The San Quentin Film Festival, the first film festival to ever be held inside a prison, has added a notable title to its lineup: Four Letters, a documentary short scored and executive produced by Grammy-winning artist Common.
While this marks the first industry and press screening of Four Letters, the documentary made its world premiere in April across all California state prisons. This debut was part of Second Chance Month, an initiative led by Prison Fellowship, a nonprofit organization focused on justice reform.
The film follows the life of software engineer Charles Anderson, tracing his experiences before, during, and after incarceration. According to the official description, Four Letters highlights Anderson’s “journey from the depths of the criminal justice system to the heights of global tech giants.” While serving his sentence, Anderson discovered coding, a skill he later used to mentor formerly incarcerated youth and discuss the potential for redemption for individuals affected by the legal system.
Four Letters is directed by Bao Nguyen, recognized for his work on the 2024 documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, which covers the creation of the iconic song We Are the World, as well as the 2020 Bruce Lee documentary Be Water.
Common produced Four Letters alongside Tamara Brown, Brad Jenkins, and Calvin Williams. The production team also includes Deepti Rohatgi, Marie Cisco, and Carolyn Mao, with David Schellhase, Mike Moffo, and Natrina Gandana serving as consulting producers. The film was produced in collaboration with several organizations, including Stardust Films, Imagine Justice, Slack for Good, and Enfranchisement Productions. The musical score was composed by Karriem Riggens in collaboration with Common.
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