Fans of horse racing will get a rare glimpse into the life of a nine-year-old whose goal is to compete in the world's oldest horse race.
In the Steppes of Ghenghis is part of Indy Sportz Film Fest Experience (ISFFE), a non-profit event that launches in April with sports celebrities, local and international films and community outreach. The ISFFE takes place on Friday, April 24, 2015 from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. (Fan Experience, Alexandra Park Community Centre) and Saturday, April 25, 2015 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Screenings, Jackman Hall Theatre, Art Gallery of Ontario).
Over half of the people living on the vast central Asian steppes of Mongolia are nomads. Herders live in small felt tents called gers, migrating seasonally to find better grazing land for their flocks. Life on the steppes is almost the same as it was during the days of Genghis Khan. In the Steppes of Ghenghis focuses on a year in the life of Khoroldai, a nine-year-old girl who loves horses. She loves to groom and exercise them, but clearly her favourite thing is to race them. This intimate story is filmed over the course of a year as she weathers a brutal winter, tends to her animals, and then travels across the steppe to compete in the oldest horse race in the world.
This year’s other films and sports themes are: The Fall League (USA) – Senior Softball; George Chuvalo: Never Knocked (Canada) – Boxing; Vintage Canadian Wrestling (Canada); Prithipal Singh...A True Story (India) – Field Hockey; The Silent Portrait of Michael Brannigan (USA) – Running; The Trailblazer: The Mychal Thompson Story (Bahamas) – Basketball; and De Pleintjes aka ANTWERP-The City Game (Belgium) – Soccer. The Youth Short Film Showcase is part of the screenings at the AGO. Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, partner of the ISFFE, will also be screening the George Chuvalo: Never Knocked Down documentary on April 25, 2015 in Calgary.
The festival is a non-profit event in partnership with the Alexandra Park Community Centre in Toronto.