The Challenge

The “Fair Chance Hiring” project is a short documentary-style film produced by Buoyant and Silhouette Media for Jobs for the Future (JFF). Centered on the stories of leaders like Susan Burton of A New Way of Life, the piece illustrates how people with records face closed doors and stalled careers despite education, certifications, and a strong desire to work. Through intimate interviews and real-life moments, the film shows the human cost of exclusion and the resilience of individuals fighting for a second chance.

Framing fair chance hiring as one of the most powerful tools for building stronger businesses, safer neighborhoods, and a more inclusive economy, the project connects personal narratives to systems-level change. It highlights the roles that employers, advocates, artists, and policymakers all play in opening pathways to quality jobs, positioning JFF as a champion of policies and practices that allow talent, not past records, to define opportunity.