Inaugural San Quentin Film Festival to Feature Jeffrey Wright, Mary Louise Parker, ‘Sing Sing’ Director Greg Kwedar and More as Jurors

The inaugural San Quentin Film Festival (SQFF), which will celebrate the work of current and formerly incarcerated filmmakers inside the San Francisco-adjacent prison, will take place on Thursday, October 10, 2024, with additional screenings on Friday, October 11. The festival will highlight short films and pitches from current and formerly incarcerated filmmakers in front of a jury made up partly of entertainment industry actors, directors, writers and executives.

High profile actors that will take part in the industry jury process include Tony Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Jeffrey Wright (Angels in America, American Fiction), Emmy Award winner Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Emmy Award winner Mary Louise Parker (Angels in America, Weeds), Kathy Najimy (Sister Act) as well as directors Elegance Bratton (The Inspection), Taylor Hackford (Ray), Lynn Novick (The U.S. and the Holocaust), Greg Kwedar (Sing Sing), Jeff Stanzler (Sorry Haters) and Joe Talbot (The Last Black Man in San Francisco). Kwedar’s Sing Sing, a fictional film starring Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo that takes place in the titular prison and details a theatre troupe within the incarcerated community, will also be screened. The film, which co-stars Academy Award nominee Paul Raci, is largely comprised of formerly incarcerated performers, including breakout star Clarence Maclin.

Writer-producers on the jury include Sam Catlin (Sugar, Preacher), Lawrence O’Donnell (The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell), Piper Kerman (Orange Is the New Black) and J.T. Rogers (Tokyo Vice).

The jury also includes a staple of industry folks including Len Amato, former president of HBO Films; Jane Rosenthal, CEO and co-founder of Tribeca Enterprises; Rick Telles, producer of The Surreal Life and Fear; Monique Walton, producer of Sing Sing; and Paul Rogers, Academy Award-winning editor of Everything Everywhere All at Once.

While he was incarcerated at San Quentin, festival co-director Rahsaan “New York” Thomas directed a short documentary, Friendly Signs, which screened at this year’s Atlanta Film Festival. “I learned to become a filmmaker while I was incarcerated, using donated equipment,” said Thomas. “My experience happened through opportunities that rarely come to incarcerated people. That’s why I’m committed to making this opportunity available to others.”

“This film festival will be an incredible opportunity for system-impacted people to be seen, heard and felt,” said Thomas, who himself previously served time at San Quentin. “I’m grateful to San Quentin, and all the judges, funders and people working in the background to make this happen.”

“Our vision was to introduce the work of these talented filmmakers to the people who are in the rooms they wish to enter. This group of remarkable talents supporting SQFF is my dream come true,” said Cori Thomas (no relation to Rahsaan), festival co-founder and director.

The Festival will include Narrative Short and Documentary Short Competitions with winners selected by an Industry Jury. The deadline for submissions is July 31.

An Inside Jury of incarcerated people will judge a curated selection of Narrative and Documentary Features about the prison experience made by filmmakers who are not directly system impacted.

In addition to building a bridge between emerging filmmakers and the industry, the SQFF will offer guests a unique opportunity to interact with incarcerated filmmakers, attendees and residents. The SQFF mission highlights the transformative role arts and media training play in the prison system to create meaningful career pathways post-incarceration.

The San Quentin Film Festival is supported by Tribeca Festival and Empowerment Avenue, as well as The Just Trust and Meadow Fund.