The 50: A Documentary About Healing, Justice, and Human Transformation
At its core, The 50 is not just a prison documentary, it’s an intimate portrait of change, accountability, and what it means to heal, even within the walls of one of the most overcrowded prison systems in the country. This powerful film follows 50 incarcerated men serving life sentences in California as they embark on a profound journey: training to become certified substance abuse counselors from inside prison. But beyond its surface narrative, The 50 is an act of storytelling built on real voices, and a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for redemption.
As a production company that develops original films, we are committed to storytelling that speaks truth and fosters change. This film represents the heart of what we believe in: stories that drive real impact by honoring the complexity of people often overlooked or misunderstood.
A First-of-its-kind Program
The men featured in The 50 are part of the Offender Mentor Certification Program (OMCP), the first program of its kind in the United States. It doesn’t simply prepare them for a professional certification, it requires something much deeper. The training demands that they face their pasts as well as the pain they’ve endured and inflicted. This “parallel process,” where healing oneself is part of helping others heal, becomes the emotional spine of the film. We approached this film not just as filmmakers, but as listeners, committed to authentic storytelling that respects its subjects and refuses to sensationalize.
The Film’s Approach
Unlike many traditional prison documentaries, The 50 does not rely on gritty exposé tropes or one-dimensional portrayals. Instead, it takes a poetic, visual, and character-driven approach, offering a cinematic window into the lives of three men: Cameron, Al, and Randy. Through immersive re-enactments, candid study sessions, and moments of reflection, the film offers cinematic storytelling that challenges the way we understand incarceration, justice, and accountability. In this way, The 50 is more than just a film, it’s a story that resonates emotionally, inviting viewers to witness not just transformation but the labor of transformation.
The Ripple Effect: Reach, Response, and Real-World Change
Since its debut, The 50 has gone far beyond the film festival circuit. It’s an educational documentary that has sparked change to shift systems.
Distribution: Acquired by Grasshopper Film, one of the leading independent distributors of social impact films.
Press Coverage: Featured on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Nightline, NPR, ABC News, The Grio, and more.
Streaming Performance: Climbed to #6 on the Apple TV Documentary Charts.
Training Tool: Currently shown across all California prisons as part of educational programming.
Institutional Use: Integrated into correctional officer training programs statewide.
This documentary not only moves audiences but educates institutions and influences the very systems it documents.
Why We Made It
At LvL Films, we’re a production company that tells human stories, not marketing copy. We believe the most impactful content doesn’t just inform, it transforms. With The 50, we set out to develop an original film that would move the needle, anchored in honesty, empathy, and human dignity. Our mission has always been to find the soul inside the message and amplify it, not through loud messaging, but through clear, intentional narrative.
Whether it’s a nonprofit campaign, a branded doc, or a PSA, we approach each story the same way: by grounding it in people, listening deeply, and crafting from a place of care. This film stands as a powerful example of community-first brand storytelling and honest storytelling that works, because it invites us all to reflect on the pain we carry and the possibility of change.
What The 50 Asks of Us
This story is not only about the men inside prison walls, it’s about all of us. It’s about cycles of hurt, the long road toward accountability, and the radical idea that people are more than their worst mistakes. It’s a film that urges audiences to see themselves in others and to imagine what true rehabilitation could look like.
The 50 is streaming now. You can watch the film or learn more about the program behind it here. If your brand or organization believes in strategic storytelling that honors real people and brings forward voices that often go unheard, we’d love to help you tell a story that matters.