COMMUNITY FESTIVAL LINEUP

RECEPTION 6-7PM

Featuring food from El Taco Loco and wine from Foundry Vineyards.

FRAMES OF FREEDOM (5 minutes)

The San Quentin Film Festival Documentary sizzle reel

CURRENTLY INCARCERATED BLOCK 55 minutes

HEALING THROUGH HULA (Winner of SQFF 2024, 10 minutes)

Men ignore the stigma of wearing tribal grab, reconnect with their culture, and heal through Hula.

Directed by Louis Sale, Director of Photography Ryan Pagan.

BY ARTIFICIAL MEANS (SQFF 2025 Finalist, 15 minutes)

When an incarcerated man earns an opportunity to parole, his prison chatbot falls in danger of being erased... by what means will she survive? 

Produced at San Quentin State Prison by incarcerated filmmakers. Directed by Todd Winkler, Produced by Matt Shepard, Todd Winkler and Larry Ali Deminter.  Director of Photographer Ryan Pagan. Editor compsoer Salvador Joaquin. Sound Engineers Derrel “Sadiq” Davis and Raheem Bradshaw.

THE MAPLE LEAF (SQFF2025 finalist, 15 minutes)

This film follows Carter, an incarcerated man in deep denial about his troubled state of mind. After concerns are raised by a fellow inmate, John, and a prison psychiatrist, Dr. Carroll, Carter is compelled to join a self-help group designed to confront the guilt and pain surrounding the reasons for his imprisonment.

Directed by Ryan Pagan from San Quentin Media Center.

LOCKDOWN (15 minutes)

During a sudden prison lockdown, a group of incarcerated men confront the emotional weight of confinement and discover that solidarity and human connection may be the only way through the darkness.

Lockdown is a 15-minute short film written, directed, and performed by incarcerated creators inside Washington State Penitentiary. Drawn directly from lived experience, it follows a group of men confined during a lockdown as they navigate fear, memory, tension, and moments of connection. In the stillness of enforced isolation, they lean on one another for hope—and survival.

In collaboration with screenwriter/producer Don Roff and Unincarcerated Productions.

Conversation with the artists

FORMERLY INCARCERATED BLOCK 55 minutes

SO BOOM (SQFF2025 Short Narrative Winner, 15 minutes)

Sweet Tea has one night to prepare her little sister for jail culture through a series of "how-to" tutorials before she turns herself in.

Directed by Abby Pierce II, Producer by Hannah Welever, co-written by Tiny Cruz (formerly incarcerated woman) and Abby Pierce. Featuring Tiny Cruz, Marisa Razo, and Eliza Ramos.

THE PRISON OUTSIDE (11 minutes)

Sentenced to life for crimes committed as a child, Terrence Graham fought his case all the way to the Supreme Court and won, transforming the nation's juvenile justice system. After 21 years, he's finally getting out - but is life outside just another prison?

Directed by Meg Shutzer, Co-director and DP Brandon Yadegari Moreno, Produced by Terrance Graham and Rahsaan “New York” Thomas.

PROCESSING (SQFF 2025 Finalist, 15 minutes)

Processing is a short hybrid film that merges the grit of documentary storytelling with the expressive power of dance in the structure of a narrative to explore the untold stories of women of color awaiting release from prison. Through the lens of Sky, a woman sitting in a holding cell that doubles as a therapy room, the film invites viewers into a haunting, reflective journey. Sky confronts the echoes of her past—both the light and the dark—while preparing to reenter a world that may not be ready for her.

Directed by Antwan “Banks” Williams, formerly incarcerated and former co-creator and sound designer for the Ear Hustle podcast and sound designer for the documentary, 26.2 to Life.

EXONERATED (12 minutes)

Chronicles the struggles of an innocent man fighting for freedom. This film was made from within San Quentin by incarcerated men. The film was released with the face of the main character blurred out to hid his identity.

Directed by Earnest “Ben Shuah” Woods

debrief with the artists