EQUUS Film Festival – A Sunday Best
By L.A. Pomeroy
New York, NY (November 24, 2015) Never before had so many films dedicated to the horse shared the same theater marquis as attending Hollywood luminaries like Kurt Russell and Quentin Tarantino, but that was exactly what happened when Lisa Diersen’s third annual EQUUS Film Festival brought more than 145 international films, documentaries and videos to the Village East Cinema, November 20-21, to enthrall film- and horse-lovers and recognize achievement among a record 32 equestrian equivalents of the Oscars: the Winnie Awards.
A star-studded four-day foray into the diverse worlds of the horse began Thursday evening with a VIP Party at New York City’s time-honored Manhattan Saddlery on East 24th Street before also launching a pop-up gallery with dozens of international equestrian artists and authors, two days of EQUUS Magazine Directors Panels and discussions, free Li’l Herc Family Fest films on Saturday morning, and free tours Sunday afternoon for all film fest ticket holders to the Clinton Park Carriage Horses Stable on West 52nd Street near Central Park.
“It was an amazing experience and such an honor to bring horses to Manhattan,” said Diersen. “Including New York City’s Mounted Police, who brought two ‘equine ambassadors of good will’ to the theater Saturday morning.” Joining Diersen on the EQUUS Film Festival NYC organizing committee were Li’l Herc Family Fest creator, Suzanne Kopp-Moskow, and equestrian sport publicists Diana De Rosa and L.A. Pomeroy.
The EQUUS Film Festival NYC Saturday night banquet and Winnie Awards recognized the best in film, video and documentary production from across the horse world:
Festival Director’s Choice -Talking to the Air: Horses of the Forbidden Kingdom/Horsefly Films
Best of Festival – The Caravan
People’s Choice Full Length – Harry and Snowman
People’s Choice Short – Land of the Thoroughbreds
People’s Choice Mini – Reflections
Eq International Documentary – Horse of Kings (Netherlands/Spain)
Eq International Film – The Man From Coxs River (Australia)
Eq Fun Film – Dream Upon a Horse/Yvonne Barteau, Erika Walsh
Eq Student Film Adult – Knacker/Becca Pearce
Eq Student Film Youth – Through My Eyes: The Big Lick/Franklinville NY Girl Scout Troop #44
Eq Director Full Length – One Day/Victoria Racimo
Eq Director Short – Emma Massingale: No Reins No Rules No Limits (UK)/Nathan Horrocks
Eq Film Full International – Legend of Longwood (Ireland)
Eq Film Full – A Sunday Horse
Eq Film Short – Back Up The Mountain/Jon Smith
Eq Film Mini – Stealing Beauty/Todd Tinkham
Eq Art Film Full Length – Saga (Italy)/Paolo Boriani
Eq Art Film Short – Equus Caballus/H. Paul Moon
Eq Art Film Mini – Live Before You Die (UK)/Tom Lloyd
Eq Documentary Full International – Blind Sport (Canada)/Stefan Morel
Eq Documentary Full – Unbranded/Ben Masters
Eq Documentary Short – Cowgirls/Sarah Briggs
Eq Documentary Mini – Get Your Heart Jumping (UK)/Nathan Horrocks, Equine Productions
Eq Native American Full – American Outrage/George and Beth Gage
Eq Training & Education – Advance Equine Studies – the Respiratory System/Andrea Steele
Eq Series – Wild About Barns/Pamela Kettle
Eq Broadcast News – Marshall Country’s Biggest Case of Animal Neglect/Andreina Centlivre
Eq Non-Broadcast – Horseware Ireland’s 30 Year Anniversary (Ireland)
Eq Commercial – Shannon Ford Fine Arts (Canada)/Wayne McDougall
Eq Music Video Full – Davide Penitente/Bartabas & Mark Minkowski (Germany)
Eq Music Video Short – PONY/Tom Lloyd, Dreamtime Films
Eq Music Video Mini – All About That Bert/Kristin Taylor, The Black Fox Farm