Montana horsewoman and television journalism veteran Janet Rose isn’t necessarily a woman of few words. But she did know when a picture was worth 1,000 of them.
- is why, after serving as an executive director for international wildlife film festivals, and founding Horse Haven Montana, a nonprofit offering equine education, rescue and adoption, she saw a pairing as natural as matinee movies and popcorn.
“When I launched the EQUUS INTERNATIONAL ® Film Festival in 2011, it was a concept with a website and Montana focus. We showed a few great films, had a silent auction, some presentations and sponsors, and listed horses adoptable through Horse Haven Montana.”
At the same time, Janet was running a major wildlife film festival as a paid professional.
As more horse films began entering her wildlife festival, “I envisioned an equine film festival as its own genre. I established the concept, name and narrative (EIFF) as an outreach project of Horse Haven Montana. We screened ‘Buck’ and several other equine films I was given access to.” She chose to blend the concept into a full festival in 2015, after having kept it “alive as a name, narrative, purpose and plan.”
“We did it again when we could do so more professionally. In 2015, Unbranded won our Best of Festival award. My intention has been to use a field I know well to enhance what we do for horses. With a good team in place maybe we can do something great. We want to make a difference. It's not about awards as much as increasing understanding and improving welfare while celebrating an incredible spectrum of equine stories.”
Sometimes called, “the Paris of the American West,” Missoula, Montana has been home to the EQUUS INTERNATIONAL Film Festival® since its launch in 2011 and returns this September 15-17 again under the umbrella of Horse Haven Montana, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit charitable organization founded 10 years ago to help equines in need and a recipient of an ASPCA ® Award Special Grant, Horse Rescue Award and 5-Star Horse Rescue & Relief Award. Learn more at www.equusinternationalfilmfestival.com.