The A24 film "Sing Sing" stands poised to redefine the boundaries of widespread cinematic release. On January 17th, Colman Domingo's directorial venture will resurge in over 500 theaters, marking an unprecedented milestone as the first movie to simultaneously reach nearly a million incarcerated individuals throughout the United States. This groundbreaking screening encompasses correctional facilities in California, New York, Texas, and 43 additional states, immersing audiences within the narrative of a prison theater program.
This extraordinary initiative is a testament to the collaboration between A24, Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), the real-life nonprofit that inspired the film, and Edovo, a nonprofit organization that facilitates educational curricula via tablets in more than 1,100 prisons nationwide. Brian Hill, the founder and CEO of Edovo, emphasizes, "Storytelling possesses an astonishing power to ignite hope and forge connections, even in the most arduous circumstances. Through 'Sing Sing,' we're offering incarcerated individuals a glimpse of themselves in a tale of perseverance and metamorphosis, inspiring them to envision fresh horizons for their lives."
"Sing Sing," initially released last summer and grossing $2.9 million at the box office, has garnered a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Domingo and three Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best Feature. Domingo, who was nominated for an Oscar last year for his role in Netflix's "Rustin," is now a leading contender for this year's Academy Award for his portrayal of Divine G, a man unjustly convicted.
Apart from a few professional actors like Domingo and Oscar nominee Paul Raci, the film boasts a cast predominantly composed of formerly incarcerated performers, many of whom are alumni of the RTA program, including Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin and Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez. Velazquez shares, "My journey through education and the arts brought me hope during my wrongful conviction, restoring my faith in humanity and fostering a culture of redemption within my incarceration. By making 'Sing Sing' accessible, we have the potential to transform lives beyond our wildest imaginations."
"Sing Sing" has already blazed trails in numerous realms as a film. Filmmakers Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley ensured that everyone on set, from production assistants to Domingo himself, received the same wage, and all production members were granted equity.
The film's distribution has been equally unconventional. After A24 acquired "Sing Sing" at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, the indie studio premiered it within the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York, in June and screened it for an audience of incarcerated men at the San Quentin Film Festival in California in October—the inaugural film festival ever held within a U.S. prison.
Addressing the incarcerated audience during the Q&A session at the San Quentin Film Festival, Maclin stated, "We represent you all. Thank you for your inspiration." Notably, there's one presumably eager audience that will miss out on seeing "Sing Sing" this week: the inmates of the prison that inspired it. Sing Sing Correctional Facility has yet to gain access to Edovo's tablet content.
