The San Quentin Film Festival — the first-ever film festival held inside a prison — has named its inaugural industry jury, which includes Jeffrey Wright, Billy Crudup, Mary-Louise Parker and more.
The festival, taking place Oct. 10 and 11 at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in northern California, will highlight short films and pitches from current and formerly incarcerated filmmakers in front of a jury made up of entertainment industry artists and executives. Separately, an “inside jury” made up of currently incarcerated people will judge narrative and documentary feature films about the prison experience made by filmmakers who have never served prison time.
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Actors on the industry jury include Wright (“American Fiction,” “Westworld”), Crudup (“The Morning Show,” “Almost Famous”), Parker (“Weeds,” “Angels in America”) and Kathy Najimy (“Sister Act,” “Hocus Pocus”).
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Directors on the jury include Elegance Bratton (“Pier Kids,” “The Inspection”), Taylor Hackford (“Ray,” “Blood In Blood Out”), Lynn Novick (“The U.S. and the Holocaust,” “College Behind Bars”), Greg Kwedar (“Sing Sing,” “Jockey”), Jeff Stanzler (“Jumpin’ At the Boneyard,” “Sorry Haters”) and Joe Talbot (“The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” “American Paradise”).
Writer-producers on the jury include Sam Catlin (“Sugar,” “Preacher”), Lawrence O’Donnell (“The West Wing,” “The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell”), Piper Kerman (“Orange Is the New Black”) and J.T. Rogers (“Oslo,” “Tokyo Vice”).
The jury also includes 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 “Bull”; and Paul Rogers, editor of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
“This film festival will be an incredible opportunity for system-impacted people to be seen, heard and felt,” said festival co-founder and director Rahsaan “New York” Thomas, who 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), festival co-founder and director.
While this is the first-ever film festival of its kind, San Quentin is already the home of a media center that houses the San Quentin News and produces the podcasts “Ear Hustle” and “Uncuffed” while also providing incarcerated people with filmmaking resources. The San Quentin Film Festival is supported by Tribeca Festival and Empowerment Avenue, with donors including along with a growing list of donors, including The Just Trust and Meadow Fund.