Represent Justice Launches Nationwide Screenings Circle With Hosts Committed to Support Justice-Centered Films
Represent Justice is proud to launch the Represent Justice Screenings Circle, a new initiative within our Films and Series programming that will connect justice-focused fiction and nonfiction films with community hosts across the country.
Through our Films and Series work, we are committed to supporting independent films helmed by system-impacted storytellers. The Screenings Circle builds on that commitment by creating a community-powered distribution model designed to help these films reach local audiences, spark meaningful dialogue, and move people toward action.
Films have the power to change what people see, feel, and believe is possible. But their impact grows when communities gather around them in theaters, classrooms, reentry spaces, faith communities, organizing hubs, and other local settings where conversation can lead to deeper understanding and collective action.
“The total disregard for community wellbeing in the face of state-sanctioned punishment and imprisonment is so vividly on display that we know a shift must be found in the courage of our institutions across the country. This is our moment to keep broad, diverse stories and storytellers at the forefront. Every public venue now has a role to play in "hosting" the truth about the U.S. justice system. The Screenings Circle is a way to empower storytellers to meet new audiences and spark the courage and solidarity to take action until we shape a new normal,” said Daniel Forkkio, Represent Justice CEO.
Organizations in the Screenings Circle are trusted community hosts that have raised their hands to support films led by system-impacted storytellers. By bringing these stories to their hometowns, hosts help connect screenings to dialogue and action, while amplifying narratives that reframe how our society understands incarceration and the people most impacted by it.
Beginning this June, the Represent Justice Screenings Circle will power its first slate of films, featuring four distinct storytelling styles that examine the history and current breakthroughs of movements to end mass incarceration, while envisioning their future. We are proud to announce that the selected films are The Franchise, Space to Breathe, For Venida, For Kalief, and You Don’t Know My Name.
Each film in the inaugural slate offers a different entry point into urgent conversations about justice, dignity, accountability, and repair. Together, they reflect the core belief behind the Screenings Circle: when communities invest early in system-impacted-led films, they help build the people-power needed to shift narratives and create demand for change.
The Screenings Circle is more than a screening program. It is an invitation to organizations, advocates, educators, and community leaders to help carry these stories further and to use film as a tool for public education, narrative change, and movement building.
We invite you to explore the inaugural slate, learn more about the Screenings Circle, and see how your organization can be part of this national community.
