At first glance, Pete Monsanto Jr lives a glamorous life; a celebrity photographer who works with Meek Mill, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, etc. But look deeper and you will see a man with a Dad-sized hole in his life. Pete was just five years old when his father was sentenced to life without parole for racketeering. Pete is now the same age his dad was when he was sent away. During his incarceration, Pete’s father runs every day in the prison yard, keeping his mind and body sharp. Inspired by his dad, Pete decided to run the NYC marathon. Pete’s personal story, the special bond he shared with his incarcerated dad and his experience with the 26-mile race are the subject of Run For His Life.
Directed by Sebastian Sdaigui | Run Time 9 minutes | A Transform Films Production
A journey of change through film
Odyssey Impact®’s custom-built resources serve as tools to build awareness, shift attitudes, and inspire action directly in your community. We have discussion guides, facilitator guides, and more!
At first glance, Pete Monsanto Jr lives a glamorous life; a celebrity photographer who works with Meek Mill, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, etc. But look deeper and you will see a man with a Dad-sized hole in his life. Pete was just five years old when his father was sentenced to life without parole for racketeering. Pete is now the same age his dad was when he was sent away. During his incarceration, Pete’s father runs every day in the prison yard, keeping his mind and body sharp. Inspired by his dad, Pete decided to run the NYC marathon.
Impact Goal
The year-long national social impact campaign for Run For His Life was designed to educate, engage and activate the public around the number of children separated from their parents through parental incarceration in America.
Meaningful Partnerships
Odyssey Impact® hosted a Youth and Criminal Justice Forum in partnership with REFORM Alliance, with sponsorship from MTV Entertainment Group. The live event was moderated by Rev. Dr. Brianna Parker, Founding Curator, Black Millennial Cafe and featured prominent activists and influencers, including Pete Monsato Jr., star of Run For His Life, and Jessica Jackson, Chief Advocacy Officer of the REFORM Alliance and co-founder of #cut50. Participants learned the ins and outs of the criminal justice system.
Accessibility
The film is free to the public and is supported by a digital Screening Toolkit, available in English and Spanish.
Award Winning
Run For His Life has earned the following awards:
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Screening Stories
Here are just a few stories of transformative screenings that communities have hosted of Run For His Life.
"As an advocate for families impacted by mass incarceration, I found our congregation’s Father’s Day virtual screening of Run For His Life to be an important moment for us. It provided space for some critical conversations about ‘respectability politics’ within Black Christian church culture which often perpetuates silence and stigma for impacted families.”
“Run with Pete!” Use #runforhislife on your social media post and make sure to answer the question, “Who/What are you running for?”
Odyssey’s free resources serve as tools to build awareness, shift attitudes, and inspire action directly in your community. We have discussion guides, facilitator guides, faith-based guides, and more!
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A Message From Pete
A family has been reunited! Pete Monsanto Jr, featured in our short documentary, Run For His Life, was just reunited with his father, after having served over 30 years in prison. Nearly 6 million children have an incarcerated parent. That number was just reduced by 1 through the compassionate release program.
Time for
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