San Quentin Film Festival 2024 Unveils Full Lineup to Be Judged by Juries of Currently Incarcerated Residents and Entertainment Industry Leaders

Exclusive: The inaugural festival spotlights films produced by currently or formerly incarcerated filmmakers. 

The inaugural San Quentin Film Festival has unveiled its full lineup.

IndieWire can reveal that the first-ever San Quentin Film Festival (SQFF24) has a full program featuring short films that were produced by currently or formerly incarcerated filmmakers. The official selections for the Documentary and Narrative Shorts categories, as well as the Feature category, are below.

The Feature category was limited to films about the prison experience, made by filmmakers who have never been incarcerated. These submissions will be judged by an Inside Jury of current San Quentin residents.

For the Documentary and Narrative Shorts categories, films will be judged by a prestigious panel of entertainment industry artists, filmmakers, and executives. As mentioned, all of the shorts were produced by currently or formerly incarcerated filmmakers. 

A total of 55 submissions were received from filmmakers based in the United States, France, and the Netherlands. In the Shorts competition, five of the Official Selections were produced by currently incarcerated filmmakers, with the balance submitted by formerly incarcerated.  

SQFF24 is the first film festival to be held inside a prison.

“I can’t believe a film festival of this magnitude is happening inside a state prison,” SQFF co-founder and co-director Rahsaan Thomas, who is also a formerly incarcerated filmmaker, said. “I can’t wait to see the impact.”

SQFF co-founder and co-director Cori Thomas added, “What an extraordinary group of films! We are so excited to share, first hand, this bounty of riches with those attending — inside the prison, and our virtual audience.” 

The festival begins October 10 with A24’s “Sing Sing,” directed by Greg Kwedar. The film stars Colman Domingo in the adaptation of the true story of a theatre troupe inside a prison. Clarence Maclin, Paul Raci, Sean San José, and additional formerly incarcerated actors co-star.

The two-day festival concludes October 11 with Netflix documentary “Daughters,” directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton. Both films’ directors will be in attendance and participating in an audience Q&A following the respective screenings.

“We are honored to have ‘Daughters’ screen as the Closing Night film in San Quentin!” co-director Natalie Rae said. “To connect incarcerated fathers and their daughters is our mission and this screening shows that together we can break down those barriers. This is a film for and by these fathers and daughters, so this is exactly where it should be.”

Co-director Angela Patton, who is also the CEO of Girls for a Change, added, “This screening underscores our film’s mission to amplify the voices of young girls whose fathers are incarcerated, fostering understanding and inspiring change. Despite their fathers being behind bars, these girls are determined not to allow the system to lock them out of their fathers’ lives.”

The festival will take place at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in Marin County, CA on October 10-11.  For background on the festival, the event team, and a complete list of industry jurors, please visit the website. 

Festival co-producers are recently released filmmaker Brian Asey Gonsoulin and former studio and nonprofit exec Katherine Moore. The SQ festival coordinator is Skyler Brown, and the Inside festival coordinators are Harold Meeks, Kevin Sawyer, Marcus Henderson, and Juan Haines. The festival and logo design is by Salvador Joaquin. The San Quentin liaison is Lonnie Morris, and CDCR Consultant is Retired Captain Sam Robinson. The San Quentin Public Information Officer is Lt. Guim’Mara Berry.

SQFF24 will also host a Virtual Festival on Eventive, offering a range of screening passes. For guests who purchase the All Access Pass, two additional features are included as special bonus content. Recently completed by currently incarcerated filmmakers, these films exemplify the mission of the festival and are being screened exclusively on Eventive as Founders Selections. The Virtual Festival Screening Pass can be purchased here. 

SQFF24 is supported by Tribeca Festival, Pollen Initiative and Empowerment Avenue, along with a growing list of donors, including The Just Trust, Meadow Fund, and Voqal.

Check out the full lineup for the inaugural San Quentin Film Festival below.

Features

“Being Michelle,” Directed by Atin Mehra

“5 Block,” Directed by Timur Bootzin

“Daughters,” Directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton

“Fractured States,” Directed by Joel Woodman

“Paint Me a Road Out of Here,” Directed by Catherine Gund

“Tehachapi,” Directed by JR

“The Prison Show,” Directed by Gabriella Kessler

“The Quilters,” Directed by Jenifer McShane

“The Strike,” Directed by JoeBill Muñoz and Lucas Guilkey

Documentary Shorts

“Background,” Directed by Brandon Kramer

“Becoming Forward This,” Directed by Vincent Turner Jr.

“Dying Alone,” Directed by B. “Raheem” Ballard

“Healing Through Hula,” Directed by Louis Sále

“Home for Good,” Directed by Lucas Guilkey

“How We Heal Each Other,” Directed by Adamu T. Chan

“Return from the Dead,” Directed by Thomas Kurdy

“Unhoused and Unseen,” Directed by Dante D. Jones

Narrative Shorts

“Bang!,” Directed by Kamisha Thomas

“Every Second,” Directed by Antwan Williams

“In the Matchbox,” Directed by Mike Rae Anderson

“Little April,” Directed by Ben Lear

“Paranormal Patrol,” Directed by Ryan Pagan

“Same Differences,” Directed by Matt Sheppard

“Shoebox,” Directed by D’Angelo “D’Lo” Louis

“Two Wolves,” Directed by Shannon Michael Ross and Kaleigh Atkinson