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Beyond the Big Screen

This guide houses resources for the annual Beyond the Big Screen event.

Welcome to the Beyond the Big Screen 
research guide for Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.

This guide contains information about events and contests related to the program, ways to access the book and film, and resources to help you research key themes of the story.

 

Content Warning: Both film and book contain depictions of violence, suicide, and sexual assault as well as offensive and/or derogatory language. 

Access the Book and Film

Events

Headline Event

Screenings of The Shawshank Redemption
Tuesday, March 5th @ 11 a.m. - Downtown Campus Auditorium, A-1068
Thursday, March 7th @ 5 p.m. - Deerwood Performance Theater, G-1709

 

Beyond the Big Screen Contest Art Show
March 1-April 26* - The Gallery at Deerwood Center
*Excluding Spring Break

Completed Event Videos:

Truth & Lies: Comparing legal TV shows, movies, and books to reality
When: Thursday, November 9, 2023 @ 11 a.m.
Where: Downtown Campus LLC,  Room A2102Q
Speaker: Lisa Moore
Legal TV shows, movies, and books (such as Shawshank Redemption) are all around us, but how real is the legal drama they portray?  Join Lisa Moore as she draws from her own experience as prosecutor for the 4th judicial circuit and links in interviews from other legal experts to analyze how accurate these fictional portrayals truly are. 

Watch the video for this event here.  

 

Have you Created Your Own Prison? Exploring Identity Navigation through Communication Theory 
When:  Monday, February 5, 2024 @ 9:30 a.m. 
Where: Downtown Campus LLC, Room A2102Q
Speaker: Mary Lee Cunill
Shawshank Redemption explores the effects of our environment and relationships on our view of self. In this presentation, you will do a deep dive into your own identity to explore how the way you have shaped your life may have set you up for a life of freedom or entrapment.

Watch the video for this event here.  

 

The Loss of a Voice
When: Thursday, February 8, 2024 @ 9:30 a.m.
Where: Downtown Campus LLC, Room A2102Q
Speaker: Rebecca Reeder
Sometimes freedom makes you realize just how much freedom you've lost. Come learn about how Shawshank and other total institutions affect the psyche long after you've been released.

Watch the video for this event here. 

 

Moving Money: When is it a crime?
When: Thursday, February 8, 2024 @ 1:00 p.m. 
Where: Deerwood LLC, Room G2700
Speaker: Matthew Keyes
Money laundering is estimated to be a $300 billion dollar business each year.   What is it?   Why should you care?   How can we prevent it?   In this session we will discuss the basics of how Andy was laundering money in the Shawshank Redemption and how it applies in 2024.

Watch the video for this event here. 

 

What Do You Really Need? Meeting community needs by employing an Entrepreneurial Mindset
When: Monday, February 12, 2024 @ 10:30 a.m. 
Where: Downtown Campus LLC, Room A2102Q
Speaker: Jeniah Jones
In this interactive discussion, explore how successful entrepreneurs become wildly successful by anticipating, identifying, and meeting needs within their community. Using the examples of Andy Dufresne and “Red” from Shawshank Redemption, delve into strategies to start your own business without having to first raise massive amounts of capital before discussing the importance of reinvention as a strategy to avoid obsolescence.

Watch the video for this event here. 

 

The Therapeutic Effects of the Arts on Mental Well-Being: Lessons from Shawshank
When: Tuesday, February 13, 11 a.m.-Noon
Where: Downtown Campus LLC, A-2102Q
Speaker: Sarah Stuart
"For the briefest moment, every last man in Shawshank felt free." Through gifts of music and literature, Andy Dufresne shows viewers how creative expression nurtures hope, resilience, and mental well-being. Even in solitary confinement, Andy finds solace in Mozart's works. Music is a recurring symbol of hope and psychological freedom throughout the film. This presentation explores how creativity sparks hope and fortitude in us all, emphasizing that redemption and freedom are internal creations. Andy's message to the warden, that salvation lies within, underscores this theme. Let’s examine societal institutionalization and its psychological constraints, and how the creative arts can help liberate us. The session offers practical tools for unlocking inner freedom and promoting mental health.

Watch the video for this event here. 

 

The American Prison System: Fifty Years of Doubling Down on Flawed Policies
When: February 21, 2024 @ 9:30 a.m.
Where: Downtown Campus LLC, Room A2102Q
Speaker: Nick Martino
The American prison system has continued to grow in size and scope over the last 50 years ranking in the top two in the world for incarceration. Yet, the policies implemented throughout that time have resulted in higher recidivism rates, and no significant impact on crime rates. We will take an objective and critical look of the failures and successes of the prison system over the last 50 years.

Watch the video for this event here. 

 

Advances in Forensic Science: Would Andy Dufresne be convicted today?
When: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 @ 11 a.m.
Where: Kent Campus LLC, Room C-100
Speaker: Julie Sutton
How have advances in forensic sciences impacted solving crimes today? If Andy Dufresne from Shawshank was tried now, would advances in forensic science help save him or convict him? Learn how analysis of blood alcohol, gunshot residue, blood splash pattern, DNA analysis, and even soil has changed and decide what the verdict might be.

Watch the video for this event here. 

Contest Winners

Contests

For the 2023-2024 season, Beyond the Big Screen hosted an essay contest, an art contest, and a video contest related to The Shawshank Redemption. See each section below for contest descriptions and a list of winners and prizes.  

Essay Contest

Overview:
In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne finds himself wrongfully convicted of murder and incarcerated with no hope of being free again. He says, "There is something inside… that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch, that’s yours… hope."
In a 500 to 600-word essay, describe a time you overcame a seemingly insurmountable challenge because you believed in the power of hope.

Judging Criteria:

  • 50% on addressing the theme's message
  • 30% well-developed paragraphs and clear language
  • 20% on originality

Prizes:

Art Contest

Overview:
This contest challenges you to visualize the themes present in Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. Create artworks that speak about freedom and confinement, suffering, injustice, hope and/or healing. You may also explore ideas about criminal justice, prison reform and psychology. All works will be displayed at the Deerwood Campus from March 1 – April 26, 2024 (closed for Spring Break).

Prizes:

Video Contest

Overview:
Record a short video (thirty seconds to two minutes) creatively demonstrating your takeaway from the themes from the Shawshank Redemption. The strongest entries will advance a combination of these powerful themes. They include:

  • Justice
  • Hope
  • Creativity and Problem Solving
  • Isolation
  • Institutionalization
  • Self-Identity

Judging:
The judging committee was comprised of FSCJ faculty and staff and others. The committee watched and evaluated submissions based on overall feel, creativity and ability to advance the powerful themes within the movie. The submission that made the strongest impression on the committee was determined to be the winner. 

Prizes

Related Themes and Resources