It may not have been the only focal point of the production, and many in the racing industry were likely unaware of it, but harness racing made an appearance in multiple film festivals that took place last week.
The Seventh Man, a short that clocks in at seven minutes in length, streamed digitally and graced the big screen this past week as part of the annual FIN Atlantic International Film Festival and Charlottetown Film Festivals.
Although it only had seven minutes to work with, Maritime Standardbred racing found a way to make its presence felt in the short, which was written and directed by Shane Mountain.
The Seventh Man centres on a returning war veteran, played by David Rossetti. The vet helps the daughter of a fallen comrade pursue her harness racing dreams.
As a report by The Guardian explains, officials with Red Shores allowed Mountain to shoot some of the scenes at the Charlottetown Driving Park, and the footage was key in the production.
“It was very hard to cram that story into seven minutes, but it was inspired by a lot of the stories that I used to hear from the veterans when I was younger," Mountain said while in conversation with The Guardian.
“Harness racing is a prominent Island [industry]. It was something I wanted to incorporate into the movie and I figured the best way to do it was to make it one of the central focuses of the film."
To watch a brief clip from the short, click here.
Shane Mountain (right), pictured on set during the filming of 'The Seventh Man.'
(With files from The Guardian)