“Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony” was one of the highlights at the 2013 Kansas City Film Fest. (Photo courtesy of Michael Brockhoff)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Everyone has heard of Gleeks, Twi-hards and Trekkies. But have you heard of Bronies?
Bronies are older fans of the children’s series, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
I recently had the chance to learn more about this fan group, as they were the subjects of a documentary that was showcased at the Kansas City Film Fest.
Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Fans of My Little Pony is an incredible documentary that showcases fans from all around the world and how the show has affected them in a positive life.
Amongst the Bronies that are profiled in this piece include Lyle, whose conservative father does not understand his son’s fascination with the show; Daniel, who suffers from Asperger’s and credits the show for helping come out of his comfort zone; and Alex, who is tormented by the hicks in his North Carolina small town for being a fan of the show.
These stories moved will move viewers. They will also see how these young men progressed throughout the documentary and found things that they were looking for (Acceptance for both Lyle and Alex; Friends for Daniel).
Bronies also highlighted the talent from the community including The Living Tombstone, an Israeli Brony who makes music involving the show, and LaserPon3, who created laser shows for BronyCons. Both demonstrated their creativity and showmanship throughout the documentary.
In addition to the fans, the documentary also had the chance to show involvement from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic cast and crew including the show’s creator, Lauren Faust and voice actors John De Lancie and Tara Strong, who interacted with the Bronies at the BronyCon and share more information about the group and the show itself.
Final thoughts and grade: Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Fans of My Little Pony is a strong documentary that showcases a unique perspective on one of the fastest growing fan groups in pop culture. Hopefully, the group’s critics will be able to watch this film and see them in a new light. A
To learn more about this documentary, visit its website: http://www.bronydoc.com/
For more information about the Kansas City Film Fest, click here: http://kcfilmfest.org/
