FILMRISE BRINGS THE “HOBBYHORSE REVOLUTON” TO U.S. AUDIENCES
WITH OSCAR®-NOMINATED SELMA VILHUNEN’S NEW DOCUMENTARY
Available on Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes & Vudu April 24
“The film has the tension and triumphant energy of a great sports picture. You’ll stand, you’ll cheer, you’ll wonder what to name your horse.”
— Now Toronto
Brooklyn, NY – March 14, 2018 – This April, FilmRise will release Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Selma Vilhunen’s latest documentary “Hobbyhorse Revolution.” The documentary spotlights a group of teenage girls from Finland who spark a new organized sport called “hobbyhorsing” into a national obsession and igniting a global fascination and organically tapping into the female empowerment conversation. Visually unusual and sometimes amusing to the spectator, hobbyhorse competitors strive to place in equestrian style jumping and dressage events while riding their personalized homemade stick horses. The film’s worldwide festival release has generated interest across the Atlantic to the United States with features about the sport appearing in The Wall Street Journal, on ESPN and on the popular talk show, Ellen. “Hobbyhorse Revolution,” will be available for sale and rental on Amazon Video, iTunes Google Play and Vudu beginning April 24, 2018.
“Hobbyhorse Revolution” follows Aisku, Elsa and Alisa – three teenage girls who, despite being teased ans bullied, find a common ground by their new interest: hobbyhorses. Their dedication to hobbyhorsing empowers each of them personally and motivates them to create their own support community providing balance; something they lacked at their school and in their everyday lives.
The hobbyists are unofficially organized, working on a voluntary basis. The young girls are active online with their Instagram accounts, blogs and forums. They are an ever-growing group that trains determinedly and organizes. Every handcrafted hobbyhorse has its own name and personality. Finland now boasts over 10,000 hobbyhorse competitors between the ages of 10-18 with leagues and competitions beginning to sprout in the U.S.
“Hobbyhorse Revolution” had it’s North American premiere at the 2016 Hot Docs Festival, won the Main Prize and the Risto Jerva Prize at the Tempere Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the Visions Du Reel Festival. POV Magazine said “a compelling film on the phenomenon, Hobbyhorse Revolution celebrates its subject matter with enthusiasm, resulting in a doc which is both deeply moving and endlessly amusing. ” Thefts stated “in addition to making hobbyhorsing look fun, Hobbyhorse Revolution contains within it some well rounded personal narratives that make this much more than a passing curiosity.”
The film was produced by Tuffi Films with producers Elli Toivoniemi and Venla Hellstedt. Tuffi Films is currently in production of Selma’s latest feature film “Stupid Young Heart,” which will be released later in 2018.
The film has a running time of 90 minutes and is not rated.
ABOUT FILMRISE
FilmRise is a film and TV distribution company and streaming channel network founded by veteran producer/financiers Danny Fisher, Jack Fisher and Alan Klingenstein. With over 15,000 titles in a wide range of genres, the company’s releases include HBO’s multiple Emmy®-winning “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”; “Janis: Little Girl Blue,” produced by Oscar®-winner Alex Gibney; two-time Academy Award®-nominee Julie Delpy’s “Lolo”; and the Sundance hit “White Girl”. Television titles include such classics as “Roseanne” and “3rd Rock from the Sun”, as well as the iconic Robert Stack hosted series “Unsolved Mysteries”.
FilmRise’s recent releases include “Manifesto” starring two-time Oscar®-winner Cate Blanchett; sci-fi drama “Marjorie Prime” starring Jon Hamm and Lois Smith; and the box-office hit “My Friend Dahmer” starring Ross Lynch and Anne Heche. For more information, please visit www.FilmRise.com.
HOBBYHORSE REVOLUTION
Availability Date: April 24, 2018
Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Formats: TVOD/EST
Language: Finnish with English Subtitles
