Ashley Alvis, the director behind Disney’s newly released film, Black Beauty, founder of Winterstone Pictures, and president of the Wild beauty foundation, and Marty Irby, executive director at Animal Wellness Action, and one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists for 2020, who was recently recognized by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for his work to protect horses, announced a new partnership to produce “Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West,” a passion project and documentary centered around the plight of America’s iconic wild mustangs that have long-faced eradication by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
“Wild Beauty” is a sweeping, cinematic experience that will immerse audiences into the world of wild horses— exploring their closely bonded families and profound emotions. Using innovative technology, this elegant narrative journey will highlight the under-illuminated issues wild mustangs are facing today, while emotionally connecting viewers to the horses and their stories.
“Whilst Producing Black Beauty and working with Ashley Avis I became aware of the plight of the American Wild Horse. Horses helped shape the modern world, especially America. We owe them and we should protect them— all of them,” said Jeremy Bolt, producer of Disney’s ‘Black Beauty.’ “Horses pulled our carts and wagons. They helped fight our wars and plowed our fields. The relationship between humans and horses has been a key part of our evolution and history. The American Wild horse deserves our respect and protection. It played a major role in the development of this country— horses are a central part of America.”
“Herd management is key to finding a way forward in order to protect our iconic American mustang from round ups and holding pens,” said Monty Roberts, the Man Who Listens to Horses. “It is my great pleasure to become a part of The Wild Beauty Foundation whose mission aligns with my philosophy of studying horses to teach us that violence is never the answer. To save the wild horses is to preserve the therapeutic qualities for humans to learn from.”
“Growing up with horses, it wasn’t until I began writing the screenplay for Black Beauty, that I realized what wild horses were going through in our country,” said Ashley Avis, creator of ‘Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West,’ and director behind Disney’s ‘Black Beauty.’ “The helicopter roundups, the tearing apart of families, it’s devastating and deeply antiquated. My partner Edward Winters, and I knew that we had a unique platform in entertainment to help raise awareness, and we are fortunate to be supported by an outstanding team. Few people know about what is happening to our wild horses, and that’s a huge part of the problem. We are working tirelessly to change that.”
“I’m elated to join world-class director Ashley Avis, Jeremy Bolt, and Winterstone Pictures in producing ‘Wild Beauty’ and believe this venture will help educate Americans about the plight of our wild horses and the imminent threat of eradication they face,” said Marty Irby, one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists and an eight-time world champion equestrian. “America was built on the backs of horses, and they are iconic symbols of the west that should be revered – not rounded-up, incarcerated, and shipped off to slaughter at the hands of politicians and federal bureaucrats.”
