The Max Original documentary film Bama Rush, directed and executive produced by verité documentary filmmaker Rachel Fleit (Introducing, Selma Blair), debuts Tuesday, May 23 on Max. You can watch the trailer below.
The documentary follows four young women during sorority recruitment at the University of Alabama in the fall semester of 2022.
In August 2021, the long-held tradition of sorority recruitment at the University of Alabama, also known as rush, went viral on TikTok.
Becoming a viral sensation and cultural phenomenon using the hash tag “Bama Rush,” to date more than 2 billion people have watched.
In the upcoming feature documentary Bama Rush, Fleit follows four young women as they prepare to rush at the university in 2022.
In this nuanced and revealing documentary from VICE Studios, Fleit explores the emotional complexities and stakes of belonging in this crucial window into womanhood.
Bama Rush is directed and executive produced by Rachel Fleit. The executive producers also include Lizzie Fox, Casey Meurer, and Kama Kaina.
The producers are Zachary Luke Kislevitz, Andrew Freston, and Danny Gabai. It is co-executive produced by Eric Lavoie, co-produced by AJ Del Cueto, and edited by Drigan Lee.
The original score is by Wynne Ashley Bennett, while the director of photography is Lidia Nikonova.
“This film is a thoughtful and compassionate portrayal of young women in 2022 as they rush the sorority system at the University of Alabama,” Fleit told the New York Times previously.
Shane Dorrill, Assistant Director of Communications, Media Relations and Public Safety Communications at The University of Alabama, told the Times that the university was not involved with the production.
“The university is aware of reports that outside parties have facilitated unauthorized recordings of our students involved in Panhellenic recruitment,” she said.
Dorrill added: “The university has not authorized any third-party entity to film, record or document any recruitment activities and does not allow media inside occupied buildings such as residence halls and sorority houses.”
On May 23, HBO Max will become Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s enhanced streaming platform. The streaming service will include unscripted and scripted programming, family-friendly content, HBO, Max Originals, WB Movies, the DC Universe, food, home, and documentaries.
A large portion of subscribers will have their HBO Max apps automatically updated, while others will be prompted to download the updated Max app.
In addition to content like Bama Rush, Max will soon have a new Harry Potter series, a Max Original comedy series derived from The Big Bang Theory, and HBO Original Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight.
There’s also a Max Original drama series based on The Conjuring films; Magnolia Network’s Fixer Upper: The Hotel; Discovery Channel’s Survive the Raft; Max Original Peter & the Wolf from Bono; Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty: The Anime; Investigation Discovery’s Lost Women of Highway 20; Cartoon Network’s Tiny Toons Looniversity; and TLC’s Love & Translation.
Highly-anticipated upcoming titles including Max Originals The Penguin, starring Colin Farrell; HBO Original drama series The Sympathizer; and HBO Original limited series True Detective: Night Country, starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis.
The list continues with HBO Original limited series The Regime, starring Academy Award winner Kate Winslet; Max Original six-part docuseries SmartLess: On the Road, featuring Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes; Max Original kids series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai; HGTV’s Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge; and much more.
Are you going to watch Bama Rush on Max when it launches? Let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page or on Twitter @vitalthrillscom.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to cover the latest streaming, movie, TV, and game news.