SXSW 2026: Documentary about Moriah Wilson, bicyclist killed in 2022, premiers in Austin

SXSW 2026: Moriah Wilson documentary premiers in Austin

A new documentary premiering in Austin features the life behind a case that made national headlines. It is about Moriah Wilson who was killed by Kaitlin Armstrong almost four years ago.

AUSTIN, Texas - A new documentary premiering in Austin features the life behind a case that made national headlines. It is about Moriah Wilson who was killed by Kaitlin Armstrong almost four years ago.

‘The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson’ documentary

The backstory:

"This was the most emotionally challenging project for, I think, both of us, that certainly I've ever been a part of, because there was an element of really needing to honor the Wilsons and their point of view," producer Evan Hayes said.

Hayes and Director Marina Zenovich said telling the story of professional cyclist Moriah Wilson meant focusing on the person who family and friends knew, not just the tragedy that took her life.

Wilson, known as ‘Mo’, was shot and killed in Austin in May 2022. Her killer, Kaitlin Armstrong, was later convicted of murder and sentenced to 90 years in prison following a trial in November 2023.

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The filmmakers said the documentary, ‘The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson,’ is about far more than the crime itself.

"It's really about Mo. It's her life, it's her growing up, finding out about her as an athlete and kind of, it's a young woman's journey, and then it's intercut with what happened to her," Zenovich said.

Hayes said the project began after reading a story about Wilson that highlighted her life and character.

"When I read an article from Bicycling Magazine that really focused on the family and focused on Mariah and who she was, that was the kind of galvanizing moment of there's a film here to make that is about a person who was exceptional," Hayes said.

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He said he met with the Wilson family and then attended the trial and spent time with them, something he said shaped the entire film.

"It provided a point of view that was totally different from what everybody else was experiencing," Hayes said.

Through home videos, old footage from races, and Wilson’s own writing from her diary, the documentary traces her journey from a young girl to a rising star in professional cycling.

"We got all these kinds of intimate details of their family, the best parts of her growing up, and we have footage of her as a baby and her on skis for the very first time, and she was a ski racer before being a pro cyclist. We have her riding a bike for the first time in the movie," Hayes said.

Capturing those moments, though, also meant reliving painful moments for the people closest to her.

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Kaitlin Armstrong has been sentenced to 90 years in prison for murdering Anna Moriah Wilson back in May 2022.

"These were like some of the hardest interviews I've ever done in the sense that it was just so raw and emotional," Zenovich said.

The filmmakers said through it all, the film may just portray hope.

"Someone said to me after the movie finished, ‘I can't believe I cried that much and watched something so tragic and yet feel so positive at the end.’ And that's what we were hoping for," Hayes said.

Hayes and Zenovich said they also hope the documentary brings attention to the Moriah Wilson Foundation, which supports youth cycling, outdoor recreation, and access to sports.

What's next:

The documentary premiered in Austin on March 12. It will screen again on March 13 at the Austin Film Society Cinema and Tuesday, March 17 at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. 

The documentary’s global release on Netflix will be on April 3.