Free Film Screening at Marble Church: ‘Letters Home’ by Scott Roberts To Make NYC Premiere

Marble Collegiate Church is proud to present the New York City premiere of Scott Robert’s first feature film, “Letters Home,” on Tuesday, June 25, at 6:30 p.m., in the historic church at 1 W. 29^th Street, on the corner of Fifth Avenue.

“Letters Home” is a virtual time capsule, originally filmed in the summer of 1998 in Roberts’ hometown of Platte City, a suburb of Kansas City, Mo. The film faced the budgetary challenges that befall many filmmakers, and while filming was successfully completed, the film’s modest budget was depleted during the process, and negatives went into storage, untouched for many years. However, thanks to a change of circumstances, post-production on “Letters Home” was completed 25 years after its filming. The film made its worldwide debut in October 2023 at the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, Kan.

“Letters Home” tells the story of Scott Singleton who arrives with his family in a sleepy Missouri town, where Scott finds suspicious glances instead of the open arms he had hoped for. Making matters worse, his parents are blissfully oblivious to their son’s angst, his teacher runs her classroom like a drill sergeant, and gym class is a cruel exercise in survival of the fittest! His fate seems to be sealed. Yet as the years pass, friendships form and neighbors slowly warm to the newcomers in their midst. And much to his surprise, Scott realizes that his adopted hometown has become more a part of his identity than he ever dreamed possible.

“Letters Home” is Roberts’ first narrative feature. Other projects as a director include the documentary feature “The Raven and the Gypsy” and music video “Heaven.” He has also written a number of feature screenplays, including the family adventure “The Anaheim Project” and dark comedy “Strange Relationships.”

A true “Son of the Midwest,” Roberts was born in Harry S. Truman’s hometown of Independence, Mo. Upon his high school graduation in Platte City, he moved west to California, where he earned a B.A. in Theater from UCLA. Scott currently resides in New York City and is a member of Marble Collegiate Church.

This event is free and open to all! For more information, visit marblechurch.org.

About Marble Church: Marble Collegiate Church has stood on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 29th Street since 1854, with its ministry dating back to 1628. This vibrant, Protestant church (affiliations with The Reformed Church in America and The United Church of Christ) is a community where all of us are encouraged to become our best selves and serve New York City and the world.