2023 // 4:3 // Color // Digital // Stereo Audio // Total Runtime: 14:13

ABOUT THE FILM

This uplifting documentary follows Shanyeill McCloud’s work helping the formerly incarcerated expunge their records and start their lives again.

In 2007, Shanyeill was convicted of misdemeanor battery protecting herself and her daughter from her abusive husband, a record that upturned her life, making it nearly impossible to find employment. After almost 16 months unemployed, Shanyeill learned she was not eligible for expungement under current Wisconsin state law. However, with the knowledge she learned in trying to expunge her own record, she dedicated herself to helping others navigate the process of receiving judicial clemency.

MEET THE FILMMAKERS

Trần Hoàng Calvin (Director, Writer) is an independent director and producer from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in film and television production and has over a decade of experience in the film industry with credits from ABC News, VICE Media, DECON-Mass Appeal, the Moving Picture Institute and Anonymous Content. Since graduating, his focus has been in the developing field of new media including social media strategy, memetics, and virtual reality which led him to founding NODEHAUS Media, an animation studio and production company driven by Gen-Z artists and entrepreneurs.

A bona fide documentary filmmaker, Tran's directorial credits include CoinDesk's "Rizqi Presents: BLOCKCHAIN," LearnLiberty's "Refuge: The Story of Viet Tran" and "Dead Malls: Explained," and NODEHAUS's originals "Arbitrary Lines: The Free Spirit of Caroline," "Forever Art," and "An American Portrait."

Kristi Kendall (Producer) serves as the president of Kristi Kendall & Co and is an expert in content production, messaging, and storytelling. She began her career in 1997 at the ABC News magazine 20/20. In 2009 she became John Stossel’s executive producer at Fox News and Fox Business where she launched his highly-rated weekly show and oversaw more than a dozen documentary hours for Stossel and others. In 2014 she became the executive vice president at New Balloon, a cross-platform media company that leverages moving picture content as a means of encouraging connectivity, compassion, and conversation. Kendall is the recipient of the Paul Mongerson Prize for Investigative Reporting, the Michael DeBakey Journalism Award, the NLGJA/Siegenthaler Excellence in Journalism Award, the Templeton-Cambridge Fellowship, and was recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for her role in ABC’s coverage of September 11, 2001.

Rob Pfaltzgraff (Producer) is a member of the Producers Guild of America and has served as the president of the Moving Picture Institute (MPI) since it began in 2005. He has led the organization from its initial founding into a multimillion-dollar production company, MPI Original Films, and talent incubator, the Rising Filmmaker Program. He has dozens of producer credits on award-winning films including lead producer on the MPI Original features Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game starring Mike Faist (BAFTA-nominated) and Miss Virginia starring Uzo Aduba (Emmy® winner). His producer credits also include the feature-length documentary Project Home (Official Selection Heartland International Film Festival), the digital series We’re Doing Good (Official Selection SXSW), and short films like A Piece of Cake (Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival, Nominated for Best Narrative Short). He served as co-executive producer on the feature documentary The Dissident (BAFTA-nominated). Rob is currently developing and producing several forthcoming short and feature-length MPI Original Films.

Lana Link (Producer), the Moving Picture Institute’s senior vice president, works with the executive staff to acquire, develop, and produce MPI Original Films. She also works with filmmakers in MPI’s talent development programs and runs MPI masterclasses. Her various producer credits include A Piece of Cake (Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2020, Nominated for Best Narrative Short), digital series We’re Doing Good (Official Selection SXSW 2022), feature documentaries Los Últimos Frikis and Project Home, and feature narratives Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game starring Mike Faist and Crystal Reed and Miss Virginia starring Uzo Aduba. Lana served as co-executive producer on the feature documentary The Dissident (BAFTA-nominated). Lana is currently developing and producing several forthcoming short and feature-length MPI Original Films.

Nick Reid (Producer) is the Moving Picture Institute’s executive vice president responsible for shaping and executing fundraising strategy, serving as a producer on MPI Original productions, and he is the treasurer. His executive producer credits include Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game starring Mike Faist and Crystal Reed, Miss Virginia starring Uzo Aduba, A Piece of Cake (Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival, Nominated for Best Narrative Short), The Perfect One, We’re Doing Good (Official Selection SXSW), and the feature documentary Project Home (Official Selection Heartland International Film Festival). Nick is currently developing and producing several forthcoming short and feature-length MPI Original Films.

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Arbitrary Lines: The Free Spirit of Caroline