As a long-time advocate for justice and rehabilitation, attending this year’s San Quentin Film Festival was a truly humbling and eye-opening experience. The energy within the chapel was electric, filled with hope, resilience, and an unshakable determination to tell stories that matter.
At the Cannes and Sundance film festivals, no standing ovation could rival the extraordinary emotional power bestowed upon filmmaker B. Raheem Ballard, which occurred in a cramped chapel at San Quentin during the afternoon on Thursday.
On that particular day, Ballard, who has been imprisoned for 22 years due to accusations of robbery and murder, was unable to attend the debut screening of his movie, Dying Alone, as well as a discussion with comedian W. Kamau Bell that followed, since this event clashed with his parole board meeting.
“Quick update,” said one of the festival’s two emcees, Juan Moreno Haines, interrupting the afternoon awards ceremony. “Raheem was found suitable.” Ballard, who had been sentenced to be in prison until 2039, had just learned that he would soon be released, and he walked, blinking, into a roaring crowd in the chapel. “I’m overwhelmed,” he said. Moments later, Ballard’s movie won a prize from the International Documentary Association, but he had left to call his family with the day’s news.
Approximately 300 individuals, among them Cord Jefferson, director of American Fiction, Greg Kwedar from Sing Sing, Scott Budnick, producer of Just Mercy, Elegance Bratton, director of The Inspection, and Erika Dilday, executive producer for PBS’s POV series, attended the San Quentin Film Festival. This marked the first film festival to take place within a prison, happening Oct. 10 and 11 at the maximum security facility in the San Francisco Bay Area. The event showcased screenings of films vying for Oscars such as A24’s Sing Sing and Netflix’s Daughters, along with movies produced by current and former inmates. In the audience sat men like Ballard, currently detained at San Quentin, dressed in their California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation uniforms.
Within the boundaries of the barbed wires and beneath the windows of a structure that had once housed California’s death row only two months prior, the day commenced with a stretch of red carpet in the courtyard. Here, a prison band performed while refreshments such as coffee and pastries were offered.
Louis Sale, whose film ‘Healing Through Hula’ was about to be screened that morning, expressed his apprehension, saying, ‘I’m quite worried about how the story will be received.’ By the afternoon, Sale, a Hawaiian veteran serving a sentence of 15 years to life, had won the award for Best Documentary Short for his film. In his acceptance speech, Sale dedicated the movie to the Hawaiian culture he abandoned at age 14 because he thought he was too trendy and to Vivaldo Veloso, the man he killed in a drunk driving accident in 2016.
The event was orchestrated by Cori Thomas, a playwright and volunteer at San Quentin, along with Rahsaan “New York” Thomas (no family connection), the co-host and producer of the acclaimed podcast Ear Hustle, who was discharged from San Quentin in 2023.
During the course of the day, it was evident that this wasn’t an ordinary film festival. The warden of San Quentin, Chance Andres, began with his opening remarks, expressing appreciation for the positive atmosphere while corrections officers in green uniforms stood by. Lunch consisted of baloney sandwiches and pretzels, as Rahsaan explained, “Given our budget constraints, we couldn’t provide everything we wanted, so you’re having state-funded meals.” A brief power outage occurred due to excessive use of fans in the chapel, and no cell phones were permitted inside the prison, making this a unique film event in 2024 with everyone seemingly focused on the same screen.
For attendees from the Hollywood circle, the event served as a delightful deviation from routine. Jefferson exclaimed, “Today is one of the most stunning days I’ve ever experienced.” Meanwhile, Kwedar, promoting his film “Sing Sing“, admitted that the awards journey can often distort your perception of success. However, in the tranquil setting of San Quentin’s chapel, he expressed a renewed sense of self, feeling more vibrant and revitalized than ever.
As the night’s showing of Sing Sing began, starring Colman Domingo, Paul Raci, and a cast made up of men who had previously served time in prison, the crowd responded enthusiastically to pivotal scenes and dialogue. They snapped their fingers, leaned in intently, and expressed agreement with phrases like “that’s right” and “preach”, as the movie delved into the story of an arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison.
As the post-screening Q&A session continued past 7:55pm, Haines interrupted to remind those labeled as “close custody,” or those under tighter supervision, that it was time for them to head back to their cells, lest they forget.
Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin, an actor who once served at Sing Sing and portrays himself in the movie, expressed during the Q&A session: ‘We identify with you all,’ adding ‘Thank you for your motivation.’
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2024-10-12 00:56