As a leader in social justice, the University of California, Santa Cruz, prioritizes initiatives that address incarceration and its broader implications. Making an Exoneree on May 27 will showcase films on individuals who were wrongly incarcerated, describing their backgrounds and the complex issues surrounding their trials.
Sharon Daniel, a professor in the Film and Digital Media Department (FDM), teaches a course called Making an Exoneree, in which students investigate wrongful convictions and make documentaries about them. “People need to understand how common wrongful convictions are and why they happen,” says Daniel.
After learning about the Making an Exoneree program at Georgetown University, Daniel reached out to the professors there, which led to a partnership that began in 2021. The course takes place in the winter and spring quarters. The Georgetown course was started by Marc Howard and Marty Tankleff, two lawyers and childhood friends who worked together to reverse Tankleff’s wrongful conviction. For the first two years, the partnering school worked primarily on reinvestigation and legal arguments, while UC Santa Cruz students used evidence to craft compelling narratives to reshape public opinion. Now UC Santa Cruz students take on both parts of the process, expanding the possibilities of the work started at Georgetown and the number of wrongful conviction cases that can be addressed each year.
These documentaries highlight issues in the criminal justice system and the prison industrial complex, and spread awareness about why there needs to be reform. “People assume that those who get arrested are guilty and that their punishment is just,” says Daniel. “There are so many ways in which the criminal justice system is shaped as a trap for poor people of color.”
This year’s showcase, the first at UCSC, will feature four films on five incarcerated individuals. Wrongful convictions happen for a variety of reasons, including, lack of investigation, insufficient evidence, or police coercion. Daniel cites official misconduct and minor run-ins with police as one of the largest issues leading to wrongful convictions.
Attending the screening for Making an Exoneree, which will be both online and in person, means more than supporting students; it means supporting those who’ve been wrongfully convicted. The event is free, and Daniel hopes it will jumpstart donations for future class projects. Students travel across the country to interview prisoners and others involved with their cases. They also spend time and money on case research, reinvestigation, and the filming of the crime scenes. Furthermore, the incarcerated individuals also need funding and resources to successfully win their cases.
“It will be an eye-opening experience,” says Daniel. “These films are intended to raise public awareness about a social problem, and activate a community around making change.” Daniel and her students have found a meaningful way to mesh the art of filmmaking with creating real change in the world. The work in the Making an Exoneree course demonstrates how film can better the world and shine a much-needed light on critical issues.
May 27, 2025
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Digital Arts Research Center (DARC) – Room 108
UC Santa Cruz
407 McHenry Rd
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Free and open to the public.
Audience advisory: mature themes/content