Prison in Time is a MY HERO Film Festival Offical Selection

Prison and Time, directed by Evan Bode and Marvin Wade, has been selected as a finalist at the 22nd MY HERO Film Festival.

Headshot of Evan and Marvin

Evan Bode is an award-winning experimental animator, independent filmmaker, mixed-media artist, composer, editor, and arts educator. His short films break binaries through a mix of live-action and animation, and have been celebrated at major film festivals across the United States and around the world. 

The film began with an essay that Bode was moved by, "Time and Prison: Are They Mutually Exclusive?", written by author and activist Marvin Wade and first published in Mend. "Through his writing, Marvin conveys his lived experiences of incarceration with emotional clarity and sincere insight," says Bode. "He offers a moving testimony of personal reinvention and change, while at the same time critiquing a cruel prison system that works to destroy growth and healing, rather than nurture it."

Marvin, born in 1970 and raised in Brooklyn, spent 25 years in prison. During that time he wrote stories, novels and personal essays on every scrap of paper he could find. Bode adapted excerpts of the essay into animation, working closely with Marvin to bring his message to the screen.

Prison and Time Still

The process was slow and handmade. Bode made the images change one frame at a time, using watercolours, acrylics, charcoal, markers, pens, coloured pencils and oil pastels to create a range of textures. For him, the technique matched the theme. "Themes of time and change resonate with animation as a time-based medium, in which I worked slowly to make images change one frame at a time. In the process, I used a mix of materials including watercolors, acrylics, charcoal, markers, pens, colored pencils, and oil pastels to achieve a variety of handcrafted textures," he says. "It was an honor to work with Marvin as a collaborator in the process of adapting his message for animation, and we are both excited to share his story with others."

Prison and Time Hands Still

The film closes with Marvin's own words, written with young people in mind. "I'm here to tell you that you do have time. It exists for us all," he says. "I want young people to know that once you realize time is your friend, you'll begin to make decisions in those pivotal moments of your life that reflect your respect for your friend, your life, and the life of others." He adds: "Time gave me the hope that prison tried to take away from me. It wasn't prison that saved me. I am the man I am today in spite of prison. It was time that saved me. I finally took advantage of my time. Peace."

Prison and Time was produced by Project Mend, a grassroots, open-access archive in Central New York that celebrates the lives and creative work of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. It is the first in a planned series pairing artists with prison-impacted authors to adapt their published work for film and amplify their voices.

About MY HERO International Film Festival

Now in its 22nd year, the MY HERO International Film Festival continues to celebrate both unsung and well-known heroes whose stories of resilience and hope inspire a global learning community. This unique festival unites professional and youth filmmakers who use their craft to drive positive change in the world.

Thanks to our sponsors' generosity, we award prizes across multiple categories—including documentary, narrative, music video, animation, experimental, and more—recognizing outstanding work from elementary, middle school, high school, college, and professional filmmakers.

To view all of the 2025 award-winning films, go to: /films/winners2025

For more details about MY HERO's International Film Festival, please visit: myhero.com/FilmFestival