A24’s film Sing Sing is poised to reshape the conventional concept of a wide release. On January 17, the Colman Domingo-led drama will return to over 500 theaters and make history by becoming the first film to be made available to nearly one million incarcerated individuals across the United States.
The film, which centers on a group of men involved in a prison theater program, will be screened in correctional facilities across 45 states, including California, New York, and Texas. This unique release strategy comes through a collaboration between A24, the nonprofit organization Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) — the inspiration for the film’s narrative — and Edovo, a nonprofit providing educational content to over 1,100 correctional facilities through tablet access.
Brian Hill, founder and CEO of Edovo, emphasized the importance of storytelling in these circumstances. “Storytelling has an incredible way of sparking hope and building connections, even in the toughest circumstances,” Hill said. “With Sing Sing, we’re giving incarcerated individuals an opportunity to see themselves in a story of resilience and transformation, and to feel inspired to imagine new possibilities for their own lives.”
Originally released in the summer of 2023, Sing Sing grossed $2.9 million at the box office. The film has garnered critical acclaim, including a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Domingo and three Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best Feature. Domingo, who earned an Oscar nomination last year for his role in Rustin, is widely considered an Oscar contender this year for his portrayal of Divine G, a man wrongfully convicted.
The film’s cast includes professional actors like Domingo and Academy Award nominee Paul Raci, but also features former inmates, many of whom are alumni of the RTA program. Notable cast members include Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin and Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, who bring real-life experience to their roles.
Velazquez, who was wrongfully convicted, reflected on the transformative power of the arts during his time in prison. “My journey through education and the arts gave me hope during my wrongful conviction, restoring my faith in humanity, sparking a culture of redemption during my incarceration,” Velazquez said. “By providing access to the movie Sing Sing, we can transform lives in ways beyond our imagination.”
In addition to its groundbreaking content, Sing Sing is also notable for its production practices. Filmmakers Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley ensured equitable compensation across the board, paying everyone on set — from production assistants to lead actor Domingo — the same wage, with all involved receiving equity in the project.
The film’s promotional rollout has been unconventional as well. After A24 acquired Sing Sing at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the studio premiered the film inside the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York, in June. Later, the film was showcased at the San Quentin Film Festival in California, marking the first film festival held inside a U.S. prison.
“We represent y’all,” said Clarence Maclin, speaking to the incarcerated audience at the San Quentin film festival Q&A. “Thanks for the inspiration.”
However, there is one group that will not be able to see Sing Sing this week: the men residing in the actual Sing Sing Correctional Facility. Due to logistical challenges, the facility has not yet been integrated into Edovo’s network of prisons that provide tablet access to the film.
With Sing Sing’s historic release, A24 and its partners have made a bold statement about the power of cinema to inspire and engage even the most marginalized communities, setting a precedent for future film releases and offering a glimpse of how entertainment can spark transformation within the incarcerated population.
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