Roy W. Dean Grant Summer 2026 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.
2026 Summer Grant Finalists
Pelea
Short
peleaanimation.com
Daya Rojas is the daughter of Vivencia’s president, Elvia María Rojas. A talented inventor, she works alongside her lab partner and girlfriend, Lorena Mezua, on developing a technology that cleans up pollution. Lorena is from an Indigenous nation in the rainforest and is creating this technology to combat the contamination of her territory. When Elvia María’s Administration passes laws banning drilling in the rainforest, causing U.S. corporations to lose money, the CIA stages a coup and assassinates her. The CIA installs her brother, Hernando Rojas, as Vivencia’s new leader, plunging the nation into fascism. Daya, Lorena, and their friends must resist the regime to save their country.
