Available in Time for the Kentucky Derby, May 2nd, 2009
You should have received a DVD. Please let me know if you need one.
Dear colleague:
A heart warming hour of television that captures the remarkable bond that can form between jailed convicts and unprofitable racehorses, revealing how both can be rescued from their misery.
South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) and NETA are pleased to present Homestretch: Racehorse Rescue to lovers of horses and to viewers who care about the lives and treatment of animals. This moving hour documents the fates of losing racehorses, often facing cruelty or slaughter, and jailed criminals, often lost and feeling hopeless. Both are in need of rehabilitation so they might return to society. By capturing the magic that grows between the two from the training and care the inmate provides the horse, the prisoners’ and horses’ lives are often transformed. We witness horse and man as they come to understand and value each other. We and our viewers become informed about the need for horse rescue and some ways these rescues can be effected. This bittersweet documentary tears at our hearts as it empowers us to seek remediation.
Every year, thousands of horses are bred and sold for millions of dollars each, in order to supply the massive racing industry. Despite the best pedigrees, training, and care, many horses fail to meet their owners’ expectations. These magnificent animals are reduced to “a loss” in an accounting ledger. Typically, these poor-earning and end-of-career racehorses meet with two terrible destinies: a trip to the slaughterhouse or the punishing two-bit racing circuit. Thanks to a few progressive politicians and prisons in New York, Oregon, and Kentucky, there is an alternative destiny: Lush, expansive, prison-owned farms, where end-of-term prisoners earn the privilege of caring for these noble animals. The peaceful surroundings help inmates and horses let go of the past, discover new sides of themselves and experience love.
Homestretch: Racehorse Rescue takes audiences behind the scenes of racetracks. It includes historical and contemporary racing footage, interviews with horse owners, trainers, and jockeys. “This film is extraordinary. Everyone should see this. It’s one of the best and most moving documentaries I’ve ever seen.” (Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit)
Producer/Director Sheri Bylander makes her directorial debut with this compelling film, Homestretch: Racehorse Rescue. She entered filmmaking as an editor with mentor Evan Lottman and soon was editing award-winning features for directors like Woody Allen and Sydney Lumet.
We hope that you will find a place in your schedule for this heart-tugging production – perhaps to complement activities in conjunction with the 2009 Kentucky Derby on May 2nd. Your consideration is much appreciated and we will be pleased to provide any additional information. Look for the SD feed: HMST 00 K1, Saturday, April 18, 2009, 2100-2200 ET/SD 07; and the HD feed: HMST 00 H1, Monday, April 20, 2009, 1430-1530 ET/HD 03. Broadcast rights begin May 1st.
Homestretch: Racehorse Rescue. is produced and directed by Sheri Bylander, Homestretch Productions. It is presented by South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) and distributed by NETA. The documentary is self-funded. Local underwriting is permitted.
Please contact me if you have questions. I’ll be in touch with you about your carriage plans during the next months. A fact sheet follows.
Rights: Broadcast: Unlimited/2 Years May 1, 2009-April 30, 2011
VOD: 1 Year
Non-Commercial Cable: Yes
School Record: 1 Year
Video: Shot on 24p MiniDV SD & HD Versions
NOLA Codes: SD: HMST 0K1 HD: HMST 0H1
Feeds: SD Feed: HMST 00 K1, Saturday, April 18, 2009, 2100-2200 ET/SD 07 HD Feed: HMST 00 H1, Monday; April 20, 2009 at 1430-1530 ET/HD 03
*Feed-for-Record*
Audio/Visual: Stereo
SAP: DVI
V-Chip Rating: TV-G
Director/Producer: Sheri Bylander
Once, on a soul-searching hike in the Nepalese Himalayas, Sheri stopped and asked herself, “Is filmmaking really my calling?” Moments later, a string of yaks laden with Kodak film boxes and camera tripods tramped slowly by her on the steep, snowy trail. She took it as a sign, and hasn’t looked back since.
Homestretch: Racehorse Rescueis Sheri’s directorial debut, and making her own films is now her life. Hailing from Texas originally, Sheri stands a full “five-foot-twelve,” an asset that came in handy when facing inmates who don’t see women or video cameras very often. Sheri’s first career was in publishing and magazines, a pursuit that was creatively frustrating though it gave her a taste for storytelling and the juxtaposition of ideas. She made the move to film (and New York City) as an editor. Her mentor was Evan Lottman, and she soon became assistant—editing award-winning features for directors like Woody Allen and Sydney Lumet.
Presenter: SCETV
Distributor: NETA
Underwriters: Self-funded
Local Underwriting: Local underwriting is permitted.
Companion Products: DVD: To order a DVD of Homestretch visit www.scetv.org.
Homestretch: Racehorse Rescue
