Camden Selected to Host the EQUUS Film Festival!!
December 21, 2015
The City of Camden has been selected as host location for the EQUUS Film Festival® WINNIE Winners Tour (EFF), billed as the world’s premier showcase for domestic and international feature films, documentaries and shorts, in which the horse is put center stage.
The announcement comes on the heels of the 3rd Annual EQUUS Film Festival in New York in November which featured more than 145 international films, documentaries and videos. There, film and horse-lovers recognized achievement among a record 32 equestrian equivalents of the Oscars: the WINNIE Awards.
In making the announcement, Camden Mayor Anthony P. (Tony) Scully said: “We welcome the EQUUS Film Festival with warm hearts and open arms. Our deeply rooted equestrian heritage and our thriving equine industry contribute to our unique style of living and quality of life, distinguishing Camden from many other small cities in America.”
In Camden, the EFF will take place the third weekend in February 2016 and will feature a variety of events around town. Chief among them include the 3 days screening at Camden’s Little Theatre of 2015 WINNIE Award and selected films.
The festival is expected to draw film and horse lovers from around the country along with film makers, documentarians and equestrian-focused artisans.
According to Camden Economic/Tourism Development Director Suzi Sale, the selection of Camden as a tour site comes after much behind the scenes collaboration between the city and Camden-headquartered The Marley Project, the 501-c-3 headed by Bruce Anderson and Julianne Neal of Nature’s View, Inc. Nature’s View is a local company that provides equine training and equine assisted learning and management leadership.
As location for the EFF Tour, Camden won over other cities in North and South Carolina, including Charlotte, Aiken, Charleston, Columbia and Tryon. Along with Camden, the EQUUS Film Festival Tour will include the Silver Springs International Film Festival.
“We are a platform to educate and enlighten the world to all issues related to horses. Together, we endeavor to better the world for horses” says horse breeder Lisa Dierson, festival organizer. “It is a great fit for us to be able to showcase this vision in Camden with its exceptional commitment to the equine community.”
Camden’s local horseman, Bruce Anderson was featured in the 2015 festival with a trailer for an upcoming documentary, The Edge. Anderson and partner, Julianne Neal, are working with Dierson and the City of Camden where their feature will be shared.
“We look forward to working with our tourism partners, and members of our outstanding equine, art and sporting communities to have a successful festival,” said Sale. “Along with our city leadership and our equine tourism partners we are very grateful to our partners Rita and James Trivet of Camden’s Little Theatre, and Bruce Anderson and Julianne Neal, for making the selection of Camden possible.”
About EQUUS Film Festival
The festival was created by Illinois horse breeder Lisa Diersen to highlight and award the diverse and creative efforts of those who artistically pay homage to the horse. The 2014 festival in New York City hosted 119 pieces of film, from horse related commercials to wounded warrior stories and feature length documentaries. Thanks to last year's success of the film aspects of the festival in 2015 festival expanded the storytelling platform by adding an equine literary corner and equine fine art exhibit. Visit http://equusfilmfestival.net