Feature Documentary
Four young girls prepare for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, as part of a unique fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C. jail.
For most of the daughters, the dance will be the only time they will be able to touch or hug their fathers during sentences, some of which are as long as 20 years.
Daughters is a feature documentary co-directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton, with cinematography by Michael Cambio Fernandez, edit by Troy Lewis and Adelina Bichis and music by Kelsey Lu, now available globally on Netflix.
The film made its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and took home two awards: Festival Favorite and Audience Choice: U.S. Documentary Competition.
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Learn more about the Date With Dad Program
Theatrical Release August 8th - 15th:
The Bay Theater, Los Angeles, CA
Landmark Opera Cinema, San Francisco, CA
Landmark E Street Cinema, Washington, DC
TIFF Lightbox, Toronto, ON
Picturehouse Central, London, UK
Picturehouse Hackney, London, UK
Ritzy Brixton, London, UK
Past Screenings:
DocLands Film Festival - May 3rd @ 3:45pm & 6:15pm (Rafael 3 Theatre, San Rafael, CA)
DocLands Film Festival - May 5th @ 5:45pm (The Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL)
Daddying Forum - May 17th @ 5:30pm (Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA)
Mendocino Film Festival - May 31st @ 10:10am & June 1st @ 10:30am (Coast Cinemas, Mendocino, CA)
Berkshire International Film Festival - June 1st @ 12:30pm (Mahaiwe Theatre, Barrington, MA)
Bentonville Film Festival - June 14th @ 2:30pm (Skylight Cinema, Bentonville, AR)
Provincetown Film Festival - June 13th @ 4:00pm (The Art House, Provincetown, MA) & June 16th @ 1:00pm (Waters Edge Cinema, Provincetown, MA)
Sheffield Docfest - June 14th @ 8:45pm (The Light, Sheffield, UK) & June 16th @ 3:15pm (Showroom Channel 5, Sheffield)
DC DOX - June 16th @ 2pm (African American Museum, Washington, D.C.)
Cinetopia Film Festival - June 21st @ 3:45pm ( State Theatre, Ann Arbor, MI) & June 22 @ 1:30pm (Michigan Theater)
Nantucket Film Festival - June 21st at 5:00pm (Dreamland Theater, Nantucket, MA)
Essence Film Festival - July 7th @3:00pm (New Orleans Convention Centre, 2nd Floor Theater 2, LA)
Konbini Docs Club Screening - July 9th @ 8:00pm TBC (Silencio des Près, Paris)
BraveMaker Film Festival - July 11th @ 6:00pm (Fox Theatre, Redwood City, CA)
Half Moon Bay Screening - July 13th @ 6:00pm (Coastal Rep Theatre, Half Moon Bay, CA)
Hammer Museum Summer Series - July 16th @ 7:30pm (Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA)
Sundance Film Festival Local Lens - July 18th at 7:00pm (Ray Theatre, Park City, UT)
Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival - August 5th @ 5:00pm (Martha’s Vineyard, MA)
Rooftop Films - August 11th @ 7:45pm (Brooklyn Army Terminal, Brooklyn, NY)
newportFILM Festival - August 29th @ 7:30pm (Great Friends Meeting House, RI)
San Quentin Film Festival - October 11th @ 5:30pm (San Quentin, SF)
Sing Sing Film Festival - October 24th @ 4:00pm (Sing Sing Correctional Facility, NY)
SCAD Savannah Film Festival - October 29th @ 11:00am (Savannah, GA)
Spelman Black Girlhood Screening - November 1st @ 6:00pm (Atlanta, GA)
For press inquiries, please contact Allison Walker.
Learn more about our partner, Girls For A Change, and their program Date With Dad.
A result of an eight-year documentary journey, the film inhabits the lives of these young girls, leaving the audience to witness firsthand the rippling effects of their fathers’ absence, as well as the love their fathers have for them. What unfolds is an intimate, healing portrait of a generation of youth bearing the weight of mass incarceration, while still showing what is possible. In-person visitation for these families has been systematically shut down across the U.S. since 2014. The only way to connect with incarcerated family members is through costly video calls, creating barriers for families to stay connected while video-conferencing companies profit.
Through Co-Director Angela Patton, we had one-of-a-kind access to incarcerated fathers going through intensive therapy as a part of the 12-week Date With Dad program in a D.C. jail. Counter to the systematic practices that oppress family bonds, the goal of the program is to strengthen relationships with daughters and other essential life skills for a successful and lasting reintegration into communities after incarceration. By the end of the 12 weeks, we see the fathers prepared as they step into a life-changing dance with their daughters.
While Angela captured and honed the program, Co-Director Natalie Rae delved deeper with the girls and moms, getting to know them and hearing firsthand their stories and the ripple effects on their lives over the course of five years.