The Kentucky Derby--the most exciting two minutes in sports--is given incredibly engaging behind-the-scenes treatment by directors The Hennegan Brothers as they follow six leading contenders for many months and reveal the emotion, skill and luck required to win the big race. This fascinating, heart-pumping, unforgettable ride is awash in little known facts--for example, who knew that although only 20 horses make the cut each year, 40,000 are eligible?--larger-than-life personalities and, of course, the horses themselves, primary among them the beloved Barbaro, the sleek thoroughbred who ran away with the 2006 Derby only to shatter his leg at the Preakness.

The Hennegan Brothers shot more than 500 hours of footage and travelled from Hot Springs, Arkansas, to Dubai in order to capture everyone involved, from the owners and riders to the trainers and the grooms, giving time and space to each in order to convey the whole picture. And what characters they are! Chief among them is Michael Matz, the retired trainer known as the "Michael Jordan of the equestrian world" who guides the mighty Barbaro down the Derby trail and Kiaran McLaughlin, who refuses to let a recently diagnosed nerve disease get in the way of the work he does for the Royal Family of the United Arab Emirates... Whether you are a dyed-in-the-wool horse-racing fanatic or someone who thinks only of Black Beauty when equine subjects are brought up, The First Saturday in May will thrill and entertain you.

To purchase tickets by phone, call the VISA Charge-by-Phone line at 1-604-685-8297.
For questions about the VIFF, please call the Starbucks Hotline at 604-683-FILM (3456)