TWO ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINATED FILMMAKERS COME TOGETHER TO

BRING  “VEGAS BABY” TO THE BIG SCREEN

OSCAR® NOMINATED FILMMAKER MORGAN SPURLOCK SIGNS ON AS

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR THE TRIBECA FESTIVAL HIT FILM DIRECTED BY

OSCAR® NOMINATED AMANDA MICHELI ON THE GAMBLE OF

IN VITRO FERTILIZATION

MAY 19, 2017 – NEW YORK, NY   Academy Award® nominated documentarian Morgan Spurlock teams with fellow nominated filmmaker Amanda Micheli to bring her Tribeca Film Fest hit “VEGAS BABY” on the gamble of in vitro fertilization (IVF) to the public.  Spurlock signed on this week as the film’s executive producer together with his business partner Jeremy Chilnick.  

"I am so proud to be a part of this important movie and to have the opportunity to share it with audiences,” said Spurlock. “As the parent of a beautiful baby boy who came into our life through IVF, I understand the struggle and desire that comes with wanting a child in your life. The entire process can be a strain beyond words: mentally, emotionally, financially…but for us, it was worth it all in the end.”

“Despite the fact that 1 in 6 couples worldwide struggles with infertility, it is rarely talked about,” said director Micheli. “We are thrilled to have Morgan on our team to help us break the silence around this issue, which is so often misunderstood.”

VEGAS BABY pulls back the curtain on the world of reproductive medicine through a provocative, “truth is stranger than fiction” premise. The film follows aspiring parents from all walks of life who place themselves in the hands of a Las Vegas doctor and his annual contest, which offers the prize of a free round of IVF -- with no guarantee of success. Contestants post video entries online telling their stories, counting on the votes of strangers to make their dreams of becoming parents true. 

While exposing private pain online to win a contest is a brutal proposition, IVF is rarely covered by insurance in the U.S., so many infertile couples consider this a gamble worth taking. VEGAS BABY navigates the complexities of America's burgeoning fertility industry and paints an intimate portrait of the diverse individuals – from a devoutly Catholic Latino couple in Texas to a lesbian Lady Gaga Impersonator in New York – determined to have a baby against all odds.

On the heels of a national Tugg theatrical release, FilmRise launched VEGAS BABY on Mother’s Day for purchase/rent on all major digital platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Vudu. The film will have its national public television broadcast premiere on “America Reframed” on June 27th 2017. In July, it will be released worldwide on a subscriber video on-demand platform to be announced at a later date.  

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ABOUT VEGAS BABY

Runaway Films presents VEGAS BABY – A Film By Amanda Micheli - directed and produced by Amanda Micheli; executive produced by Morgan Spurlock and Jeremy Chilnick; produced by Serin Marshall; edited by Greg O’Toole and Lisa Fruchtman; with Micheli as the Director of Photography; and original music by Paul Brill. Premiered at Tribeca with the previous title “haveababy.”

ABOUT MORGAN SPURLOCK

Morgan Spurlock is an Oscar® nominated filmmaker and founder of Warrior Poets, a New York-based production studio. His first film, SUPER SIZE ME, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004, winning Best Directing honors. The film went on to win the inaugural WGA Best Documentary Screenplay award, as well as garner an Academy Award® nomination for Best Feature Documentary. Since then he has directed, produced, and distributed multiple film, television and online projects, including THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD; WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?; RATS; MANSOME; CNN’s INSIDE MAN; and more.