A new trailer has been released for Ricky, the Sundance award-winning feature from director Rashad Frett, offering a closer look at the intimate post-incarceration drama led by Stephan James alongside Sheryl Lee Ralph and Titus Welliver.
The film follows Ricky, a 30-year-old man navigating life after being released from prison, having spent his teenage years and entire adulthood behind bars. Newly free, Ricky must confront the realities of independence for the first time—finding work, rebuilding family relationships, and adjusting to a world shaped by technology, expectations, and limited second chances. Set in Hartford, Connecticut, the story grounds itself in social realism while examining masculinity, redemption, and systemic barriers faced by formerly incarcerated individuals.
In addition to James, Ralph, and Welliver, the cast includes Maliq Johnson, Imani Lewis, Simbi Kali, Andrene Ward-Hammond, Sean Nelson, Parish Bradley, Stephen Wesley Green, and Karen Chilton. The screenplay was co-written by Frett and Lin Que Ayong.
Ricky is based on Frett’s 2023 short film of the same name and quickly emerged as a standout at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where Frett earned the U.S. Dramatic Competition Directing Award. The feature expanded the short’s emotional core into a full-length character study that resonated with festival audiences and critics alike.
Despite strong festival momentum, the filmmakers opted for an unconventional release strategy. While Blue Harbor Entertainment is facilitating the film’s theatrical rollout, the creative team has retained ownership of the project and launched a Pay-It-Forward Kickstarter campaign to support its release and broaden audience access.
The campaign is designed to directly involve viewers in the film’s journey, allowing supporters to pre-purchase tickets, gift screenings to individuals who may not otherwise have access, and fund showings for community organizations, youth programs, and social justice groups focused on prison reform and re-entry. Higher contribution tiers also offer opportunities for virtual screenings, filmmaker discussions, and community-hosted theatrical events.
The initiative reflects a broader response to the challenges facing independent dramas in a shrinking marketplace, particularly those prioritizing character-driven storytelling over spectacle. Rather than delaying the release or compromising the film’s intent, the team has centered the audience as an active participant in both distribution and impact.
Produced by Steelo Brim, DC Wade, Josh Peters, Pierre M. Coleman, Simon Taufique, and Mark Steele in association with Ossetra Films, Ricky is executive produced by James through his Bay Mills Studios banner.
The film is scheduled to open theatrically on March 20, 2026, beginning in select cities including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Oakland, Atlanta, Memphis, Houston, Kansas City, Detroit, and Chicago, with additional markets expected to follow.