Groundbreaking San Quentin Film Festival Showcases Current and Formerly Incarcerated Filmmakers

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: San Quentin Rehabilitation Center hosts first-ever film festival Oct. 10 & 11 inside a prison showcasing current and formerly incarcerate filmmakers. The groundbreaking event aims to break barriers by introducing filmmakers to entertainment industry professionals. Invited guests include Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, Stephen Curry, and Oliva Wilde.

The festival showcases emerging talent, fosters mentorship and partnerships, and creates pathways to equal opportunities in the film industry. The event is part of CDCR's California Model approach, a system-wide change within CDCR and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS). It draws on national and international best practices to change culture within our prisons and improve our correctional environment through staff training, tools, and resources that promote the health and well-being of those who work and live in prisons.

"The California Model is about providing incarcerated people with the tools they need to rebuild their lives and reenter communities safely. I am proud to see this groundbreaking film festival inside of San Quentin - and grateful for the communities both inside and outside - from CDCR staff to the community-based organizations - who have worked together to make it happen. This event will help open doors and unlock potential that exists when we achieve true rehabilitation that helps make all of us safer."

Governor Gavin Newsom

The inaugural jury includes Jeffery Wright ("American Fiction," "Westwood"), Billy Crudup ("The Morning Show," "Almost Famous"), Mary-Louis Parker ("Weeds," "Angels in America"), and Kathy Najimy ("Sister Act," Hocus Pocus"), and more.

"Love of a good story is something we all share regardless of where you call home. This first-ever film festival inside San Quentin Rehabilitation Center is breaking barriers, creating opportunities and preparing incarcerated individuals to rejoin communities."

CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber

FESTIVAL DETAILS: SAN QUENTIN FILM FESTIVAL

OCT. 10 - The first day includes screenings of finalists in the Narrative and Documentary film categories. Featured is the film Sing Sing, which premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and had a limited U.S. release on July 12, 2024. Directed by Greg Kwedar, this American drama is based on the real-life rehabilitation-through-the-arts program at Sing Sing maximum-security prison.

Oct. 11 - The festival continues with short feature films and panel discussions. The day will conclude with a screening of the award-winning Netflix documentary "Daughters," directed by Natalie Rae with Angela Patton. This film, which won both the Festival Favorite Award and the Audience Award for U.S. Documentary at Sundance Film Festival in Jan. 2024, tells the story of a father-daughter dance held at a Washington, D.C. prison, highlighting the challenges incarcerated men face in maintaining relationships with their daughters.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 10, 2024

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