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.

  • Sarah Joy Byington
    Director
    Let Me Do Right By You
  • Sarah Joy Byington
    Writer
    Let Me Do Right By You
  • Samantha Ireland
    Producer
    RWBY, Day 5, Touchy Feely, Wolves Inside
  • Kelsey Pribilski
    Producer
    BBQuest, Elephant!, Scare Package, Day 5, Last Girl Standing
  • Samuel Butler
    Editor
    Age Out, New Life, Until Proven Innocent, Home
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Genre, Thriller, Drama
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 26 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 31, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    63,940 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Alexa Classic
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Hollyshorts - Oscar Qualifying
    Los Angeles
    United States
    August 16, 2023
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Arthouse Film Festival
    Austin, TX
    United States
    March 13, 2024
    Best Expressionist Film
  • ATX Short Film Annual Showcase
    Austin, TX
    August 25, 2024
    Best Director/ Best Dramatic Short Film
Director Biography - Sarah Joy Byington

Sarah Joy Byington is an actor, director, and screenwriter based in Austin, TX, since her parents moved here in 1993. Beginning her career as an actor, her love for filmmaking quickly expanded and she challenged herself to learn all facets of production. Sarah’s career as a director kicked off when her short “Payday” won semi-finalist in the final year of Dorito’s Crash the Super Bowl competition. After she gave birth to her first child, she discovered her passion for writing when she received recognition for her first feature screenplay, Let Me Do Right By You, which was accepted into festivals such as BlueCat, Scriptapalooza, La Femme Intl Festival, and academy-qualifying Rhode Island Intl Film Festival. Since then she has directed a few short films, including Labor+Justice which premiered at academy-qualifying HollyShorts in 2023.
Sarah continues to write, with many ideas waiting to find their moment. She lives in Austin, TX with her husband and film editor, Sam Butler and their two kids.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

“Labor and Justice” is a mixture of genres but can be best described as a surrealist nightmare. Comparable to The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror, Labor + Justice weaves thriller with horror, yet draws out empathy and heartbreak with its all-to-relatable themes. The most obvious theme is the injustice of a woman’s right to choose what to do with her body and her unborn child. I wrote this film back in January of 2019. It wasn’t until the Fall of 2021 that I decided to move forward with directing it. Little did I know that in the middle of our pre-production, a leaked draft of the withdrawal of Roe v. Wade, and the decision to retract it all-together, would occur. I will admit there were doubts that we should move forward due to the gravity of SCOTUS’ decision, not to mention the grief, but doors kept opening for us, and we took it as a sign to move forward. Returning to this script is not a coincidence. It’s an urgent display of the need for a woman’s right to choose. There is no time to lose. The idea that art doesn't bring change is a lie. It is my hope that this film will bring awareness, change minds, and provoke change.