San Quentin Film Festival Makes Its Mark at Tribeca

This year at the Tribeca Film Festival, an extraordinary spotlight was cast on stories seldom heard—those of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated filmmakers. The San Quentin Film Festival (SQFF), first launched in 2024 within the walls of California's oldest prison, made a powerful New York debut through a special event hosted by Tribeca. For many in the audience, it was more than a film screening—it was a moment of transformation, storytelling, and liberation.

The inaugural SQFF was held in October 2024 at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (formerly San Quentin State Prison), a historic fortress perched on the San Francisco Bay. Over two days, more than 100 members of the film industry stepped inside the prison gates to engage with incarcerated men—an unprecedented gathering that defied expectations and societal norms. Inside the prison's chapel garden, live music from an incarcerated band welcomed guests as they mingled, shared stories, and celebrated a vision that took years to realize.

Cori Thomas, a longtime volunteer at the San Quentin Media Center and Co-Founder of SQFF, worked tirelessly for over five years to bring the festival to life. Together with Rahsaan "New York" Thomas, a journalist and filmmaker who was formerly incarcerated at San Quentin, she helped build an event that centered voices often excluded from mainstream film conversations. With support from organizations like the Ford Foundation, Empowerment Avenue, Meadow Fund, and Pollen Initiative, the festival featured screenings, Q&As, and a pitch competition—all coordinated by both incarcerated and outside teams.

SQFF featured a rich lineup of documentary and narrative shorts, created by filmmakers with lived experiences of incarceration. These films were judged by panels of industry professionals and incarcerated jurors alike, bridging the gap between two worlds through shared creativity and respect. The programming was intentional, unflinching, and deeply personal.

Among the standout films was The Strike, a searing documentary about men who endured decades of solitary confinement in California’s notorious Pelican Bay State Prison and launched a nonviolent hunger strike to change their conditions. Daughters, executive-produced by Emmy-winner Kerry Washington, offered a tender and emotional look into father-daughter relationships inside prison walls. During a Q&A, Washington shared how the experience moved her deeply, noting the historical weight of family separation in the Black community and the urgency of recognizing incarcerated men’s humanity. “I want a world that is filled with liberation,” she told the crowd. “That’s a birthright.”

Other highlights included Songs from the Hole, which followed artist James “JJ’88” Jacobs on a journey of healing through music while serving a double life sentence. Healing Through Hula, awarded Best Documentary Short, explored how Pacific Islander men in prison reconnected with their cultural heritage through dance. Each film peeled back the layers of incarceration to reveal the full, complex humanity of those inside.

The Best Screenplay Pitch went to Todd Winkler, a former Air Force pilot whose script almost didn’t make it due to prison mail delays. His story—like so many others featured—spoke to persistence, talent, and a refusal to be silenced.

During the festival, Bernard Raheem Ballard received news that he had been found suitable for parole—just as his short film, Dying Alone, received multiple awards. When Ballard walked into the venue mid-event, he was met with a standing ovation that underscored the emotional resonance of the moment. His film captured the deep fear of dying in prison and the power of compassionate release.

In June 2025, the Tribeca Film Festival brought this powerful program to New York, showcasing a selection of SQFF’s films and giving formerly incarcerated filmmakers the chance to attend in person. For some, this was their first public screening as free men. They not only introduced their work, but also joined panel discussions, bridging their past and present through art and reflection.

Now entering its second year, the San Quentin Film Festival continues to build momentum. It remains a symbol of possibility—not just for the artists behind bars, but for the audiences willing to meet them there. In the words echoed throughout the festival: let them tell their own stories.

Because sometimes, the most extraordinary cinema isn’t made in Hollywood. It’s made behind bars—and it’s changing the world one frame at a time.