When a budding young artist’s friend is suddenly killed, he decides to seek revenge. Unless his family can confront their wounds to stop him in his tracks.
This one-of-a-kind feature film represents the work of 13 incarcerated writers from all over the US and was produced by a team of film professionals in New York City. It will be made available to incarcerated audiences in over 400 facilities nationwide at no cost to the individual.
Help us bring Influence to a wider audience!
Our film festival strategy will focus on the festivals in writers’ homestates, those which prioritized underrepresented voices, and areas with high potential impact for organizational growth. Submission fees range from $35-70. Any contributions above our necessary festival costs will join Shining Light’s programming budget.
More than a Film
While we know audiences will enjoy Influence as a standalone viewing experience, it also represents a suite of active programming.
Influence includes work from 5 Shining Light programs:
The Academy Foundations Course: Shining Light staff meet with a small group of residents at a partner facility twice weekly over zoom and work through modules ranging from self-regulation and character strengths to playwriting. (1 script featured)
Academy Extension Courses: Graduates of the SL Academy can pursue additional exploration and coaching in playwriting and spoken word from seasoned professionals through zoom meetings. (4 pieces featured)
Winter Writing CoLab: Participants are paired with a writing mentor who provides encouragement and rigorous feedback on a single work through 3 months of correspondence. (3 pieces featured)
The Loop: This magazine is published bi-montly and regularly features creative writing selections from readers. A call for subscribers to submit their work for this special project offered the focused prompt of “Rising Above”. (3 pieces featured)
Tablet Programming: Shining Light courses offer self-guided opportunities on many of the topics covered in The SL Academy, greatly expanding availability and accessibility. One such course, The Spoken Word Lab, was published in 2022 and walks a writer through the technical and emotive process of writing and editing a compelling poem. (1 piece featured)
Viewer Engagement and Exploration
You can see how many successful programs contributed to our script. Now that the film is ready to be shared with incarcerated audiences, it is also ready to be activated.
Discussion groups, often resident organized and led, will be equipped with thought provoking questions that encourage vulnerability, community building, and positive self-image. Members can learn more about narrative structure as it relates to the film and consider the story they’re writing for themselves. Additional creative prompts put any participant in the shoes of our featured writers to engage imagination and self-expression.