After racking up several award nominations and wins, the critically acclaimed SING SING returned to theaters across the country on January 17th —and is the first film to be in theaters and simultaneously available to nearly a million incarcerated individuals nationwide.
Here’s Why It Matters
The Team Behind an Innovative Collaboration:
This groundbreaking release is a collaboration between the film’s distributor, A24, Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), the real-life nonprofit organization on which the film is based, and Edovo, the digital learning platform that creates educational, vocational, and rehabilitation curricula for incarcerated people via tablets.
About A24 Films: A24 is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. A24 acquired the theatrical rights to SING SING, starring Colman Domingo, at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.
About Edovo: Edovo is a non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of incarceration through education and personal growth, by delivering more than 35K hours of engaging educational, vocational, and rehabilitation content on secure tablet platforms.
About RTA: Rehabilitation Through the Arts real-life nonprofit organization on which the SING SING is based. Launched at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in 1996, RTA is a world leader in arts-in-prison programming. RTA teaches communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and other critical life skills through a unique mix of art forms. Reimagining Myself® is RTA’s reentry program, which prepares incarcerated people approaching release for the social and emotional challenges they will likely face when transitioning back to their communities.
Activating the Viewing Experience for Deeper Connection:
SING SING is the first film to be released in theaters and made widely available to stream in over 1,100 correctional facilities in the United States. After viewing the film, incarcerated individuals are encouraged to deepen their connection to the story by participating in interactive educational content.
RTA worked with professional Teaching Artists, who currently teach in-person workshops in the RTA progam, to develop film-specific arts-focused interactive content. The supplemental content provides the opportunity for individuals to engage in creative exercises, which will spark individual reflection and enable them to gain insight of the critical skills development portrayed in the film. This collaboration will be an opportunity for those incarcerated to connect and build on the film’s emotional resonance and to begin contemplating a similar journey for themselves.
Charles Moore, Director of Programs and Operations at RTA says,
“As an alumnus who participated in the RTA program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and now as the Director of Programs and Operations for the organization, I am incredibly thrilled to have the RTA story of hope, resilience, and transformation on the big screen for individuals to see nationwide. The partnership with A24, Edovo, and RTA to bring the film and supplementary arts-based content on tablets to incarcerated individuals across the country is especially poignant for me as a person who spent nearly two decades in prison. “
Take the Journey with Us
See the film at a theater near you. Then ask yourself these questions to build on a journey of connection and reflection.
- What scene in the movie did you find the most moving/powerful? Why?
- Did you see any similarities between your own story and the experiences of the characters?
- How do you think creativity or storytelling could play a role in your journey?
- What feelings did the film bring up for you—hope, inspiration, or even challenges?
- What steps could we take together to explore creative outlets, whether through writing, art, or simply sharing stories?
Through this unprecedented release, SING SING becomes more than just a film; it becomes a catalyst for change inside and beyond prison walls.
We invite you to join us in supporting RTA and our mission to bring healing and transformation through the arts. Your support enables us to expand our reach and provide life-changing programs to more individuals.
