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i borrowed a voice recorder from a friend and pretended to do a press-line interview with Bill Murray just so I could speak to him. the recorder wasn't even on. https://twitter.com/AndrewLiptak/status/1354386431741931520
it was at Fantastic Fest 2008. he was there for the premiere of City of Ember. :-D
I have met countless great people thanks to covering so many film festivals for 10+ years. Many of them quite famous. Some are still my friends! OK, one is.
I not only got to meet the amazing George Romero, but I got to dine with the man and his lovely wife in London. True story. Croydon's own @paulmcevoy can confirm the veracity of this anecdote.
Rest in Peace, George Romero. b
Rest in Peace, George Romero. b
I didn't actually meet them, but one time in a TIFF hotel elevator, I got in and stood between Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan. Just the three of us. Nobody spoke. Wish that story was more amusing, but I'm not gonna lie.
same day, same hotel: my friend James Rocchi (former film critic; now a schoolteacher; still adorable) was in the lobby waiting to interview @RealGDT. I had to stick around just to shake the man's hand, so I did. :-) Unprofessional? Maybe. No regrets.
also Fantastic Fest 2008: the great @Bill_Pullman_ was in town with a movie called Surveillance. He invited half the filmmakers and festival staff to a party in his hotel room. Such a class act. We got him to say "pizza the hutt!" and everything. 
over the course of the past several years I've smoke at least an ounce of weed with @DougBenson at various film festivals. always a delight! miss ya, D.
ALSO Fantastic Fest 2008! we were all leaving the Benjamin Button screening and I overheard @elijahwood saying "man that was long." then I said "omg the star of Lord of the Rings thinks a movie is too long!" everyone laughed including El. Wood. 
the one and only time I covered SD comic-con I met Jennifer Connelly (during an interview) and Bruce Campbell (he was hailing a cab). also ran into James Gunn, but I'd met him before, briefly. all nice people. I still hated SDCC.
this one might not count. one time at TIFF I saw a movie called Rabbit Hole, and it broke my heart. I reviewed it. Later I got an email <asking me> to interview Nicole Kidman, because she loved my review. It was a phone interview but so what. Kinda proud of it.
back then I only did reviews. very rarely did I do interviews. just so time-consuming when you're on the festival beat. I'd rather just focus on seeing/reviewing more movies. But when Nicole Kidman's reps email you, you say OK. ;-)
I once got an email from Bong Joon-Ho, through his assistant, thanking me for my support of The Host and Snowpiercer. Out of nowhere! Made my week.
One time I water skied up a ramp and over a shark while Richie Cunningham cheered me on. No wait that was Fonzie. nm.
happy to note that the fantastic @barbaracrampton is a good friend. I once brought her a big batch of Philly soft pretzels while she was shooting in a creepy old abandoned prison.
one of the first celebrities I ever met at a festival was Ron Livingston. at a dull Sundance party. no big story there. just chatted with him a few times and he was very friendly. have always liked him since then.
Paul Rudd once bummed a smoke from me at a SXSW party. I have photographic proof but it's on another laptop (bcz I deleted FB) and I hate showing my ugly face. but yes he was charming and handsome.
