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Welcome To Texas

A university freshman learns firsthand about the state’s restrictive abortion laws in “Welcome to Texas”.

  • Mike Corey
    Director
    The Tab, George
  • Mike Corey
    Writer
    The Tab, A Coming Out Homecoming, George
  • Mike Corey
    Producer
    The Tab, A Coming Out Homecoming, George
  • Sarah Brine
    Key Cast
    ""Student""
    "Betrayal", "Are you bored of me?", "Heartbeat"
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 2 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 18, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Blender (3D animation program)
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • None
    Los Angeles
    The IndieFEST Film Awards: Award of Excellence Special Mention, Awards of Excellence Animation & Film for Social Change
Distribution Information
  • None
Director Biography - Mike Corey

Mike Corey fell in love with filmmaking at a young age, when he experienced classics such as “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” and “E.T.” Majoring in Telecommunications and minoring in film at the University of Florida only added to Mike’s love of the art. Unfortunately, real life got in the way and with bills to pay, he made his professional career in live television production.

After becoming a member of the Directors Guild of America, Mike’s television career led him to directing for PBS, AMC, Discovery, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook and pilots for NBC, E! and Sony. But the passion for film remained. With his supportive wife and numerous credit cards, Mike decided to forgo film school to write and direct his feature-length debut, “Monotony.” Looking back, Mike feels that the learning experience was much better than the final product. Which was actually the point.

Switching to short films allowed Mike to experiment. With live action he tried everything - from comedy to drama to the supernatural. While his films did well on the festival circuit, playing around the world and winning multiple awards, Mike couldn’t quite find his voice. Frustrated with micro budgets and live-action production difficulties, Mike decided to focus his talents on animation. With a free program and a lot of hard work, he created the character of Peekaboo Petey, star of multiple short films that delighted his nieces, great-nieces and -nephew, and other young fans. He then went on to develop, write, shoot and edit an animated/live-action short starring his nieces as X-Wing Pilots who destroy a new variety of Death Star. But the slow pace of animation and a growing ultra-conservative movement in the U.S. spurred Mike to simultaneously produce shorts for Instagram promoting human rights.

The collision of these two worlds was the catalyst for Mike: he would combine his personal activism with his art. In January of 2022, with the threat of overturning Roe v. Wade looming, Mike started work on a project that would personalize the traumatic impact the loss of healthcare for women poses. The result is the animated short film “Welcome to Texas”.

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Director Statement

If a child becomes pregnant after being raped, the state of Texas will force her to bear the child of her rapist. As a middle-aged white man, I have every advantage. And I have no business telling women what they can and can’t do with their bodies. But many with power think they can and they’re using that power to legislate away women’s rights. With the fall of Roe v. Wade, I realized standing on the sidelines was no longer an option. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. As my wife and I marched for women’s rights, I felt I could contribute more. The result is the animated short film “Welcome To Texas.”