The Polk County Film Initiative (PCFI) is proud to announce that  “Dark Horse” will be the headline film to launch the second annual Tryon International Film Festival (TRIFF2016) to be held October 7-9.

“Dark Horse,” a full-length documentary directed by Louise Osmond and produced by Judith Dawson, scored so well at the Sundance Film Festival, that it gained a distributorship with Sony Pictures Classics (SPC). SPC is a film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which distributes documentaries, independent films and art films.

“I am very excited to be granted exclusive permission by SPC to present a non-theatrical screening of ‘Dark Horse’ to the film community at large. I expect that our equestrian community will converge in force at the Tryon Fine Arts Center (TFAC), our central screening venue for TRIFF2016. We are also negotiating with SPC to have U.K. based Dawson and Osmond as special guests at our Friday night gala event. ‘Dark Horse’ will serve as a fantastic kick off to the film festival, which promises to be almost twice the size as last year’s successful event,” said Kirk Gollwitzer, director of Media Services for PCFI.

According to Osmond, “‘Dark Horse’ is set in a former mining village in Wales, and portrays an inspirational true story of a group of friends from a working men’s club who decide to take on the elite ‘sport of kings’ and breed themselves a racehorse. Raised on a slagheap allotment, their foal grows into an unlikely champion, beating the finest thoroughbreds in the land, before suffering a near fatal accident.

“Nursed back to health by the love of his owners – for whom he’s become a source of inspiration and hope – he makes a remarkable recovery, returning to the track for a heart-stopping comeback.

“This film started life with a chance visit to the Boxing Day races in 2012. It was a freezing December day, the place was packed with punters and food stalls and bookies and in the middle of this travelling carnival were these incredible looking horses: sleek, muscled, wired-looking. The recession had kicked in not long before but at the track that day – and all over the country – people were spending cash they didn’t have, to back one of those beautiful animals.”

Osmond continued, “I knew nothing about racing or horses but the idea of a film set in that world intrigued me. Days of research later, looking for something though I wasn’t quite sure what, I came across this story and knew within seconds I would do anything to make it into a film.

“It was funny and moving, full of life and life-affirming with big universal themes and a great dramatic sweep and shape to the story. It was also a wonderful mash of film genres, part classic British Billy Elliot/Full Monty underdog tale, part Lavender Hill Mob Ealing Comedy caper, plus, of course, Rocky… with a horse.”

TRIFF2016 is in full gallop, programming independent films from around the world for competition. The festival is also expanding its reach this year, by utilizing two film festival submission platforms, FilmFreeway.com and Withoutabox.com.

PCFI is also actively searching for sponsors, volunteers, comments and fresh ideas.

For sponsors and individuals who want to be part of TRIFF2016 visit:  TryonInternationalFilmFestival.com or search for us on Facebook.

–  article submitted by Kirk Gollwitzer