Roy W. Dean Grant Summer 2025 Finalists
Congratulations to the films selected to be Roy W. Dean Grant Summer Finalists.
20 films were chosen as finalists. On this page, we give each filmmaker the opportunity to tell the world about their film. They choose the pictures and loglines. Some may choose not to reveal their projects on this page and we respect their wishes.
Since 1992, From the Heart Productions has supported filmmakers with cash and substantial professional discounts from our film industry partners, averaging an estimated $30,000 per filmmaker. The Roy W. Dean grants program, with several annual deadlines, has grown into one of the most sought after competitions in the world.
The Roy W. Dean Grant funds unique films that make a contribution to society. It gives filmmakers with great stories told with passion the funding to get their projects started or completed.
2025 Summer Grant Finalists
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19
Big Rock Burning
Short
imdb.com

Big Rock Burning is an intimate 30 minute documentary exploring the resilient spirit of Malibu's Big Rock community as they rebuild from the ashes of the devastating Palisades Fire, one of America's worst wildfires. The film captures the raw aftermath of a harrowing night when residents were left to fend for themselves after officials deemed the area too dangerous to enter. With no help coming, neighbors turned into first responders; some fighting back flames with garden hoses, others forced to flee through walls of fire.
Kids Got Rights
Hybrid Documentary/Animation Feature
kidsgotrights.com

Kids Got Rights is a hybrid documentary where children become the narrators of their own empowerment—using
interviews and animation to teach fellow kids about their human rights, from protection against abuse to the right to
equality. Through candid interviews and imaginative storytelling, the project educates, inspires, and equips young people to recognize their worth, identify harmful behavior by adults, and raise their awareness—and their voices.
Each of the five episodes will explore a core human rights theme—such as inhumane treatment, equality, child labor, housing and free speech, and abuse—through the voices of children and expert insights.
Big in Gazi Baba
Feature

Sadije (14) is a wrestling champion from Skopje’s Albanian-Muslim district Gazi Baba. Expected to be her family’s breadwinner as a modern “sworn virgin”, she wrestles under the Macedonian flag, yet doesn’t speak the language. Wrestling offers escape but also relentless pressure: cutting weight, training under male coaches, and navigating a world where her victories are sidelined by ethnic politics. Sadije must decide whether wrestling is her freedom or just another role shaped by others’ expectations.
FREEDOM - A Modern-Day Western Romance
Feature
freedommovieproject.com

A Modern-day Western film celebrating
independence, authenticity, resilience,
and the western way of life.
Inspired by: Writer Anita Waggoner’s
true story.
After a bitter divorce shatters her world, a resilient woman leaves behind a life of luxury and takes a chance on love with a rugged cowboy struggling to keep his ranch afloat. As she invests in his dreams, their whirlwind romance is tested by pride, hardship, and the unforgiving realities of the western way of life. Together, they must confront their pasts and fight for a future where love, perseverance, and true freedom reign.
Freedom has won accolades of multiple film festivals,
proving its storytelling excellence.
Your Eyes and Love in Grain and Shadow
Documentary
instagram.com

In 1960s New York, photographer Melissa Shook turned her lens inward—documenting the everyday life of her mixed daughter, Krissy, within a vibrant, multi-ethnic artist community.
Through rarely seen photographs and newly developed Super 8 film, "Your Eyes and Love in Grain and Shadow" is an intimate portrait of motherhood, memory, and artistic legacy from a feminist perspective.
Invisible Masters
Documentary
vimeo.com

To save a dying martial art, a Kung Fu master relocates to New York, confronting a chaotic modern world that tests his ancient teachings and resolve.
Reef Keepers
Documentary
reefkeepersfilm.com

Reef Keepers follows three scientists' journey of care, connection, and defiance as they refuse to let Florida’s Coral Reef—and the communities that depend on it—slip away. Amid record-breaking heat waves, hurricanes, and loss, they aren’t just saving corals: They’re proving that stewardship and grit can turn the tide.
Xena: No Apologies
Documentary
trigoldentertainment.com

From 1995 – 2001, in 108+ countries, XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS delighted global audiences with its bold, entertaining stories of two fierce warrior women travelling the Ancient World, looking for trouble. Fans identified with Xena, a powerful warlord seeking to atone for her dark past, and Gabrielle, a compassionate village girl who was Xena’s partner and moral compass.
In compelling interviews with stars Lucy Lawless (Xena), Renee O'Connor (Gabrielle) and key XENA cast, producers/writers, and the fans themselves, the film explores the challenges overcome by this groundbreaking Series, and its profound impact on XENA fans and society.
Filthy
Short

When a teenage girl gets her first period at a purity ball rehearsal, she transforms her shame into visceral rebellion that ignites an explosive uprising against the oppressive culture suffocating her community.
Fall of the Phoenix
Documentary
fallofthephoenix.com

Fall of the Phoenix is a mythically inspired documentary that follows a filmmaker down the rabbit hole of brain injury, into icy native lands, mobile brain clinics, prison cells, healing gardens and buried memories. Alongside survivors, doctors, and advocates, she discovers that invisible injuries don’t just alter brains—they reshape entire realities.
Carry My Voice
Feature

Lovers separated by the Syrian-Turkish border face impossible odds to reunite, based on a true story that proves love has no borders
Carry My Voice is on the Post production process
26 Seconds - USA Docu Series: EP 1 - The Border Crisis
Web/TV Series
26secondsdoc.com

The “26 Seconds” USA docuseries highlights the heartbreaking stories of young women who were trafficked as children right here in the United States, and who have all experienced similarly horrific traumas. The story is told from the survivors’ point of view and outlines the horrors of their captivity. Episode 1, “The Border Crisis,” is a poignant and unapologetic episode that takes the viewer on a compelling and emotional journey, shedding light on the 300,000 children missing from the U.S. southern border and the stories of American survivors. The docuseries strives to create awareness and serves as a call to action, with the ultimate goal of destroying this horrific global industry.
What Departs With Us
Feature
whatdepartswithus.com

An imagining of Ethel Rosenberg’s final moments as five electrical shocks ended her life, told
through unfolding flashbacks of pivotal memories.
In 1953, at the height of The McCarthy era, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were executed
for espionage. Some seventy years later, declassified documents confirm that Ethel was
innocent of the charges against her, and that the FBI knew it at the time. What Departs with
Us is a creative and moving telling of Ethel Rosenberg's story, one that goes beyond the
headlines to reveal a whole human: a citizen, a wife, an activist, a mother, a
daughter.
Higher Calling
Documentary
highercallingmovie.com

3 Friends, 3 Motorcycles, and the Himalayas.
After losing his brother, a young man sets off on a motorcycle through the Himalayas, seeking a cure for his broken heart but finding something far more unexpected.
This heartfelt story captures more than just miles traveled, it reveals how a journey can become a powerful catalyst for healing.
"FROM A DARKENED ROOM - THE DIARY OF A NOBODY"
Documentary
darkenedroomdocfilm.com

Filmmaker Lorenzo DeStefano is grateful that his upcoming feature documentary, “FROM A DARKENED ROOM – THE DIARY OF A NOBODY”, is a Finalist for the Summer 2025 Roy Dean Grant. The film chronicles the life and work of the notorious Boston diarist ARTHUR CREW INMAN (1895-1963), author of the 17-million word/155 volume “INMAN DIARY”, published by Harvard University Press. An epic of collective memory, the documentary tell the bizarre true story of Inman’s decades-long quest for literary immortality. A man obsessed with connectivity decades before the word was invented, Inman's 40-year marriage to his long-suffering wife and chief collaborator EVELYN YATES (1909-1985) is also a major theme.
Diwata
Short
instagram.com

After her granddaughter drowns, a secretly-magical Filipina grandmother ("Lola") hides from the ocean she once loved. Five years later, fed up with her toxic family and 80th birthday, Lola returns to the sea to use her magic to resurrect her granddaughter, hoping to find herself, too.
DIWATA is a fantasy drama short film that centers the coming-of-age story of an 80-year-old Filipina grandmother and the spirit of her 15-year-old granddaughter, who drowned years earlier. It won the 4Culture Project Grant, the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Screenplay at the Nevada City Film Festival, the Imagine This Women's Film Festival, and was a Finalist for the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge.
Hope from the Himalayas
Documentary
nourishyoursoulayurveda.com

In the heart of the Himalayas, Hope from the Himalayas tells the powerful story of Santosh Shah, a passionate youth leader dedicated to uplifting his community through the healing practices of Ayurveda and herbal tea cultivation. As he battles the harsh realities of poverty and human trafficking, he empowers resilient individuals like Muna to break free from their past, illustrating how hope, education, and empowerment can transform lives and foster a brighter future.
Behind the Counter: Secrets at Stash's Pizza
Documentary

In the shadow of a beloved neighborhood pizzeria, its workers were trapped in plain sight. “Behind the Counter” uncovers the hidden world of labor trafficking through the eyes of survivors who endured— and overcame—years of exploitation.
Customers at Stash’s Pizza in Boston, Massachusetts ordered slices unaware that behind the counter, a darker story was unfolding. The owner, Stavros “Steve” Papantoniadis, coerced immigrant workers to labor for 14+ hours a day, seven days a week, under threats of violence, deportation, and constant surveillance. In 2024, he was sentenced to over eight years in federal prison—but the survivors’ stories have never been told, until now.
Pearl Rising
Short
pearlrisingfilm.com

Pearl Rising is a transformative cinematic experience following Mother Earth as she destroys the souls of her own creation. A gripping tale of the planet’s only chance to recover unfolds as her daughter, Pearl, has her own wishes for the future of humanity.
This film, more intended as an experience, aims to provoke change by spotlighting humanity's impact on Earth. Through powerful visual effects and captivating dance and poetry, it inspires a shift towards sustainability and awareness of our environmental responsibilities.