Rise Up Industries: Breaking the Cycle

Rise Up Industries: Breaking the Cycle

Directed by James Parker

A short-form doc spotlighting Rise Up Industries, a San Diego-based social enterprise supporting formerly incarcerated individuals as they rebuild their lives through skilled trades, mentorship, and community. Featuring apprentice Horace, shop manager Ernie, and program director Mike, the film explores the power of second chances to break cycles of incarceration and reduce gang violence.

Director Statement

This film seeks to capture what “second chances” actually look like up close – not as an idea or a talking point, but as a daily practice. Rise Up Industries is a place where formerly incarcerated people rebuild their lives through skilled work, mentorship, and community, and where that stability can ripple outward to families and neighborhoods impacted by gang violence. Centered on Horace as he approaches graduation, alongside the wisdom and mentorship of program alum Ernie and Mike, the piece is intentionally character-driven and observational, designed to honor the dignity of the people inside the program while showing the stakes of reentry with honesty and hope.

Director Biography

James Parker is a director, producer, and founder of Synchronous Pictures, a boutique production company creating award-winning films that bridge divides and spark conversation. His work has aired on major networks and screened internationally, earning multiple Emmy nominations, Telly Awards, and a presidential medal for his work documenting Botswana’s HIV/AIDS response. Driven by a deep belief in storytelling’s power to illuminate complexity and foster connection, James has spent the past decade capturing human stories across Singapore, Botswana, India, Sri Lanka, Peru, the UK, and the United States. He’s worked with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to major studios including CBS, ABC, BBC, Amazon Studios, and National Geographic, with a body of work that spans from rural Oregon to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Plays in

Mind. Body. Balance. – Doc Block 2