Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo
Directed by
Bradley Beesley
SHOWTIMES
Movies start 6-8 minutes after listed showtime
Wed 11/5: 7:00p
RELEASE DATE
11/5/25
RATING
RUN TIME
1h29min
Powered by Experience Tulsa, Okie Film Nights celebrate our state's rich film history. This month, director Bradley Beesley will be joining us for a special Q&A screening of his acclaimed 2009 documentary “Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo.” All tickets just $5 each!
Experience Tulsa brings you a side of the city like you've never experienced before. Unique experiences, free events, community. What more could you ask for?! Visit ExperienceTulsaHub.org to sign up and get the latest on all the great Experience Tulsa events coming soon at Circle and all around Tulsa.
About the film: 1h29min – Doc – Not Rated – English
Going beyond the bars of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary system, director Bradley Beesley follows several convicted women as they work towards competing in 2007's annual prison-wide rodeo. Shining a light on a curiously gladiator-esque spectacle, Beesley's film combines rough stock action with tales of hardship. Hailing from the state with the highest incidence of female incarceration in the U.S., the women share poignant stories of broken homes, drug addiction and the loss of their children.
About Bradley Beesley: If you wander the hidden creeks of Texas and Oklahoma in the summer months, you’ll likely find filmmaker Bradley Beesley with his son Sonny boy knee deep and digging in holes for catfish the size of a small child. This became Beesley’s passion after making the documentary "Okie Noodling" (PBS) where he learned the backwoods art of noodling. His first love, documentary filmmaking, fills the rest of his days in the many strange and forgotten recesses of America. His films have taken him on tour with the Flaming Lips, "Fearless Freaks" (Sundance) deep into the southern roots of the blues with the legendary R.L. Burnside, "Hill Stomp Hollar" (SXSW), and behind the walls of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, "Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo" (HBO). There’s pretty much nowhere Beesley won’t go for a good story and or tasty fried chicken - the two usually go hand-and-hand.
