Feature Doc ‘Baristas vs Billionaires’ set as Special Presentation and GA Premiere during 50th ATL Film Fest

"Baristas vs Billionaires"—a new documentary about the rise of Starbucks Workers United and a new generation of working-class activists—will make its Georgia premiere as a Special Presentation of the 50^th Annual Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF 50) at Tara Atlanta on April 28 at 9 p.m. Tickets here.

Narrated by Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon and directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mark Mori, the film captures young baristas organizing against one of the world’s most powerful corporations, fueling a nationwide movement that recently culminated in a record-setting strike. Watch the trailer here.

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“Even though the Starbucks Workers’ fight for a living wage was so public, I had no idea of the twists, turns, and heartbreak connected to their struggle,” said Sarandon.

The film’s selection for ATLFF 50 marks a full-circle moment for Mori, whose first film “Building Bombs” opened the 1989 Atlanta Film and Video Festival (as ATLFF was then known) and later earned an Oscar nomination. A recent 4K restoration of “Building Bombs” narrated by Jane Alexander will appear as an ATLFF 50 Legacy Screening at Tara Atlanta on April 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets here.

“This is a homecoming,” said Mori. “From working as a union steelworker in Atlanta to premiering films in Georgia, it’s incredibly meaningful to return and share this important story of the baristas while also presenting the 4K restoration of my first film.”

Both April 28 screenings will feature a post-screening filmmaker Q&A including Mori and Atlanta-based colleagues from both films, including award-winning filmmaker Bob Judson with local producer/actor Dennis “LA” White, Editor Leigh Anne Sides and Associate Producer/Writer Brandyn Cross from “Baristas vs Billionaires,” and Susan J. Robinson from “Building Bombs.”

Set primarily in Buffalo, N.Y, “Baristas vs Billionaires” follows workers at the first Starbucks to unionize, along with the “Memphis 7” employees fired during union organizing efforts. Featuring firsthand accounts and original footage, the doc exposes Starbucks’ anti-union tactics while highlighting a new wave of labor activism. The film enjoyed support from Alec Baldwin since day one of the project. The Golden Globe, Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning actor is a contributing producer.

“I’m honored to participate in Mark’s powerful film about the Starbucks union drive,” said Baldwin. “This is one of the most important labor battles of our time, and I’m proud to help bring this story to the screen.”

Aspects of post-production were completed in Atlanta, with Smart Post handling sound design and mix, with select graphic elements also produced locally. Atlanta-based filmmakers Bob Judson and Dennis LA White served as producer/cinematographer and co-producer, respectively. The film already received multiple honors, including Best Documentary Feature at the 2025 Workers Unite Film Festival, Best Western NY Feature and the Buffalo International Film Festival and the 2026 Labor Oscar from the Labor Heritage Foundation. In tandem with ATLFF, the film will appear at festivals in Santa Monica and Santa Cruz, Calif., and is an Official Selection in the Justice Matters competition of the 2026 Washington DC Intl. Film Festival.

“Baristas vs Billionaires” and “Building Bombs” details and ticket are available via AtlantaFilmFestival.com and the film page on their website. For more details, visit BaristasVsBillionaires.com.