Directed by Wynette Yao, the documentary District of Second Chances chronicles three men who were sentenced in their youth to life in prison and now have the chance to plead for release, thanks to forward-looking “Second Chance” legislation in Washington, D.C.

District of Second Chances will have its World Premiere at Dances With Films in New York on December 3, 2023.

The film follows a quest for redemption in Washington, D.C. Thanks to “second chance” legislation, three men who were sentenced in their youth to life in prison have the chance to plead for release. Through heartfelt, gritty stories, we follow their journeys: Anthony “Pete” Petty, who has just won his freedom and must rebuild his life after three decades in prison; Gene Downing, who awaits his second chance hearing after two decades behind bars and hopes to reunite with a daughter born after his incarceration; and Colie Levar Long, who is mentoring youth incarcerated with him at D.C. Jail. He longs to finish college as a free man after a 26-year interruption. But, as the film shows, a second chance is never guaranteed.

Wynette Yao is an award-winning filmmaker who has produced, directed and written films on subjects as wide-ranging as Egypt, tornadoes, bees and bog mummies. She relishes storytelling that brings alive the human experience in history, science, social justice and modern life.

Watch the trailer for District of Second Chances.

“Through raw, intimate human stories, this film shows us how Washington, D.C. has decided to welcome home a generation it once abandoned. Honest and hopeful, this film is guaranteed to soften hearts, lift spirits, and change minds.” – James Forman, Jr. Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author of “Locking Up Our Own”