Adamu Chan
Advisor, Film & Journalism Programs
Adamu Chan is an award‑winning filmmaker, writer, and community organizer whose work centers on the lived experiences of incarcerated people and the urgent social issues surrounding mass incarceration. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Chan was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison during one of the largest COVID‑19 outbreaks in the country, an experience that profoundly shaped his artistic voice and commitment to justice‑centered storytelling.
While incarcerated, Chan produced numerous short films through FirstWatch, San Quentin’s media program, using his vantage point inside the prison to illuminate themes of humanity, resilience, and systemic inequity. His filmmaking approach blends intimate visual framing with narrative monologue, centering the perspectives of people directly impacted by the prison system.
In 2021, Chan received the Docs in Action Film Fund from Working Films and went on to produce and direct What These Walls Won’t Hold, which won Best Documentary Mid‑Length at the 2023 San Francisco International Film Festival. In 2022, he directed a documentary short for Bridge Builders, partnering with ITVS/Independent Lens, highlighting community members working at the intersections of immigration, incarceration, and gender justice.
Chan is also a 2022 Stanford University CCSRE Mellon Arts Fellow and a 2023 Rockwood Institute Documentary Leaders Fellow, recognized nationally for his leadership in documentary storytelling and narrative justice. His work is guided by the belief that those most affected by systemic harm must be empowered to reshape the narratives that define them.
As Advisor for Film & Journalism Programs at Ben Free, Chan brings his expertise in documentary filmmaking, narrative ethics, and community‑rooted media production to help shape trauma‑informed curricula that elevate system‑impacted voices. His leadership ensures that Ben Free’s film and journalism programs remain grounded in authenticity, dignity, and the transformative power of storytelling.