100 Days. 100 gritty souls. 100 wild mustangs. That’s the premise of the annual Extreme Mustang Makeover, a competition that challenges horse trainers—both pros and amateurs—to each tame a totally wild horse in order to get it adopted into private care through a good home. The film follows a handful of participants in the 2009 event from their first uneasy meeting with their horses and up through the competition and adoption, and documents the deep and profound bonds that can develop between man and horse.
The documentary will be shown in Reno and Las Vegas beginning Friday, Sept. 21 for at least a week. Depending on attendance this week, additional dates could be added. In Reno, it will be shown at the Cinemark Riverside 12, and in Las Vegas it will be shown at the Regal Village Square.
Stunning and poignant, Alex Dawson’s and Greg Gricus’ debut feature documentary chronicles unforgettable characters from their first uneasy meeting with their horses and over three months as they attempt to transform from wary strangers to the closest of companions. They eventually converge in Fort Worth, Texas, to compete against each other and offer the horses up for adoption at an auction in which the trainers, if they wish to keep their horses, must bid against the public.
Hailed by The Hollywood Reporter as a “crowd-pleaser with a big heart,” the film traverses across the United States to tell stories of the profound bonds that can develop between people and animals. From the rolling hills of New Hampshire to the Navajo Nation to the heart of Cowboy Country, the film captures a journey that is at times harrowing, humorous, heartwarming and heartbreaking as these wild spirits—both human and horse—embark on the ride of their lives.
The documentary has already won several awards at film festivals, including: Winner, Best Documentary, Boulder International Film Festival 2012; Winner, Audience Award, Best Documentary, Dallas International Film Festival 2011; Best of the Fest Program, Palm Springs International Film Festival and Winner, Audience Award, Best Documentary, Napa Valley Film Festival 2011.
The Extreme Mustang Makeover is an annual event held by the Mustang Heritage Foundation, a partner of the Bureau of Land Management. Go to www.wildhorsewildride.com to learn more about the documentary and for all the theater locations and dates across the country. For more information about the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the Extreme Mustang Makeover, go to: www.mustangheritagefoundation.org.
