Independent production company A24 collaborated with UTSA’s film and media program to allow students to watch the entertainment company’s unreleased film “Sing Sing,” this past Wednesday. Award-winning producer Monique Walton was also on campus for an audience Q&A session.
The title “Sing Sing” is derived from the film’s setting, Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Ossining, New York. The plot centers around a group of personable characters based on real-life incarcerated men serving sentences, with some also starring in the film playing themselves. Acclaimed actor Colman Domingo takes on the lead role of John Whitfield, an inmate convicted of a crime he did not commit participating in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program by organizing theatrical performances.
Without a doubt, the film is a must-watch. Elements like the cinematography and score are exceptionally well crafted and give audiences something to look forward to for its release this coming July.
Following the screening, there were speakers on standby, one of them being Walton. Upon introducing herself, Walton mentioned she attended graduate school at UT, offering UTSA students an example of where the film industry can lead. Various crowd members were eager to ask in-depth questions regarding the production of “Sing Sing.” Walton proceeded to give detailed answers regarding the production of the film as well as any other show biz.
UTSA’s film program Director Paul Ardoin was also in attendance to offer more insight regarding the screening and more. When asked how this opportunity was presented to them, he said, “We had some help from friends in town and A24 when they had reached out to us in December [2023].”
“I thought it was great,” Ardoin said about the film. “The performances were fantastic. I think we’re going to hear a lot about it when it’s released.”
Since 2022, UTSA’s film program has been under the Multidisciplinary Studies path as a concentration. As UTSA grew to R1 Carnegie classification in recent years, it allowed the field to switch to the College of Liberal and Fine Arts as a full-fledged program. Ardoin elaborated more on the program’s expansion, saying, “It’ll be much more production-oriented. We’re adding new courses like Lighting & Cinematography, Editing, Sound and even in-front-of-the-camera courses like Acting for the Screen. We have a huge number of incoming students, doubling the size of the program for a second year in a row.”
UTSA’s rapidly growing film program brings opportunities such as this one and will soon have more to offer students interested in majoring in film. “Sing Sing” will surely do well in theaters upon release and most definitely should be marked on a watchlist. Learn more information about A24’s “Sing Sing” on their website and learn about future events from UTSA’s Film & Media team on their Instagram page.
