Following its galvanizing world premiere at the 51st Telluride Film Festival, Zurawski v Texas is set to make its official public debut in theaters––launching in New York, Los Angeles and cities across Texas on October 25, 2024.
The filmmakers behind the critically-acclaimed reproductive rights documentary have prioritized bringing the movie to Texas audiences specifically in an effort to educate viewers on the impact of the abortion ban in their state. At the same time, screenings in Los Angeles and New York are set to meet the growing demand of sold out festivals and impact screenings across the country, and will make the film eligible for the Oscars® for Best Documentary Feature.
Directed by Emmy-winner Maisie Crow (Jackson) and Abbie Perrault (At the Ready), Zurawski v Texas dives headfirst into the lives of three women caught in the devastating grip of Texas’s draconian abortion laws. Forced to carry non-viable pregnancies and endure unimaginable pain, these women are even pushed to the brink of death before receiving life-saving medical care. But they are not victims—they are fighters. They’ve joined forces with a fearless, legal team in a high-stakes battle to reclaim their rights, futures, and dignity—not only for themselves but for millions of others.
“We felt it was critical to not only theatrically release the film in traditional markets like New York and Los Angeles, but make it available during that window in locations across Texas to ensure Texans understand what these abortion bans mean in practice,” said director Maisie Crow.
Film festivals and special impact screenings across the country have seen packed theaters. In September, Bumble Inc. and the Austin Film Society co-hosted a special screening at the State Theater in Austin, Texas just blocks from the state capitol where the very laws banning abortion were passed.
Bumble Inc. also partnered with Alamo Drafthouse cinemas for free, one-night-only screenings, filling theaters in six US cities, some of which are located in states where reproductive health care rights are on the ballot this November. In October, the film has already played for crowds at the Hamptons International Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, Ashland Film Festival, and Bend Film Festival. It will screen at Heartland International Film Festival (Oct. 13), Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (Oct. 17), Montclair Film Festival (October 19, 27), AFI Fest (Oct. 23), Chicago International Film Festival (Oct. 26, 27) and GlobeDocs (Oct. 27) as well as several others throughout the month. All film festival screenings so far have been completely sold out.
As part of the film team’s impact rollout, free screenings are being held this month in states with abortion access initiatives on the ballot including Phoenix, Arizona; Miami, Florida; St. Louis, Missouri; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Many of those screenings will be followed by conversations with executive producer Chelsea Clinton, directors Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault and film participant Amanda Zurawski.
The theatrical release in New York will play at Village East by Angelika and in Los Angeles at Laemmle Monica Film Center opening on Friday, October 25th. It will play in Dallas at Texas Theater on October 27, 28, 29; Alamo Lakeline in Austin on October 28; Alamo Stone Oak in San Antonio on October 29, with more locations in Texas expected to be added in the coming days. Additionally, both filmmakers and participants will host Q&A sessions at select screenings in Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas.
CRITICAL RESPONSE & AWARDS BUZZ
With standing ovations and packed screenings, Zurawski v Texas has already become a festival sensation. Variety hailed the film as “powerful” and “unflinching,” applauding directors Crow and Perrault for their “undaunted storytelling.” IndieWire described it as “a harrowing documentary that makes the case for reproductive healthcare as a national necessity,” while The Hollywood Reporter declared it “a must-watch that reframes abortion as, above all else, a lifesaving healthcare right.”
The film has been named a top contender for this year’s Academy Awards® by The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, and The Hollywood Reporter. The Los Angeles Times wrote: “Of the dozen or so movies I watched at Telluride this year, Zurawski v Texas, Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault’s riveting documentary about the fight for women’s reproductive rights, was the film that landed hardest…The capacity crowd of about 700 people — hundreds more were turned away — cried, cheered and, at times, shouted their anger and disbelief over what they were watching onscreen.”
Executive producer Jennifer Lawrence will join the filmmakers at the AFI Fest Opening Night screening in Los Angeles, which will also feature a red carpet event.
THE WOMEN BEHIND THE FIGHT
Lead plaintiff Amanda Zurawski’s pregnancy nightmare began when her water broke at just 18 weeks. Though her daughter had no chance of survival, Texas doctors couldn’t legally intervene until Amanda’s life was at risk. As she spiraled into sepsis, she nearly died waiting for care that came too late. Devastated and enraged, Amanda and her husband, Josh, turned their tragedy into a mission to make sure no one else endures the same fate.
Samantha Casiano learned at a 20-week ultrasound that her baby had no chance of survival. With no resources to travel out of state, she was forced to carry the pregnancy to term and bear the agony of giving birth and watching her baby suffer and die within hours of being born.
Dr. Austin Dennard, a Texas OB-GYN, knew her pregnancy had a fatal condition, but the fear of losing her license and facing 99 years in prison meant she couldn’t receive care in her own state. Forced to leave Texas for her own abortion, she returned to her job knowing she’d have to turn away patients facing the same heartbreaking situation she had just endured.
Amanda, Samantha, and Austin’s courage in sharing their stories took on historic significance: they became the first patient-plaintiffs to take the stand on behalf of abortion rights since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973.
Attorney Molly Duane and her team at the Center for Reproductive Rights are determined to claw back basic rights for women and pregnant people. When Kate Cox, another Texas woman, was trapped in the middle of a medical emergency, Molly sprang into action, attempting to secure the first emergency exemption from Texas’s punishingly strict abortion ban. Although navigating significant legal hurdles, Kate’s willingness to stand up and share her story transformed her into a powerful advocate. Now, she too joins Amanda, Samantha, and Austin in this fight, adding her voice to a growing movement of women refusing to be silenced.
A RALLYING CRY FOR JUSTICE
As the case climbs to the Texas Supreme Court, the film follows these courageous women standing firm against Texas’s unrelenting Attorney General Ken Paxton. And they are not alone. Their stories have ignited a movement, and now an army of women from across Texas—each with their own horror stories of denied care—are joining the battle. Their collective voices have become a powerful force for change.
From the filmmaking duo Maisie Crow (Jackson) and Abbie Perrault (At the Ready), Zurawski v Texas is an explosive testament to the relentless spirit of maverick women who refuse to be silenced. With raw honesty and fearless resolve, the film exposes the devastating human toll of these draconian laws—and the unbreakable will of those fighting to reclaim their rights.
Production Credits
Directed By Maisie Crow, Abbie Perrault; Edited By Austin Reedy; Production Manager Alex Cavalier; Director of Photography Maisie Crow; Original Music by Osei Essed; Assistant Editor Lara Tillotson; Post-Production Coordinator Emily Farrell; Director of Productions and Operations Victoria Bax; Production Executive Cherry Dorrett; Produced by Amy Flanagan, Siobhan Sinnerton, Blye Pagon Faust, Cori Shepherd, Maisie Crow, Abbie Perrault; Executive Producers Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Jennifer Lawrence, Justine Ciarrocchi, Bari Lurie, Johnny Webb, Linda Himelstein, Laurie Michaels, Amy Metzler Ritter.
Produced by HiddenLight Productions, Story Force Entertainment, Out of Nowhere. It is also produced in association with Excellent Cadaver and Bumble Inc.
To learn more about Zurawski v Texas, visit www.zurawskivtexas.com.
