November 14, 2024
Documentary Screenings Panel Discussion
Pardon Me by Shuja Moore / 31 minutes run time, first film to show
What These Walls Won’t Hold by Adamu Chan / 43 minutes run time, second film to show
12:00pm – 1:15pm / Screening
1:30pm – 2:45pm / Screening
3:00pm – 4:15pm / Screening
4:30pm – 5:45pm / Screening
6:00pm – 7:30pm/ Q+A and Panel Discussion with Beverly Price, Shuja Moore, Adamu Chan, and Anisa Jackson – moderator
Icebox Project Space
1400 N. American Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Book Signing / 7:30pm – 9:00pm
TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image
1400 N. American Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
For more information about the films and participants, please see below.
Pardon Me is a documentary short film by the formerly incarcerated, Philadelphia-based filmmaker Shuja Moore that shows how pardons offer people the potential to live as full citizens, at the same time uplifting entire communities. The film features the stories of two people going through the pardon process and includes interviews with key civic leaders. By showcasing the transformative potential of pardons, Pardon Me sheds light on the importance of addressing the long-lasting impacts of criminal records and the need for a final release from the criminal justice system.
Transcending the grim realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, Adamu Chan’s powerful documentary What These Walls Won’t Hold paints a poignant portrait of resilience and hope blossoming within the confines of San Quentin State Prison. Chan, formerly incarcerated himself, offers a unique insider’s view as he weaves a tapestry of relationships that bind together his community. The film delves into his own journey towards freedom, while simultaneously amplifying the voices of his fellow incarcerated and their loved ones on both sides of the prison walls.
Panel Discussion / 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter, Beverly Price, and Anisa Jackson – moderator
Icebox Project Space
1400 N. American Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter is an award-winning Philadelphia based artist who creates socially conscious music, film, and visual art through an autobiographical lens. Although it has been a decade since her release from a Pennsylvania prison, Baxter’s time spent on the inside continues to shape the direction of her art and practice. Her entertaining but poignant works offer a critical perspective on the particular challenges women of color face when they become immersed in the criminal justice system. Baxter’s work has been exhibited at venues including MoMA PS1, African American Museum of Philadelphia, and Eastern State Penitentiary, among others. She was a 2017 Soze Right of Return Fellow, 2018 and 2019 Mural Arts Philadelphia Reimagining Reentry Fellow, 2019 Leeway Foundation Transformation recipient, 2021 Ed Trust Justice Fellow, and 2021 Frieze Impact Prize award winner.
Beverly Price, a native of Washington, D.C., is a visionary photographer and creative activist.
She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Photographic & Electronic Media from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2022. Price’s work focuses on amplifying the voices of Black youth, fostering community engagement through her photography. She is known for her contributions to communities such as Barry Farms and Congress Heights. Price has received prestigious awards, including the Smithsonian James E. Webb Scholarship and the Leslie King Hammond Graduate Fellowship. She is a 2023 Art for Justice recipient, 2023 Right of Return Fellow, and 2024 Frieze Impact Prize finalist. Her work has been exhibited in institutions such as the National Museum of Women in the Arts, American University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Galería La Óptica in Mexico City, and the Simon Miccio Gallery in Aspen Colorado.
Anisa Jackson is an artist, writer, DJ and curator based in New York. Their work has appeared as installation, moving image, and as print and digital text. Their work was shown at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh; Lewisham Art House, London; Specialist Gallery, Seattle, WA; LCB Depot, Leicester; Bluecoat, Liverpool; Babycastles, NY, NY; Abrons Art Center, NY, NY; Bellevue College Gallery Space, Bellevue, WA; King Street Station, Seattle, WA; and Northwest Film Forum, Seattle, WA. She is a curator-at-large for the Aspen Art Museum and a PhD Candidate at New York University.
Wherever There Is Light has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
