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Labor+Justice

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Better Half Pictures on set of short film Labor and Justice. Sarah Joy Byington and Sam Butler.

Meet Better Half Pictures, the husband-and-wife filmmaking team from Austin, TX, on a mission to create unforgettable films that make a difference. Founded in 2022 by writer/director Sarah Joy Byington (Labor + Justice, Somewhere You Free Free) and editor Samuel Butler (Age Out, After All).

The duo have since created three films together, the award winning short film Labor+Justice which premiered at HollyShorts in 2023, a comedic short film entitled Play Thing debuting later this year, and the short excerpt film Let Me Do Right By You based off of the feature screenplay of the same name.

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LABOR + JUSTICE

Set in a dystopian United States, pregnant persons are required by law to give birth in front of a panel of judges. Failure to birth a living baby sentences the mother to immediate execution. The everyday, mundane births/deaths have zero effect on the judges as they devour their lunch like animals.

This dark and surreal, genre-bending drama contrasts a calamitous political system against women cruelly stripped of any reproductive rights and body autonomy. Featuring stunning black and white cinematography and powerful, gripping performances, Labor and Justice delivers a thought-provoking exploration of women’s rights intersecting with themes of race, class, and religion.

WINNER: Best Director - Austin Spotlight Film Festival 2024

WINNER: Best Dramatic Short - ATX Short Film Showcase 2024

WINNER: Best Director - ATX Short Film Showcase 2024

WINNER: Audience Award - ATX Short Film Showcase 2024

WINNER: Best Expressionist Film - Arthouse Film Festival 2024

WINNER: Audience Award 2nd Place - WIFT Austin Member Showcase 2024

An outdoor scene with two horses, one black and one brown, standing in a grassy field near trees and a wooden fence.

A silhouette of a monkey sitting on a tree branch in a jungle with dense foliage.

Silhouette of a person holding a flag in front of a solar eclipse over mountains and clouds.

Black and white photo of a prowling tiger in a natural environment.

Black-and-white photo of a woman with long hair, wearing a dark dress, standing outdoors in front of a white picket fence and trees.

A person in a white top, sitting at a cluttered desk with books, papers, a laptop, and a yellow mug, reading or working.

A black-and-white cartoon illustration of a man with a beard, glasses, and a hairstyle, wearing a shirt and tie. The man is holding a smartphone in his right hand and is looking at something outside the frame.

Black award or certificate with a laurel wreath design around the border

Silhouette of a woman singing into a microphone on stage, with a decorative microphone stand and stage lighting.

Labor and Justice - short film by Better Half Pictures (Sarah Joy Byington and Sam Butler)

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Podcast cover featuring a portrait of Sara Joy Byington with text about labor and justice, volume 23, and a website link.

PLAY THING

A woman hires a specialist to uncover that the missing link in her and her partner's relationship is a toy.

A man with a mustache and dark hair, wearing a cap, looks sideways inside a vehicle, with a serious expression.

A person holding a glass of orange juice.

LET ME DO RIGHT BY YOU

After the tragic loss of her husband and her job, Julia is left alone to raise her one-year-old, Phoebe. Eviction forces her to move back to her small town and back in with her estranged mother.

Let Me Do Right By You, portrays a raw and honest depiction of one woman’s struggle with grief, alcoholism, and postpartum depression. It is a dark, dramatic story with ironic humor peppered throughout. The short film is an excerpt drawn from the 105-page feature screenplay that is currently gaining momentum at festivals.