Common-Produced and Scored Doc Short ‘Four Letters’ to Premiere During San Quentin Prison Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)

The San Quentin Film Festival — the first-ever film festival taking place inside of a prison — has added a new title to its lineup: “Four Letters,” a documentary short that was scored and executive produced by Common.

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The festival marks the first industry and press screening of “Four Letters,” but its world premiere took place on screens across all state prisons administered by California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation in April as a part of Second Chance Month, an initiative led by justice reform nonprofit Prison Fellowship.

“Four Letters” tells the story of software engineer Charles Anderson before, during and after his incarceration to follow, per the official description, “his journey from the depths of the criminal justice system to the heights of global tech giants.” Anderson, who serves as a producer on “Four Letters,” first discovered coding in prison before using the skill to connect with recently incarcerated youth and discuss the “possibility for redemption for all who have been impacted by the legal system.”

The film was directed by Bao Nguyen, who is best known for the 2024 documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop,” which centers the making of the song “We Are the World,” as well as the 2020 Bruce Lee documentary “Be Water.”

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Common executive produced “Four Letters” alongside Tamara Brown, Brad Jenkins and Calvin Williams. Besides Anderson, producers include Deepti Rohatgi, Marie Cisco and Carolyn Mao, while David Schellhase, Mike Moffo and Natrina Gandana serve as consulting producers. The film was produced in collaboration with Stardust Films, Imagine Justice, Slack for Good and Enfranchisement Productions. Karriem Riggens composed the score with Common.

Read Variety ‘s interview with San Quentin Film Festival co-founders Rahsaan Thomas and Cori Thomas here , and see a poster for “Four Letters” below.

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