Docuseries by Kelly Galindo Exposes the Hidden Crisis of Trafficked American Children
From the Heart Productions, a top-rated nonprofit organization supporting independent filmmakers,proudly announces “26 Seconds – USA Border Crisis” as the recipient of the Roy W. Dean Fall Grant, honoring the project’s extraordinary social impact, artistic strength, and fearless commitment to truth.
Directed, written, edited, and produced by Kelly Galindo, 26 Seconds – USA Border Crisis is a poignant and unapologetic docuseries that sheds light on one of the most devastating humanitarian crises in the United States today: the estimated 300,000 children missing from the U.S. southern border.
“This project reflects the very heart of what the Roy W. Dean Grant exists to support,” said Carole Joyce, Director of the Roy W. Dean Grants. “Kelly Galindo has dedicated her life and career to amplifying voices that are too often silenced. 26 Seconds – USA Border Crisis is courageous, deeply moving, and essential viewing. It is a film that has the power to awaken audiences and inspire real change.”
A Survivor-Centered Story That Demands Attention
Told entirely from the survivors’ point of view, 26 Seconds – USA Border Crisis highlights the heartbreaking stories of young American women who were trafficked as children and endured similarly horrific trauma—often within their own communities. The film outlines the brutal realities of captivity while honoring the strength, courage, and resilience of those who survived.
Rather than sensationalizing the issue, the documentary centers survivor voices with dignity and clarity, exposing systemic failures while raising urgent awareness about a global industry that continues to thrive in silence. The 26 Seconds team created the film as both an act of witness and a call to action, with the ultimate goal of helping dismantle human trafficking worldwide.
Grant Award & Production Support
As the Roy W. Dean Fall Grant winner, Kelly Galindo will receive:
- $3,500 in cash
- Over $20,000 in donated production services, including:
- 🎼 $15,000 in original music by composer David Raiklen
- 🎨 $6,000 in animation services by Emmy Award–winner Charlie Canfield
- 💡 $500 in film gear from Filmtools
- 🎬 Thousands more in professional services donated by dedicated supporters of independent filmmaking
About Filmmaker Kelly Galindo
Kelly Galindo is an American actress, writer, director, editor, and producer whose work spans television, theater, and film. For more than a decade, she has led the 26 Seconds documentary project, driven by a lifelong commitment to giving voice to trafficked children and women worldwide. Her investigative filmmaking has taken her to 10 countries, exposing trafficking networks and highlighting nonprofits actively working to end exploitation.
Galindo has recently completed 26 Seconds – ISIS Sex Slaves and 26 Seconds – USA Border Crisis, both currently available on Epoch TV and slated for release with Angel Studios in 2026. She is also in post-production on the 26 Seconds – USA docuseries. In addition to filmmaking, she is a professor at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, has previously taught at UCLA, and is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio.
About the Roy W. Dean Grant
Since its inception in 1992, the Roy W. Dean Grant has provided over $2,000,000 in cash and donated film services to independent filmmakers. The grant is awarded to projects budgeted under $500,000 that demonstrate originality and social impact. With four grants awarded each year, the program serves as a crucial resource for independent filmmakers striving to complete their projects.
Past winners of the grant include winner of the 2025 Truer than Fiction Spirit Award Winner A Photographic Memory, 2021 Emmy winners Belly of the Beast and The Love Bugs, as well as Sundance Film Festival selection Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, and acclaimed documentary Kusama-Infinity.
About From the Heart Productions
From The Heart Productions is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to helping independent filmmakers secure funding and bring their projects to fruition. In addition to the Roy W. Dean Grant, the organization offers fiscal sponsorship, personal guidance, and free classes on fundraising and filmmaking. Through its fiscal sponsorship program, From the Heart has helped filmmakers raise over $30 million in donations for their films.
President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts and the new online class Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.
