The Equus Film Festival started in the fall of 2014, hosted at an elegant venue in Harlem in New York City, and concluded with awards named the “Winnies.” My friend and business partner, Jessica Fobert, and I were thrilled our television pilot Free Rein won for Best Equestrian Series. When we received invitations to act as jurors at the 2015 edition, we jumped at the chance.
In its second year, the festival received nearly double the number of submissions, and, as a juror, I was able to screen every minute of every one. They ranged from educational workshops, to art films, documentaries, dramas, commercials and music videos.
Documentaries were the real stars of the festival in 2015, and one of our very own came home as a winner for Best International Full Documentary. Canadian Stefan Morel, and his film Blind Spot: Moments Unseen, was one of the festival favourites. Blind Spot features three visually impaired adventurers who journey by horseback into the heart of the Andes Mountains. With sweeping landscapes and a powerful cinematic style, it is a film to be seen and heard. The sound of the mountains, the light changes and the story of these brave souls, some with riding experience and some without any at all, is an impactful and powerful film. Blind Spot aired on CBC Documentary channel and was nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards. The DVD should be released soon and the powerful trailer can be found on the completely interactive and accessible website, blindspotfilm.com.