‘The Cowboy and The Queen’ Screens at WHBPAC

On Friday, October 18, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center will screen the documentary film “The Cowboy and The Queen” at 7 p.m.

From Academy Award nominated filmmaker Andrea Nevins, “The Cowboy and The Queen” is a stirring portrait of Monty Roberts, a California horse trainer nearing 90 and showing no signs of slowing down, who recounts his life with horses, starting from his earliest days working in Hollywood westerns of the 1940s. Repelled by the accepted style of “breaking a horse’s spirit,” Roberts developed his own gentle approach to human interaction with horses in the hopes of someday transforming horse training standards worldwide. When his technique comes to the attention of Queen Elizabeth II, a friendship is sparked between the cowboy and the Queen that lasts until the end of her life, a friendship that inspires horse trainers around the world. The evening will also feature a virtual discussion with Nevins and producer Graham Clark after the screening.

Nevins, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her documentary “Still Kicking,” and editor/writer Graham Clark put forth a solid foundation for the film cleverly intertwining Roberts’s life with milestones in the queen’s life, all the while staying true to what brought the improbable pair together: a deep love for horses and perhaps an even greater love for kindness and peace.

Nevins’s first feature-length documentary, “The Other F Word,” about anti-authoritarian punk rockers donning the cloak of paternal authority, premiered at SXSW and won quick theatrical distribution by Oscilloscope and network broadcast on Showtime. In examining the huge transitions NFL football players make from superstardom to relative invisibility, she directed the 2014 season-opener for Peter Berg’s HBO series, “State of Play.” Entitled “Happiness,” it follows NFL greats Brett Favre, Tiki Barber and Wayne Chrebet as they transition to second chapters. Her feature “Play It Forward” grew out of this work. It follows NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and his brother, Chris, at mid-life as their dreams and sacrifices for NFL glory collide. This film was selected to open 2015’s ESPN/Tribeca Film Festival, and was featured on Showtime. It was also selected by the U.S. Department of State as part of its film diplomacy program, American Film Showcase.

Tickets for “The Cowboy and The Queen” are $23 at whbpac.org. Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center is at 76 Main Street, Westhampton Beach.