Mighty Mary Documentary Tells the Story of the First All-Female America’s Cup Sailing Team
The Mighty Mary documentary is bringing a remarkable chapter in sailing history to the big screen. The film follows the first all-female sailing team to contend for the America’s Cup, one of the most prestigious competitions in international yacht racing.
Directed by filmmaker Mary Mazzio, the documentary features narration from Hugh Jackman and Elizabeth Banks, who also serves as an executive producer. The film earned the 2026 Maria Mitchell Visionary Award at the Nantucket Film Festival.
Mighty Mary will begin its theatrical run in select AMC theatres on September 11, 2026.
What Is the Mighty Mary Documentary About?
The Mighty Mary documentary looks back at the women who came together to challenge a competition historically dominated by men.
According to the film’s official synopsis, the team began forming after an advertisement appeared in The New York Times. What initially looked to some like an unlikely publicity stunt developed into a serious sailing campaign.
The crew included accomplished sailors and Olympians. The team also featured a deaf sailor, a Native Hawaiian sailor and the first African American sailor to win an America’s Cup race as a coach.
Their campaign ultimately became a story about much more than sailing. It challenged assumptions about who could compete at the highest level of the sport.
The Team Faced Major Doubts
The women entered an environment where expectations were heavily stacked against them.
The America’s Cup has a long history dating back to 1851, and the competition has traditionally been associated with elite male sailing teams. The Nantucket Film Festival describes the crew’s appearance as a challenge to more than a century of tradition.
Mighty Mary explores the scepticism surrounding the team and the pressure they faced while preparing to compete.
Rather than focusing only on the race itself, the documentary examines the people behind the campaign and the barriers they encountered along the way.
Mighty Mary Took on Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes
One of the film’s central moments involves the team’s encounter with Stars & Stripes, the boat helmed by legendary sailor Dennis Conner.
According to the filmmakers, the Mighty Mary crew managed to eliminate Stars & Stripes from contention. Conner was already a major figure in America’s Cup history, having won the competition four times.
The achievement became a defining moment for a team that many had initially underestimated.
However, the story did not end there.
A Backroom Deal Changed the Outcome
The documentary also examines a controversial development that followed the team’s breakthrough.
The film’s official materials state that a secret backroom deal made the night before the race changed the outcome. That development forms an important part of the documentary’s account of what happened to the team.
Rather than presenting the campaign as a simple victory story, Mighty Mary explores the disappointment and controversy that followed the team’s unexpected success.
That gives the documentary a broader focus: perseverance in the face of setbacks and the struggle to create opportunities in a traditionally closed-off sport.
Hugh Jackman and Elizabeth Banks Narrate the Film
The documentary brings two familiar Hollywood voices to the story.
Hugh Jackman and Elizabeth Banks serve as narrators, while Banks is also an executive producer. Mary Mazzio directed the film and co-produced it alongside Allison Abner and Grant Hill.
Their involvement adds a mainstream entertainment connection to a story centred on sailing, sports history and women’s athletics.
Mighty Mary Won a Major Nantucket Film Festival Award
The documentary received recognition at the 2026 Nantucket Film Festival, where Mary Mazzio won the Maria Mitchell Visionary Award for Mighty Mary.
The festival says the award recognises a female filmmaker who pushes innovative boundaries. The 2026 recipient is officially listed as Mary Mazzio for Mighty Mary.
The film also received a special place in the festival’s programming, including discussions with Mazzio and members of the Mighty Mary crew.
A special encore screening is scheduled for August 25, 2026, at Nantucket’s Dreamland as part of the festival’s summer documentary series.
When Does Mighty Mary Come Out?
Mighty Mary is scheduled to open in select AMC theatres on September 11, 2026.
The official film website lists opening markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Washington, D.C., San Diego and San Francisco, among others.
AMC also lists the film as a documentary with a September 11, 2026, release date.
Because the initial theatrical release is limited to selected locations, audiences should check local theatre listings for availability.
Why the Mighty Mary Story Matters
At its heart, Mighty Mary is a sports documentary about breaking into a space where women had historically been excluded.
The film’s story goes beyond the result of a single sailing campaign. It highlights teamwork, persistence and the impact of challenging established expectations.
The Nantucket Film Festival describes the documentary as a story about courage, teamwork and persistence, while the filmmakers frame the team’s experience as an example of how barriers in sport can be challenged.
For viewers interested in women’s sports, sailing history or underdog stories, the documentary offers a look at a team whose significance extends beyond the race course.