Award-winning Documentary “Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West” Makes its D.C. Debut with Wild Horse “Meet & Greet”

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES, June 23, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- On Thursday, filmmaker Ashley Avis, whose credits include writing, directing, and editing the film adaptation of “Black Beauty” for Disney+ starring Oscar winner Kate Winslet, Mackenzie Foy, and Iain Glen, screened her award-winning documentary, “Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West,” at the historic Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.

The event included a wild horse “meet & greet” with Mystic, a 19-year-old rescued wild horse. Attendees were able to pose for pictures with Mystic and were encouraged to share on social media with the hashtag #IStandWithWildHorses

Special guests included Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) and Steve Cohen (D-TN), both sponsors of the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 2023 H. R. 3656 which would amend the Wild Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act to prohibit certain uses of aircraft with respect to the roundup of wild horses. Rep. Titus spoke prior to the screening and many of the nearly 1,000 attendees chanted "pass the bill" in regard to the legislation.

A live question & answer session with director Ashley Avis and experts Edward Winters, Dr. Yvette Running Horse Collin, PhD, Scott Beckstead, Esq., Marty Irby, Vickery Eckhoff, and Josselyn Wolf followed the documentary screening. The panel was moderated by Cynthia Smoot and also included powerful speeches from students from the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy.

The screening came one night after D.C.-based artist Robin Bell presented a projection onto the exterior of the Bureau of Land Management offices at Department of the Interior building in Washington. Slogans projected onto the building included “Stop Wild Horse Roundups”, “End Animal Cruelty” and “I Stand With Wild Horses”

While making “Black Beauty,” Avis became dedicated to improving the disturbing plight of wild horses in the United States. These animals are often rounded up by the U.S. government, separated from their families and taken into captivity – often with the dangerous and sometimes deadly use of helicopters that frighten, chase, and corner the horses.

Ashley and her husband, Edward Winters, also launched an advocacy website, www.istandwithwildhorses.com, to bring awareness to the U.S. government’s tactics and stop the cruel and often deadly use of helicopters in these roundups. It is her hope that the film and new advocacy campaign will expose this practice - and inspire change.

The event was hosted by the Wild Beauty Foundation.

About "Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West"

"Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West" is a sweeping, immersive journey into the world of wild horses that illuminates both the profound beauty and desperate plight they currently face in the Western United States. Filmmaker Ashley Avis (Disney's “Black Beauty”) and crew go on a multi-year expedition to uncover the truth and delve into the corruption befalling wild horses, and why they are being eradicated from Western public lands. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8OuLAlkA08

Matthew Fern
LAG Strategy Corp
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matthew@lagstrategy.com