big challenge and never relented in her quest to succeed. She was able to stay on top of her work despite traveling to seven different cities across three counties. I think her biggest accomplishment though was being able to handle the attention and praise at film festivals and then come home to study for a math test. It wasn’t easy to live a double life but she did it with so much humility and grace. Far greater than the numbers of her achievements this year are her kindness, creativity and curiosity that only continue to grow. I can’t wait to see what she does in high school! by @cochal

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4 months ago

This film is for anyone who has been a Girl Scout. Or bought Girl Scout cookies. Or walked past a girl selling without acknowledging them. It’s for the moms who have girls with ambitious goals. The parents of precocious little ones. It’s for the little sisters who are trying so hard to cut their own paths in life. And it’s for parents who want something so badly for their child that they take on big risks.

Really, it’s for all of us.

In theatres August 7. by @cochal

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5 months ago

Full Frame - Durham. This festival was special for several reasons. First, Olive and Celia were together - the festival even got them their own room. Olive loved having someone from her real life experience the awesome surrealness that are film festivals. Second, the screenings, hotel and festival cafe are all in one place which means film goers are milling around all the time. It was fun to have people come up and talk to us right up until we left. It’s especially fun to hear when people spent the previous night talking over the film and they have clarifying thoughts to share. And lastly, we loved having a somewhat local viewing. Everyone enjoyed having that geographic connection. by @cochal

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5 months ago

Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival. This trip was very special because I got to go with Olive and have our own adventure but also because 3/4 of the other families were there. It’s hard to put into words how close we feel to our film families. Each child and family is genuinely kind, tender, and thoughtful. Olive says that it feels like she’s known them her entire life and that reconnecting at festivals feels a little like coming home. I loved having time to develop deeper relationships with everyone on this trip. I’m especially glad that Clara joined us this weekend. It’s hard when we get home. Olive misses her film family. This festival was like stepping into Stars Hollow. Every venue was quirky and unique. The islanders were welcoming and curious. Everywhere you looked was beautiful without even trying. There were two huge dance studios in the massive house we stayed in (I joked that it was an artist commune). On the last night, one of our moms pulled together an ice cream sundae bar and everyone made one, including other film makers. by @cochal

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6 months ago

SXSW. As Ryan says, we’ll never be in a film again so why not say yes to every opportunity that comes along. Since we were still in the middle of cookie season, Ryan went with Olive and I stayed home to keep the cookie flowing. The two of them had so much fun picking out cowboy boots, eating ice cream, going on bat boat tours and of course going to our screenings. She enjoyed her 1:1 time with Ryan but also with Ms Alysa and Ms Jen. When we got home, we were excited to learn that Cookie Queens earned the Festival Favorite Audience Award. by @cochal

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6 months ago

Our Olive Finch is 14 today! She’s had a pretty spectacular year and it was capped off with an historic snow day. Olive had a lot of fun travel experiences this year and I’ve been lucky enough to be by her side, making memories together. We’ve loved watching her grow in every aspect of her life but what I’ve really enjoyed is being witness to her creativity. Though we grumble about how she doesn’t know scope and causes herself many late nights, we sit back in awe of the things she can create. Whether it’s for art class, ASL, a school project or a personal pursuit, Olive has a clear vision for how she wants to express herself. It’s not always easy for a perfectionist to see themselves as an artist, but I feel like she’s moving closer to viewing herself as one. More than any product she can create or accolade she can achieve, we are incredibly proud of the person she is: kind, thoughtful, deeply empathetic and introspective. Olive, you continue to be the magic in our lives. by @cochal

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8 months ago

We still haven’t found the words to describe this past week at Sundance. From meeting Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to receiving a rare standing ovation at the Eccles Thestre, this week has been more than we could have imagined. The documentary Olive is in, Cookie Queens, touched people viscerally. The audience laughed, cheered and cried through the first two premieres and it was awesome to take the ride with them. Olive instantly bonded with the three other girls the film follows and that was, and will continue to be, a true gift. Real world, without anyone stopping Olive to take selfies and congratulate her, might be a bumpy ride but we have a lot to look forward to in the future. by @cochal

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9 months ago

What can a Girl Scout do in a year? A whole lot. From completing their Silver Awards to using their cookie money to explore Puerto Rico, Troop 219 had a big year. by @cochal

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10 months ago

We had a lovely Christmas and the sweetest holiday season. by @cochal

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10 months ago