World Premiere

Juli Coffin runs a youth outreach program using horses as therapy to support indigenous youth in the Kimberley region that has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. We follow the program over several years and see a particular group of children as they bond with their horses.

This is the second documentary from Western Australia and also the second world premiere I have seen at this festival. Was glad to have seen them both. Was not as worried as missing anything due to staying for the Q&A this time as I had nothing after it. I had bumped some other sessions to the end of the festival due to being sick the week before the festival.

Having enjoyed the Black As series set in the same region, I liked seeing the landscape featured also. Malcolm Douglas used to film around the same area back in the day too.

I know some people who have been to horse therapy in the past and a lot of people I know would be into any story involving horses. I even shared this with someone who got a rescue brumby on the work chat board.

Post-screening Q & A with the director and subject

You do get to see the progress of the children throughout the documentary with one even going for student representative election (he ended up getting it they said in the Q&A) and one of the subjects from the documentary got to come to Melbourne for the screening. None of the horses unfortunately! Too far!

This is sure to be popular on release it is getting cinema screenings and also, they are hoping to screen it as a fundraiser which you can book through their website.

Film details:

Director: Sean O’Reilly

Producer: Sean O’Reilly, Sophy Crane, Juli Coffin

Cinematographer: Sophy Crane

Composer: Caitlin Yeo

Editor: Andrew Corsi

Featured Subjects: Juli Coffin, Heather, Lajay, Laagee, Athena, Nathanael

Year: 2026

Length: 76 mins

Country: Australia

Language: English

Genre: Documentary

Film website

https://www.guidedbyhorsesmovie.com/

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFrEi59qplE