Update!  We have surpassed our original goal!  We will continue to press on and raise enough money to wrap up fundraising for THE PRISONER once and for all! Our final goal is $5,000. 

We have until 11:59 PM on Wednesday, November 16th.

Please continue to share this campaign with others.  Thanks so much to all who have made this happen!  

About the film:

The idea for this film was born in 2008, when my sister and I had a non-contact visit with a family friend incarcerated in Pelican Bay State Prison.  During the visit, a riot broke out.  What was obvious to the inmates on one side of the glass was lost on us.  As we were escorted off the grounds so prison personnel could respond to the situation, we saw nothing out of place.  There was no evidence of what was happening beyond the walls. 

This moment stayed with me for along time afterwards, particularly the surreal experience of observing two disparate realities so close to each other.  Inches of glass away, or on the other side of a wall, two people's experiences, and the consequences of a shared moment are radically different.  Yet we are still part of the same physical landscape and can see, and in some cases even touch each other.

THE PRISONER was developed with these experiences in mind.  It follows a female visitor as she winds through a prison she's no stranger to, and her visit with an inmate who must contain his emotions about her being there.  All of this is witnessed not just by us, but by a corrections officer via closed-circuit TV.  At its core, the film is a story of barriers both real and self-imposed.  It asks what it means to be incarcerated, by the walls that are built around us, and the ones we create ourselves.

What Happens Now?

The film is finished: edited, scored, and ready to screen.  We are now submitting THE PRISONER to festivals around the world.  By joining our team, you can help the film be seen by audiences near you, and across the globe.  We can't do it without you!

Your Contribution will Enable Us To: 

• Pay submission fees and postage (on average about $50 a pop) for film festivals
• Print postcards and publicity materials
• Pay for our HDCAM and BETA SP Masters (the tapes that festivals and theaters will need to screen the film). 
• Pay for travel to key festivals 

I'm Happy to Help: What Else Can I Do?

• Tell a friend!  Word of mouth is the best tool we have to get the word out to those who would like to be part of the team. 
• Connect us to organizations that may be interested in being partners and/or sharing information and strategy.  
• Friend us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/whoistheprisoner)
• Tweet about us and follow us on twitter (@prizefightfilms), and 
• Join our mailing list to stay updated on the movement of THE PRISONER.