Sweetwater will make its Cowboy State premiere at the Wyoming International Film Festival on July 10, 2025.

© Modoc Stories

CHEYENNE, WY–JULY 8, 2025–The film Sweetwater will make its Cowboy State premiere at the Wyoming International Film Festival on July 10, 2025, offering audiences a first look at a sweeping Western story that weaves the lives of four horse racing professionals together during a high-stakes, seven-week horse racing season at Sweetwater Downs in Rock Springs, WY.

Produced by Modoc Stories and shot on location in Rock Springs, Sweetwater explores the struggles and triumphs of people trying to achieve the best version of themselves while chasing big dreams with long odds. Featuring jockeys Ainslin Finn, Shaundra Larsen, Jesus Valenzuela and track announcer A.P. Harreld, the documentary captures their personal and professional journeys in a sport as unforgiving as it is exhilarating.

"Sweetwater is a moving story of grit, community and ambition set against the wild and rugged Wyoming landscape," said Executive Producer Eugene Joyce. "Horse racing is filled with big personalities and even bigger stakes. This documentary tells the straight story of the perseverance and toughness needed to be a player in the sport," Joyce continued. "I am proud to share the legacy of horse racing with this film. I also hope to honor the people who pour all they have into the sport season after season right here in Wyoming."

Veteran documentary filmmakers Michael and David Hanson of Modoc Stories produced the documentary, bringing decades of experience crafting visually rich character-driven films.

"This film is ultimately about resilience -- not only in the sport but in life," said Michael Hanson of Modoc Stories. "These stories reflect the kind of quiet determination we see every day in the Cowboy State. We are so glad to capture that grit and grace on screen."

"The rough-and-tumble world of horse racing is not for the faint of heart," said David Hanson of Modoc Stories. "This film tells the real story of the handful of colorful and tough-as-nails people who make their living chasing speed and holding on to a dream."

Sweetwater will be featured at the Wyoming International Film Festival on July 10, 2025, at 3:25 p.m. The showing will be at Laramie County Community College, 1400 E College Dr., Cheyenne, WY.

Tickets for the screening are available at the Wyoming International Film Festival website, wyoiff.com, as part of the festival's official lineup.

MODOC STORIES PRODUCTION COMPANY
Based in Hood River, OR, Modoc Stories is a full-service production company led by David and Michael Hanson with clients across the U.S., including Corning, REI, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, Keen, Why Hunger, Patagonia and others. In 2013, Modoc produced, shot and edited the award-winning film, "Who Owns Water," which documents the water wars in the American South. Modoc Stories has produced numerous photo and video campaigns for Oregon tourism bureaus. For over a decade, Modoc has worked with leading companies in the outdoor space telling honest stories of real-life experiences.

WYOMING HORSE RACING
Sweetwater builds on Eugene Joyce's strong family legacy of horse racing in Wyoming. Joyce's family owned the horse track in Evanston from 1989-1998. He is also credited as a driving force behind the 2013 legislation allowing historic horse race wagering. In December of 2021, Joyce sold Wyoming Horse Racing to Pacesetter Racing & Gaming, owned by industry stalwarts Nick Hughes, Pete Liguori and John Sheldon. Joyce remains involved in Wyoming Horse Racing operations as director of live racing. As the founder of Historical Horse Racing terminals in Wyoming, WHR has played a major role in growing the state's horse industry and generating meaningful contributions to state tax revenues. With a strong commitment to responsible growth, the company continues to invest in Wyoming's hospitality and agribusiness sectors while championing the future of horse racing in the state.