A Short Film by Annika Hylmö
Join us to make a short film about
second chances and new possibilities!
Currently Funding
EQUINE THERAPY
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
After many years out of the saddle, I returned to riding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being around horses, being engaged in physical activity and being outdoors was a huge help during a period where I felt isolated and inactive. I’d recently directed my first short film, Dr. Penelope, but suddenly I was stuck in limbo, not able to move forward with my directing career and not having anything else I was passionate about to fall back on. I needed a creative outlet and I needed something to look forward to. What came out of that three-year period was the script for Eddie’s Turn.
The lead character, Terry, is at a loss as to what the future holds for her, as I was. She left a job she devoted her life to because of a bad case of burn-out and feels stuck. Terry turns to an old passion, riding, and goes to visit her uncle at his ranch. That’s where she meets Eddie, a retired racehorse, and where she and Eddie discover their second careers.
Eddie’sTurn is based on a former racehorse I started riding early in the pandemic. He was being denied the one thing he loved which was to race and as a result he was lonely and depressed. He wouldn’t let anyone ride him. I knew just how he felt. Writing this script and planning to direct it has inspired me. I’ve rediscovered the passion I felt when I first had a chance to direct a story I had written. The story of Eddie and Terry is a story I believe will resonate with many. I know it did with me.
Annika Hylmö, Writer/Director
THE TEAM
Annika Hylmö
Writer/Director
Annika Hylmö holds a Ph.D. in Communications from Purdue University where she studied storytelling in organizations. Her passion led her to pursue a career in screenwriting and filmmaking. Born in Sweden and raised internationally, Annika credits Pippi Longstocking as an early role model.
Annika co-produced Academy Award-nominated Daniel Raim’s Image Makers, and her award-winning short film, Dr. Penelope, is on the festival circuit.
Annika is a Women in Media CAMERAderie Initiative producer and previously worked for the American Film Institute’s Conservatory. In addition to this film, Annika is working on a documentary and is a story consultant. In her free time, whenever she can, she rides a horse called Eddie.
Betsy Pollock
Producer
An accomplished feature film producer, Betsy Pollock won an Academy Award in 2004 as a co-producer of the short film Two Soldiers. For 16 years she was Associate Dean and Director of Production, First Year, at AFI (American Film Institute Conservatory) in Los Angeles.
Pollock has worked on over 100 films as producer, line producer, UPM and First Assistant Director, including Wind, Stealing Home, Lady in White and Good Burger. She was Head of Production for Filmlink International based in Tokyo and Head of the Producing Discipline at the North Carolina School of the Arts.
Pollock developed a PSA program for non-profits and is an Officer and Treasurer for GreenLight Women. She currently advises filmmakers, show runners and schools through her company Betsy Pollock Production Consulting.
Eddie's Turn ("Eddie")
Equine Consultant
Eddie started his career racing for his breeders Howard and Janet Siegal and co-owner Dan Goodman. Named Eddie's Turn for his trainer, Eddie Truman, Eddie took to the track with the joy only a grey thoroughbred in his prime can have.
Channeling his father, McCann's Mojave, and mother, Pindaric, Eddie flew around the track at Santa Anita and Del Mar with barely a spot of sweat to show his efforts. Physical concerns limited his ability to continue as an elite athlete, so Eddie retired to live on a ranch in Val Verde, CA. It was there that he discovered his second calling as an equine consultant to movie productions.
Loving his life in the paddock, Eddie reminds everyone to remember that carrots remain a staple in his life and that just like humans, horses belong in a herd. In his free time, he carries a woman called Annika on his back.