Can You Beat the Bookies?

The Rocking Horse Winner(en)

Nigel Rhodes plays a boy who, while riding his wooden rocking horse, can predict which horse will win at the race.

Murphy's Stroke(en)

The horse Gay Future is at the centre of an Irish betting syndicate in 1974 which saw trainer Antony Collins present a poor performing horse at his stables. The betting stakes were subsequently raised, before the real horse was entered in the race.

Chuckwagon(en)

Focusing on the sport of chuckwagon racing at the Calgary Stampede, captured through a mix of aerial, POV, and ringside footage, the film is ahead of its time in the way it captures adrenaline-pumping action. This short documentary offers a ringside view of the chuckwagon race, star attraction of the world-famous Calgary Stampede. Once ponderous Percheron and Clydesdale draught thundered around the course. Now they are racers, and it takes a firm hand to guide such horsepower.

Their Eyes Were Watching God(en)

A drama set in the 1920s, where free-spirited Janie Crawford's search for happiness leads her through several different marriages, challenging the morals of her small town. Based on the novel by Zora Neale Hurston.

Lucky Girl(en)

Katlin is a high school student whose obsession with gambling leads to her accumulating a mountain of debt. Her habit also causes a high degree of family tension.

The Derby(xx)

A momentous act of self sacrifice is caught on camera - Emily Davison is trampled by the King's horse at the 1913 Epsom Derby.

Breaking Vegas(en)

Documentary tracing the attempts of a team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Institue students to become rich playing blackjack at casinos throughout the United States and the attempts of the casinos' management to thwart them.

Tale of a Trotter(en)

This short follows the life of a harness racehorse named "Spunky" from foal, through training, to the finish of his first race at Yonkers Raceway.

Spring Break Nightmare(en)

A woman travels to an island paradise when her daughter, Kayla, goes missing during a spring break trip with friends. As she tries to deal with the kidnappers' demands, she soon learns that Kayla may have been betrayed by those closest to her.

Halter Off(en)

Set in Charles Town, West Virginia, Halter Off offers an unapologetic look at one man's shot at a second chance. Angelo Jackson, a 50-year old horse trainer with a checkered past, is looking to redeem himself after being one charge away from a life sentence in prison. Banned from the track and with the odds against him, Angelo is facing the biggest race of his career against mentor and legendary horse trainer, James W. Casey. As Angelo finds himself downs on his luck and with the system he is working for working against him, he puts it all on the line to win the race of his life.

Where the Action Is(en)

A gambler is smuggled into a billionaire's house to undertake a gambling duel.

Luttes intimes(fr)

Aitamaako'tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun(en)

An intimate and thrilling portrait of a young Siksika woman and the deep bonds between her father and family in the golden plains of Blackfoot Territory as she prepares for one of the most dangerous horse races in the world… bareback.

Pleasure Palace(en)

Story of a professional gambler, connoisseur, gourmet and sportsman who sets out to help a Las Vegas hotel-casino owner from losing his controlling interest to a business syndicate but finds his reputation is on the line when he runs into a mystery lady who seems to operate on both sides of the law.

Eagle Boy(en)

A fearless horse bonds two men to each other and to the traditions that define their community.

Dark Horse(en)

The larger than life true story of how a barmaid in a poor Welsh mining village convinces some of her fellow residents to pool their resources to compete in the "sport of kings" with a racehorse they would breed and raise.

Cracker: Nine Eleven(en)

After living in Australia for the past decade, Fitz and Judith return to Manchester in 2004 for their daughter Katie's wedding. Drinking too much at the reception, Fitz stumbles through a rambling toast, which only embarrasses the bride. Instead of spending time with his grandson, son of his married son Mark, Fitz opts to join in the investigation of a serial killer who has an apparent dislike of Americans in the wake of the U.S. Invasion of Iraq.

Paul Merson: Football, Gambling & Me(en)

Former footballer Paul Merson sets out to understand why his life has been so blighted by gambling and asks if enough is being done to prevent others following in his footsteps.

Vai Cavalo(pt)

Dirlinho and his cousin’s childhood is marked by deprivation and violence. They try to escape by working as jockeys. While the punters bet on them, they gamble with their lives for a better future by riding doped horses.

Lucy Gets Lucky(en)

Lucy pulls out all the stops in Las Vegas to see her favorite entertainer, Dean Martin. Lucy gets a job working at the MGM Grand casino and high-stakes hijinks follow.