Presented with Freedom Reads
About the Film
March Forth (2026; 95 minutes) is an intimate mixed-media documentary about Reginald Dwayne Betts, who was sentenced to nine years in prison at the age of sixteen. Through live performance, animation, poetry, and memoir, the film explores the lasting impact of incarceration and the complicated meaning of return, as Betts returns to prisons with Freedom Reads to open libraries in cellblocks.
Directed by Robe Imbriano and Valerie Hong and narrated by Brian Tyree Henry, March Forth premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Festival.
Following the screening, Betts will talk about the making of the film and the themes of his work, including incarceration, memory, art, and literature. The conversation will also explore Freedom Reads and the role that books, art, and storytelling can play in creating new possibilities for how we see people whose lives have been shaped by prison.
About Reginald Dwayne Betts
A MacArthur Fellow and graduate of the Yale School of Law, Betts is the author of six books, including Felon and Doggerel. His work spans poetry, memoir, theater, photography, and film.
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Photo Credit: Justin Marantz
