A Film Races Against the Odds ("50-to-1", Mine That Bird)

When Mine That Bird won the 2009 Kentucky Derby, he blazed a path so profoundly unexpected that to this day expert handicappers wince at his name. Going into the race, nothing was expected of this 50-to-1 nobody from nowhere. And for most of the race, he was dead last—until jockey Calvin Borel made his move from behind the pack, sneaking up tight against the rail and flying past them all. For filmmaker Jim Wilson, the enduring wow factor of the narrative cried out for the big screen. The major studios didn't agree. "Hollywood wanted nothing to do with it," he said. So he went ahead anyway. Functioning as producer, director and co-writer, he raised about $8.5 million from a handful of investors to make "50 to 1," a feature-length dramatization starring Skeet Ulrich ("As Good As It Gets") as horse trainer Chip Woolley and Christian Kane ("Leverage") as owner Mark Allen. To launch an independent film against recent big-budget releases like "Divergent," Mr. Wilson took a cue from Mine That Bird and crafted a grass-roots marketing campaign: He and select cast members are traveling together in a 45-foot bus—a roving billboard wrapped in "50 to 1" ads—through the American heartland to film screenings and horse races. Occasionally, they bring out the horse himself. Mine That Bird, an eight-year-old gelding, was trotted out in Albuquerque for the film's premiere March 19 and at the Sunland Park Racetrack, where he trained and raced before national fame. "It's a hell of a gamble," said Mr. Wilson, who estimates the cost of the movie launch at about $3 million. Last week, the convoy started out with stops throughout New Mexico, including Roswell, where Mine That Bird now lives. The bus then rolled to Texas and will visit Louisiana to promote the film's April 4 wider release to about 200 screens. At movie theaters along the way, they will meet audiences at cinemas and major races, including the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans on March 29. After that, the film continues to open in more states as the bus travels through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and, of course, Kentucky. To launch an independent film against recent big-budget releases like "Divergent," Mr. Wilson took a cue from Mine That Bird and crafted a grass-roots marketing campaign: He and select cast members are traveling together in a 45-foot bus—a roving billboard wrapped in "50 to 1" ads—through the American heartland to film screenings and horse races. Occasionally, they bring out the horse himself. Mine That Bird, an eight-year-old gelding, was trotted out in Albuquerque for the film's premiere March 19 and at the Sunland Park Racetrack, where he trained and raced before national fame. "It's a hell of a gamble," said Mr. Wilson, who estimates the cost of the movie launch at about $3 million. Last week, the convoy started out with stops throughout New Mexico, including Roswell, where Mine That Bird now lives. The bus then rolled to Texas and will visit Louisiana to promote the film's April 4 wider release to about 200 screens. At movie theaters along the way, they will meet audiences at cinemas and major races, including the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans on March 29. After that, the film continues to open in more states as the bus travels through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and, of course, Kentucky. So far, the numbers are huge in Las Cruces, N.M. Last weekend, the film played to a sold-out crowd at the Mesilla Valley Mall's movie theater, where locals flocked looking sharp in pressed jeans and wide-brimmed hats. Throughout the film, the audience cheered—hooting especially when Kentucky racing royalty snubs the underdog New Mexicans at the Derby. And though the outcome of the 2009 Derby is known, seeing the actual NBC footage on the big screen, with judicious edits, is a heart-stopper...more 

 Here's the 2009 Kentucky Derby

 http://youtu.be/Hv8x9x5A49s

http://youtu.be/Hv8x9x5A49s