Film explores a pivotal moment in the life of the legendary Ella Fitzgerald and offers a deeply human and emotionally resonant portrait of one of the greatest jazz icons of all time.
From the Heart Productions is proud to announce that the short film “Ella,” to be directed by Nikki Taylor-Roberts and written by Anthea Piscarik, has been awarded the prestigious Carole Dorothy Joyce Award for Excellence in Storytelling as part of the Fall Roy W. Dean Grant competition.
The short film explores a key turning point in the life of the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. With
a focus on her tumultuous adolescence and the life-altering Apollo amateur night win that launched her illustrious career, “Ella” offers a deeply human and emotionally resonant portrait of one of the greatest jazz icons of all time.
A Testament to Storytelling Excellence
The Carole Dorothy Joyce Award includes $2,500 to aid the filmmakers in completing their film. It is granted to projects that exemplify exceptional storytelling, and “Ella” embodies this standard. The richly textured narrative spans Ella’s formative years in Yonkers and Harlem, showcasing her journey from a shy, scrappy teen dreaming of becoming a dancer to the poised and trailblazing jazz legend.
Carole Joyce, the award’s namesake and longtime champion of storytelling excellence, remarked, “Nikki Taylor-Roberts and Anthea Piscarik have created a story that not only honors Ella Fitzgerald’s legacy but also captures the profound humanity and resilience that shaped her journey. It was an absolute privilege to select this film for the Carole Dorothy Joyce Award for Excellence in Storytelling.”
About the Film
“Ella” is a proposed proof-of-concept short film for a feature-length project that delves into the life of the legendary Ella Fitzgerald, uncovering the origin story of her rise to fame. Through captivating hyperrealism and emotionally charged storytelling, the film transports audiences to pivotal moments in Ella’s tumultuous adolescence and the serendipitous events that launched her iconic career.
The narrative takes us from a Santa Monica recording studio in 1958, where Ella’s haunting rendition of Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me” unlocks a flood of memories, to the streets of 1930s Harlem, where a shy yet resilient teenage Ella fights to survive and ultimately finds her voice at the Apollo Theater’s amateur night. The film will explore Ella’s struggles, dreams, and triumphs while celebrating the unparalleled talent that made her one of the greatest vocalists of all time.
“It’s a profound honor to tell Ella’s story through a Black woman’s lens,” says Taylor-Roberts. “Ella’s life was a testament to the power of resilience and artistry. I want to show her humanity—the love she longed for, the pain she endured, and the light she found in music.”
About the Filmmakers:
Nikki Taylor-Roberts – Director is an Emmy-nominated producer, screenwriter, and director with an impressive career spanning film, television, and branded content. A director in Cate Blanchett’s Netflix-backed PROOF OF CONCEPT incubator, Nikki has helmed projects like Chicago Med and the Hulu favorite Go to Bed Raymond, which earned praise from The New York Times. Selected for HBO’s Project Greenlight, her work has screened at Cannes, Sundance, and MoMA. An alum of Northwestern University and Columbia University’s MFA Film Program, Nikki has also participated in prestigious initiatives, including Ryan Murphy’s Half and the AFI Directing Workshop for Women.
Anthea Piscarik– Screenwriter embraces the challenges of creativity with determination and humor. Once a self-proclaimed reluctant writer, Andrea overcame the perfectionist tendencies that hindered her process, learning the art of starting over each day. Inspired by Mark Twain’s wisdom that “the secret of getting ahead is getting started,” Andrea has turned her initial resistance into a disciplined craft. With a commitment to storytelling, she brings authenticity and passion to every project she tackles, infusing her work with a deep understanding of perseverance and the transformative power of words.
About the Roy W. Dean Grant
Now in it’s fourth decade, the Roy W. Dean Grant has awarded over $2,000,000 in cash and donated film services to independent films. The grant is awarded to films budgeted under $500,000 that are unique and make a contribution to society. It has been an important lifeline for independent filmmakers that help to get their projects started or finished. Without assistance from the grant, many excellent and important films may never have been made.
Past winners of the grant include winner of the 2025 Truer than Fiction Spirit Award 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 dedicated to helping filmmakers get their projects funded and made. Besides providing funding through the grant, they offer film fiscal sponsorship to filmmakers. This allows donations made to films they sponsor to be tax deductible. From The Heart has helped independent filmmakers raise over $30 million through their fiscal sponsorship program.
President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts and the new class Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.
