A24 is offering free tickets to see Sing Sing
As part of A24's "See Sing Sing" campaign, celebrities will "host" screenings across the U.S. of the Colman Domingo-starring film
Screenshot: A24/YouTube
Fresh off of an Oscar-nominated turn in Rustin, Colman Domingo seems to be headed towards another awards season run with Sing Sing. Directed by Greg Kwedar, Domingo stars as John “Divine G” Whitfield, a wrongly imprisoned artist who is a performer in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program. He appears alongside several actual formerly incarcerated RTA alum, including Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, David “Dap” Giraudy, Patrick “Preme” Griffin, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, and Sean “Dino” Johnson. Now, A24 is giving this troupe even more visibility by offering free screenings of the film across the United States.
A24’s “See Sing Sing” campaign has partnered with a group of celebrity admirers, including Jesse Williams, Bowen Yang, Mark Duplass, Janicza Bravo and Dax Shepard, according to Variety. The screenings, taking place between August 22 and 28, will be “hosted” by Natasha Lyonne, Stephanie Hsu, Bette Midler, Gabrielle Union, Liza Koshy, Common, and the Brooklyn Nets.
“I’m honestly in awe of the artists that are standing behind this film, championing it to their friends and networks saying that this story is worth your time,” said Kwedar in a statement to Variety. “These are people that I’ve looked up to myself for inspiration, and every day another steps up to the plate and my jaw drops when I see their name and then my heart swells. So if any of y’all are reading this… thank you.”
In her review for The A.V. Club, Natalia Keogan criticizes the film for presenting “a flawed notion of ‘serving time’ and becoming ‘reformed’ as a result of incarceration without unpacking the institutional violence that lands Black men behind bars at a disproportionate rate.” However, she praises the “enchanting” and “incredible debut” of Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, playing a version of himself. She also highlights Domingo’s “resplendent” performance as “brimming with empathy and nuance.” You can see it for yourself by finding a screening in your city on the “See Sing Sing” website, here.