The Librarians (2025 film)

Last updated
The Librarians
The Librarians 2025 poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Kim A. Snyder
Produced by
  • Kim A. Snyder
  • Janique L. Robillard
  • Maria Cuomo Cole
  • Jana Edelbaum
Cinematography
  • Paulius Knotijevas
  • Amy Bench
  • Derek Wiesehahn
Edited by
  • María Gabriela Torres
  • Leah Boatright
  • Austin Reedy
Music by Nico Muhly
Production
companies
Distributed by8 Above
Release dates
  • January 24, 2025 (2025-01-24)(Sundance)
  • October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
Running time
92 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$97,437 [2]

The Librarians is a 2025 American documentary film, directed and produced by Kim A. Snyder. It follows librarians in Texas, Florida, and other states, as they unite to combat book banning in the United States. Sarah Jessica Parker serves as an executive producer under her Pretty Matches Productions banner. [3]

Contents

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2025, and was released on October 3, 2025, by 8 Above.

Premise

The documentary follows librarians including Carolyn Foote, Suzette Baker, and Amanda Jones in Texas, Florida, and other states, as they unite to combat book banning from Moms for Liberty and other groups in the United States. [4]

Production

Moms for Liberty denied requests to be interviewed for the film. [5] ITVS co-produced the film, with Independent Lens retaining broadcast rights. [6] [7]

Release

The Librarians had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2025 [8] and a screening on March 7, 2025 at the South by Southwest film festival. [9]

In September 2025, it was screened and discussed in Oxford, England, [10] [11] and at the Zurich Film Festival in Switzerland in the festival section Hashtag #SaveDemocracy. [12]

The film was released in the United States on October 3, 2025, by 8 Above. [13] It will be screened in the non-competitive 'Freestyle – Arts' section of the 20th Rome Film Festival in October 2025. [14]

It was broadcast by BBC Four in the UK on 7 October 2025 as part of the Storyville series and is available in some regions on BBC iPlayer. [15]

In October 2025, the film was screened at the 49th edition of the São Paulo International Film Festival, Brazil, as part of the event's 'International Perspective' session. [16]

It will be broadcast on PBS as part of Independent Lens on February 9, 2026. [17]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 93% of 27 critics' reviews are positive. [18] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on nine critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [19]

Awards

AwardYearCategoryWorkResultReference
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival 2025 Audience Choice, Documentary Kim A. Snyder Runner-up [20]

References

  1. ↑ "The Librarians (15)". British Board of Film Classification . September 17, 2025. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  2. ↑ "The Librarians". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  3. ↑ Dale, Martin (December 12, 2024). "Sarah Jessica Parker on Producing Sundance Doc About Librarians Fighting Book Bans: 'They Have Put Their Lives at Risk'". Variety . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  4. ↑ Blauvelt, Christian (January 25, 2025). "Sarah Jessica Parker on 'The Librarians' Doc About Book Banning: 'If I Didn't Have a Library I Don't Know Who I'd Be Today'". IndieWire . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  5. ↑ Morfoot, Addie (January 23, 2025). "Kim A. Snyder Talks Sundance Doc 'The Librarians' and Bringing on Sarah Jessica Parker as a Producer". Variety . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  6. ↑ Carey, Matthew (January 25, 2025). "'The Librarians' EP Sarah Jessica Parker On The Spread Of Book Banning: "It's A Fear Of Children Having Information" – Sundance Studio". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  7. ↑ "The Librarians". ITVS . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  8. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 11, 2024). "Sundance 2025: JLo, Sly Stone, Putin, Ayo Edebiri, André Holland, & Ex-NZ PM Jacinda Ardern Films Among Park City Festival Offerings". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  9. ↑ "The Librarians". www.sxsw.com. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  10. ↑ "The Librarians: Film screening & panel discussion". Bodleian Libraries. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  11. ↑ Clarke, Cath (24 September 2025). "The Librarians review – the heroic women battling against book bans and censorship". The Guardian . Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  12. ↑ "The Librarians". zff.com. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  13. ↑ Levy, Giana (September 5, 2025). "'The Librarians,' Awards Hopeful Doc About Texas Book Bans From Sarah Jessica Parker, Drops First Trailer and Global Release Plans". Variety. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Festa del Cinema di Roma 2025, il programma completo (diretta)" [Rome Film Fest 2025: Full program (live)]. Ciak Magazine (in Italian). 24 September 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  15. ↑ "Storyville: The Librarians" . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  16. ↑ "49ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema em São Paulo". 49ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema em São Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2025-10-19. Retrieved 2025-10-20.
  17. ↑ Carey, Matthew (December 4, 2025). "Oscar Contender 'The Librarians' Booked To Anchor Winter Season Of PBS Series 'Independent Lens'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  18. ↑ "The Librarians". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  19. ↑ "The Librarians". Metacritic . Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  20. ↑ "‘Out Standing’ and John Candy doc take audience awards at Cinéfest". Sudbury.com , September 28, 2025.
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