American Refugee — The Film. The Fight. The Fund.

The Film

Bringing the fight
to the big screen

In 2035 America, abortion is a federal crime. When 16-year-old hacker Ava discovers she's pregnant, she has 3 days, $600, and one unlikely ally — a diabetic, ex-con janitor — to reach the Canadian border before the Sentinels find her.

Dystopian Drama Script Complete $3.5M Budget Original I.P.

American Refugee unfolds in a familiar, near-future America where reproductive freedom has vanished and state power has been outsourced to religiously motivated private armies. Told entirely from Ava's perspective, the film builds tension through intimate character moments rather than spectacle.

This isn't dystopia as fantasy — it's dystopia as normalized, accepted, and bureaucratically enforced. The story crescendos at the border, where Ava faces a brutal reckoning about the price of freedom and her own transformation from victim to warrior.

Days to the border

All they have

States with total bans today

2026

Not as far as it sounds

Our Protest

While the headlines are consumed by political chaos and constant noise, a quieter reality is unfolding beneath it. Legislation is being introduced and advanced that continues to restrict women's rights — often without broad public awareness.

Women are under assault as their rights and choices are violated and legalized by the courts. Our silence and compliance is expected, and when we do not comply, we are punished. Today, women are not equal to men. We must fight back with the one thing they cannot take from us — our voices.

Welcome to the revolution.

— American Refugee

The Reality Behind the Film

The assault
against women

01 — Policy

Project 2025 is accelerating policy frameworks that would fundamentally reshape women's rights and autonomy across America.

02 — Reproductive Rights

The overturning of Roe v. Wade eliminated federal protection for reproductive choice, leaving millions without access.

03 — Voting Access

The SAVE Act is raising barriers to voting access, disproportionately impacting women across the country.

04 — Economic Inequality

The gender pay gap persists — women still earn just 76 cents for every $1 earned by men.

05 — Heartbeat Laws

"Heartbeat" laws are active in 11 states, restricting abortion access before many women even know they are pregnant.

06 — Total Bans

Total abortion bans in 13 states are removing access entirely, affecting tens of millions of women.

07 — Travel Restrictions

Emerging travel restrictions are limiting reproductive freedom across state lines — criminalizing the act of seeking care.

08 — Constitutional Rights

The Equal Rights Amendment remains unratified, leaving constitutional gender equality legally unrecognized.

09 — Child Marriage

Child marriage remains legal in parts of the United States — a crisis hiding in plain sight.

10 — Domestic Violence

Approximately 1.3 million women experience abuse each year in the United States.

11 — Parental Rights

In 7 states, rapists may legally retain parental rights over children conceived through assault.

This is not isolated. It is systemic. It is expanding.

The Impact Model

A film that funds
the fight

American Refugee is reimagining what it means to make a film with impact beyond the screen. For too long, socially conscious films have been made in isolation — separate from the very communities they claim to serve. We reject that model. By centering the cause in how we finance, build, and launch this film, we aren't just making a movie. We're creating a new blueprint — one where economic power, not just awareness, drives lasting change.

The Film

A $3.5M feature financed in part through equity crowdfunding — inviting women and allies in early, not as passive viewers but as active participants with a real stake in the film's success.

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The Proceeds

As the film earns — theatrical, streaming, festivals, licensing — a pledged portion of proceeds is directed back to our partner organizations, with full financial transparency through SHARE Studio.

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The Movement

Those dollars fund the organizations on the front lines of reproductive rights — care, litigation, and research — ensuring the fight continues long after the credits roll.

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We are pledging a portion of this film's proceeds back to the organizations we partner with. When American Refugee succeeds, the movement succeeds.

The Characters

Ava Cross

Protagonist · 16

A whip-smart hacker who forges hall passes and reprograms drones to survive a collapsing system. When she discovers she's pregnant, survival becomes a race. By the time she reaches the border, she's transformed from fugitive to warrior.

Russell Lewis

Reluctant Ally · Early 60s

An ex-con janitor who spent 20 years in prison for a DUI that killed two people. He's not here to be seen — he's here to quietly do his time and find redemption. Ava's crisis may be the only thing that can give him one.

Sally Douglas

The Wild Card · Late 60s

A weathered long-haul trucker who's been running the back roads for decades. Part code-breaker, part sage, part mystery. When Ava and Russell meet her, they can't be sure whether to trust her — until the final fight makes it clear.

Sentinel Michael

Antagonist · Mid 40s

The tip of the religious enforcement spear. His job: capture young women who violate the Heartbeat Laws and confine them to maternity camps. He is terrifying precisely because he believes he is righteous.

The Team

Suzanne Baird

Writer / Director

A writer, director, and activist whose work lives at the intersection of political urgency and deeply human storytelling. Committed to responsible production that doesn't sacrifice cinematic ambition — proving that independent film can be both conscientious and visually powerful. American Refugee continues that mission, exploring how the shifting tides of political power reshape the lives of everyday people in ways at once devastating and universal.

Erin Norman

Producer · CEO, SHARE

A storyteller, builder, and CEO of SHARE — a platform revolutionizing how filmmakers connect, collaborate, and get paid. Having worked alongside Jamie Foxx and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, with projects featured on Apple TV, Peacock, and festivals worldwide, Erin brings both creative instinct and real-world strategy. She created SHARE for one reason: to open doors for creatives everywhere.

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