The Big Lebowski festival in Kentucky

The Executive Strike & Spare bowling alley prepares to be invaded. The fest consists of a Friday night music and comedy performance followed by a screening of The Big Lebowski, followed on Saturday by an afternoon garden party and the main event in the bowling alley itself. Photograph: Ben Walters

Lebowski devotees are known as Achievers in reference to the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers charity featured in the movie. Photograph: Ben Walters

"Phone's ringing, Dude." One of many, many Achievers who attend the Fest dressed as the lead character, The Dude (originally played by Jeff Bridges). Extra points to this one for procuring a mobile phone of the appropriate vintage. Photograph: Ben Walters

To Achievers, the film's dialogue has attained the status of scripture. Some of the lines are available as bumper stickers from the fest merchandising stand. Photograph: Ben Walters

Bowling alley employees mix up industrial quantities of the Dude's signature drink, the White Russian, to sell to Achievers. Photograph: Ben Walters

After spotting a flier posted at his local lanes, Jim Hoosier was cast as Liam, the bowling partner of the Dude's slimy nemesis, Jesus Quintana (John Turturro). Despite appearing for mere seconds and speaking no dialogue, Jim has become a star on the Fest circuit. Here, he meets an Achiever dressed as Jesus while another dressed as Maude Lebowski looks on and others queue for the bowling party. Photograph: Ben Walters

Hoosier has the Fest eating out the palm of his hand. (Note the Dudelike cardigan at bottom centre.) Photograph: Ben Walters

Although costumes have long been an integral part of the fest experience, novelty demands ever more imaginative twists on the standard models. Many Achievers come dressed as the Valkyries featured in the Dude's dream sequence, but this was the only male one. Photograph: Ben Walters

For many, though, it's not enough to come dressed as a character from the movie - dedicated Achievers come dressed as lines of dialogue. These two came as a "beaver picture" (as Maude refers to the porn flick in which her stepmother, Bunny, appears). Photograph: Ben Walters

"Does the Pope shit in the woods?" Photograph: Ben Walters

When a goon begins urinating in the Dude's home, he says: "Not on the rug, man!" So meet Not-On-The-Rug-Man. Photograph: Ben Walters

This couple spent the whole night seated on office chairs, rolling around the bowling alley. They represent the line "This aggression will not stand", which is spoken on TV by George HW Bush with reference to Saddam Hussein - hence the Middle Eastern-themed wardrobe. Photograph: Ben Walters

Two brothers at the garden party ... Photograph: Ben Walters

... and the bowling party. (Both Saddam and Richard Nixon have blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearances in the movie.) Photograph: Ben Walters

Achievers dressed as porn magnate Jackie Treehorn and the Dude's friend Walter watch the Friday night screening of the movie. It's one of Hoosier's rare on-screen moments. Photograph: Ben Walters