National Center for Life and Liberty

Pardoned by Grace is a Feature Film based on the true story of how Scott Highberger (former prisoner) turned himself into prison and received an unlikely pardon so that he could go back into prisons and continue his prison ministry.

We are raising funds for our theatrical release for the spring of 2020!


Pardoned by Grace - Feature Film
Graham Family Films  is currently in the middle of raising money for a film fund, however in the midst of these fundraising efforts we have been blessed to parter with Scott Highberger and Atonement Pictures  and produce a movie this summer called Pardoned by Grace .  

Scott's true story is raw and real. Thirty-five arrests, eight felony convictions, and five prison sentences allowed Scott to hit rock bottom and come to the end of himself when he tried to take his own life.  After years of struggle and failure, Scott was receptive to God's call on his life. Desperate, he turned to Jesus while incarcerated and everything changed.   Today not only is Scott a free man…. He serves as the outreach/prison pastor at Road to Life Church in Michigan City, Indiana  and ministers to thousands of prisoners each week.


A Movie based on a True Story

Scott Highberger  is a man who endured through the pain of over thirty arrests, eight felony convictions, and five prison terms. After years of agony and the failure of living for himself and the world, he was receptive to God’s call on his heart. Desperate, he turned to Jesus Christ while incarcerated. He said yes to Jesus and everything changed.

First, all hell broke loose and Scott went down before he came up. He had to fight for his God-planned destiny. Decades trapped in the system as a prisoner to drugs, alcohol, violence, and incarceration gave way to a pastoral calling.

Scott now serves thousands of prisoners and leads them to freedom through Jesus Christ.

Check out the below video of Scott's ministry...



The Statistics listed above and below were taken via Prison Fellowship's Website 


ISAIAH 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
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If you believe these verses to be true that God wants to give freedom to the captives then we must believe that God is a God that cares about those who are incarcerated and wants to bring freedom.


Why are we raising money?

To hit our target of $250k we need to raise another $75K within the next few weeks (before July 1st 2019). The funds we have currently raised will go to provide for the following  (Writers, Talent, Production, Camera, Art, Electrical, Grip, Props, Vehicles, Locations, Catering, Transportation, Housing etc).

The additional funds will go to the much needed portion of the budget that includes Cast expenses, Marketing  and Post Production.


Your gift can make a difference!

While $75,000 can feel like a lot to some people, we believe that if everyone gave just a small amount we could accomplish that goal. Whether you give $5 or $5000 we know that with God's army we can accomplish the goal set before us.

Help us make a Faith-Based Movie 
You may be familiar with the story in the Bible where Jesus fed the five thousand.  It's a story that shows the true power of what God can really do with just a little bit of resources. Just like the disciples only had a few loaves and fishes to feed the masses, we have found ourself in a similar situation. While we are blessed to have an investor who has generously invested $175,000 to make this movie happen, we believe God will provide the rest of the funds needed.  Generally low-budget independent movies are often financed for $250K to $500K to obtain a certain level of quality and professionalism. We want this movie to be the very best it can be and that means hiring experienced actors and being able to employ certain crew that will elevate the project to the next level. 


The Team

From (left to right)

Pastor Ben Graham  - Executive Producer

Ben  is the Senior Pastor at Music City Baptist Church in Mount Juliet, TN.

Ben Graham gave his life to the Lord on November 11, 1994 and surrendered to preach less than a year later. He  is a pastor’s son and comes from a long line of preachers (including Billy Graham). He has been in full time ministry since he was 19 years old serving as a youth Pastor, Evangelist and a senior Pastor. He has traveled and preached in all 50 states in America, as well as having traveled and preached in 28 foreign countries.

In addition to being a Pastor, Ben has a radio show, he is an actor, director, producer and has been in several movies and commercials. He also serves on several ministry boards and is very involved in local and state politics. He was a reserve Police Officer and  Chaplin with the York City Police Department. He also serves as a Chaplin with the Tennessee State Guard. He is a licensed counselor and has several degrees in Theology and holds a Doctorate in Clinical Counseling.

Kevan Otto  - Director

Kevan  currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Production & Development for Atonement Pictures and has been the writer and director on numerous faith based films (My Brother's Keeper, Fearless Faith, Christmas Manger, The Prayer Box, A Question of Faith, Forgiven, Grace of God, The Woodcarver and What Would Jesus Do.)

Prior to working as a Film Director, Kevan served as a law enforcement officer for the Los Angeles County Police Department. 

Brandon Riley  - Producer

Brandon has worked on more than 40+ projects over the last 10 years as a Film and Television  Line-Producer, Producer and Assistant Director.  Brandon holds a Bachelors degree in radio/tv/film and a minor in philosophy from the University of North Texas and is currently a member of both the Directors Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America.

Prior to working in Film/TV,  Brandon worked for various churches and ministries creating media content and telling stories of faith and hope.


Help us Spread the word!

We need your help to get the word out about this movie and our crowd-funding efforts. Below are some ideas of how you can help spread this message.

1. Follow us on our social media accounts and post about the film on your personal social media account.

Twitter  | Facebook  | Instagram 

Use the following sentence to copy and paste into your social media accounts.

[copy]
Join me in supporting this awesome faith-based movie about a prisoner turned preacher gofundme.com/pardonedbygrace 
[copy]

2. Click the Share buttons (Facebook or Twitter) on the Go Fund Me page to share with your friends and network.

3. Get your church, ministry or organization involved. 

Decide to get your organization behind this project. That could mean showing the video (download here) to your audience or sharing this campaign on your organization's facebook page. Be creative and come up with a plan to get your community involved.


FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the timeline to complete the movie?

Pre-Production July 1st - 20th 2019
Production July 22nd - August 3rd
Post-Produciton August 10th - October 31st
Distribution 2020 (exact dates tbd)

Where will the movie be filmed?

Michigan City, Indiana and surrounding areas

Will my name be listed in the credits?

Yes. Every donor will be listed in the special thanks section at the end of the movie. Donors who give in excess of $25,000 will be listed as Executive Producers on the project.

Does the movie have distribution?

Yes. The film will be distributed through Atonement Pictures.

Where will the movie be shown?

Currently the plan is to show the movie in select theaters, online and to be used as a tool for churches, ministries and prisons to use as part of a sermon series about surrender.

Can I give a large gift?

Yes.  Donations in excess of $5,000 we encourage to do through a Bank Wire. Please email us at [email redacted]  with the subject line "Bank Transfer" to setup the transfer.

Can I get involved in the film?

Yes.  First of all we need your prayers. Pray that God would provide and help us to tell the best possible story. We are also looking for volunteers, cast, crew, locations and vehicles. See the below links on how you can participate.

Can I audition to be an actor?

Yes. If you are an actor and would like to be considered for a role(s) you can submit via Actor Access . If you don't have an Actors Access account it's free to create and easy to submit.

Can I be a volunteer extra?

Yes. Please submit the following information via this online form. If you have more than one person in your family please submit a new form per person. Online Submission Form 

Do you need crew members?

Yes. Send resumes and inquiries to [email redacted].

Is my contribution tax deductible?

Yes. Donations made to this campaign will go to Graham Family Films in care of The National Center for Life and Liberty (a certified non-profit). You will receive a tax receipt from PayPal Giving Fund mid January 2020.  

Is my card information safe?

GoFundMe features the very best in secure payment encryption technology. Your information is very safe.

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The National Center for Life and Liberty Inc is a 501c3 Non-Profit and all gifts are tax deductible.

EIN 46-0765715