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Short Film: Gangsta to Grace

Gangsta to Grace is the true story of Letitia “Chuckie” Scott, a preacher’s daughter who spiraled into the streets, hid a double life, and let her father take a 15-year fall for her crimes. From incarceration to redemption, this raw and powerful drama explores guilt, grace, and the painful path to purpose.

  • Letitia Scott Jackson
    Director
  • Valerie Denise Jones
    Director
    Editor, Cinematographer
  • Letitia Scott Jackson
    Writer
  • Letitia Scott Jackson
    Producer
  • Fred Jackson
    Producer
  • Letitia Scott Jackson
    Key Cast
    "Lead"
  • Fred Jackson
    Key Cast
    "Supporting Actor"
  • Charles Gardner
    Key Cast
    "Supporting Actor"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Short, Television, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Crime, Romance, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Drama, narrative, mystery, thriller, autobiograhy, memoir, history, tragedy, womens fiction, humor
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 50 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 5, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Letitia Scott Jackson, Valerie Denise Jones

Dr. Letitia Scott-Jackson is an author, speaker, and first-time filmmaker whose life story is as powerful as the films she creates. Once entangled in street life and incarceration, Letitia rose from adversity to become the founder of Keeping Families Connected — a nationally recognized nonprofit that reunites incarcerated parents with their children.

Now stepping behind the camera, Letitia brings raw truth and spiritual conviction to the screen. Her directorial debut, Gangsta to Grace, draws from her own experience — a former hustler who let her father take the fall for a crime she committed, only to find redemption through faith, not prison.

With a bold voice and an unfiltered eye for storytelling, Dr. Scott-Jackson uses film as her next ministry — to heal, expose, and transform. She is proof that you don’t need a perfect past to direct a powerful future.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I didn’t come to filmmaking through film school — I came through survival. My journey from the streets to incarceration to spiritual transformation is not just my story, it’s my lens. Every frame I direct is rooted in lived experience, and every project I produce is a form of ministry. I believe film is more than entertainment—it’s testimony, truth-telling, and transformation.

Gangsta to Grace isn’t just a title—it’s the walk I lived. I let my father go to prison for something I did, and by the time I found my redemption, I had lost him, my mother, and my son. My goal as a director is to create stories that force you to look deeper—at the systems we ignore, the families we forget, and the spiritual battles we don’t see on the surface.

I want my films to make people feel uncomfortable in all the right ways—and inspired when the credits roll. I direct to heal. I create to free people still locked in their own cages—mental, emotional, or spiritual. This is more than filmmaking. This is my calling.

— Co-Director, Letitia Scott-Jackson / Director, Valerie Denise Jones