“Fight Like a Lady: The Rusty Kanokogi Story” Wins Roy W. Dean Grant for Summer 2020

Posted on November 14, 2020 by Richard Kaufman

Grant Will Help Filmmakers Continue Production on Feature Documentary on Trailblazing Women’s Judo Champion

Awarded to a film that is unique and that makes a contribution to society, the Roy W. Dean Grant for Summer 2020 goes to “Fight Like a Lady: The Rusty Kanokogi Story.”

Sponsored by the non-profit From the Heart Productions , the Roy W. Dean Grant is awarded 3 times each year, Spring, Summer, and Fall. This is the second Roy W. Dean Grant win for director Heather Lenz, having won previously for her award winning film “Kusama-Infinity”. She and her production team will receive $3,500 cash and thousands more in donated production services and products to help them work continue work on this great project.

“We are honored to support this unique, incredible story of one woman’s personal triumph in what was considered a man’s sport.” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “Heather Lenz is a talented director/producer, and we know this will be an award-winning, historical documentary.”

“Fight Like a Lady: The Rusty Kanokogi Story” is a feature documentary about a trailblazer in women’s judo. In 1959, “Rusty” (née Glickman) Kanokogi disguised herself as a man to compete in judo and won a medal that was taken away as punishment. Afterward, she spent the rest of her life fighting for gender equality and eventually succeeded at getting women’s judo into the Olympics.

Jean Kanokogi, PhD, Rusty’s daughter and the co-author of the soon to be released book, “Get Up & Fight: the Memoir of Rusty Kanokogi,” has stated, “I’m thrilled that a documentary will be made to celebrate Rusty’s life and help share her story with a larger audience.” Lenz Filmz CEO Heather Lenz and Bronson Park CEO, Art Horan are in pre-production on the film, based on Rusty’s life rights and the forthcoming book. Lenz and Horan will produce and Lenz will direct.

“As with my last documentary, about the artist Yayoi Kusama, From the Heart Productions is the first grantor/funder to come on board” said Heather. “It takes vision for a funder to provide early support. I would like to thank them for believing in me and for helping to support independent films and filmmakers.”

In addition to the $3,500 cash prize, Heather will receive a LaCie Rugged RAID Shuttle 8TB Portable Hard Drive from Lacie , $1,295.00 Scholarship to Writers Boot Camp , free color correction for fundraising trailers; free workflow consultation and camera tests. A 20% discount on final color correction services from Sam Dlugach , and more from many other heartfelt film industry donors.

About the Filmmaker

Heather Lenz – Director/Producer – Heather Lenz is an award-winning filmmaker who is particularly drawn to telling true stories of trailblazers, underdogs, and people who have not walked the beaten path. Lenz is best known for KUSAMA-INFINITY, a feature length documentary about Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese artist who overcame sexism, racism, and mental illness on her path to becoming the top selling living female artist in the world.

Winner of a Roy W. Dean Grant, KUSAMA-INFINITY premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received international distribution. Lenz was a 2018 Critics’ Choice Award nominee for best first-time director. In 2019, she was awarded The Women’s International Film and Television Showcase Foundation International Visionary Award in Documentary Film.

Lenz is a Film Independent Fellow who is currently participating in the Women in Film Documentary Mentorship Program. She earned her MFA at the University of Southern California in Film and Television Production. The first documentary short film that Lenz directed, Back to Back, was nominated for a Student Academy Award and screened in film festivals world-wide.

Heather has just built and launched social media sites in support of the Rusty film. To learn more and to follow the progress, you can visit the film’s official website at http://rustymovie.com/. The film’s handle on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is @therustymovie. Heather’s personal website is https://heatherlenz.com/.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

From it’s inception in 1992, 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 the Emmy winning “Mia: A Dancer’s Journey”, 2019 Sundance Film Festival selection “Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins”, and the acclaimed documentary “Belly of the Beast” which is now in distribution showing in theaters around the US and premieres on PBS November 23rd.

About From the Heart Productions

From The Heart Productions is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 1993 that 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 it’s 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 online class “How to Fund Your Film”.

“Keeper of Time” Wins First Roy W. Dean Grant for 2020

Posted on June 21, 2020 by Richard Kaufman

Winner to Receive $30,000 Cash and Production Services to Complete Project

From the Heart Productions has announced that the winner of their Spring 2020 Roy W. Dean Grant is the documentary “Keeper of Time”. Awarded 3 times each year by the non-profit organization, the grant goes to a unique film that makes a contribution to society. Director Michael Culyba and his team will receive $3,500 cash and thousands more in donated production services and products to help them complete post-production.

Roy W. Dean Grant Winner

“This is such a beautiful and thoughtful film” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions which sponsors the grant. “All of us at From the Heart Productions are very excited that we are able to help this film get completed.”

“Keeper of Time” is a feature length documentary film that explores the history of horology, mechanical watchmaking and the very concept of time. With interviews from top horological experts and the finest watchmakers in the world, it delves into the world of timekeeping by examining the planets and stars above, the astonishing engineering of mechanical watches, the sophisticated atomic clocks that keep our modern world running and much more.

All the while, “Keeper of Time” contemplates the theoretical and physiological notions of time, aging, and human mortality with interviews from cutting-edge scholars in the fields of theoretical physics, quantum mechanics and philosophy.

In addition to the $3,500 cash prize, Michael Culyba will receive an G-tech ArmorATD drive from G-Technology, 40% deduction on color, editing, and sound & all production services from ProMedia NYC, 30% discount in equipment rental from AbelCine Tech, Inc. NYC, and more from many other heartfelt film industry donors.

About the Filmmaker

Michael Culyba – Director/Producer/Editor – Michael has been editing documentary films in New York City for over seventeen years.

Some of his credits include Dixie Chicks: Shut Up & Sing (Toronto International Film Festival 2006), Gary Hustwit’s Urbanized (Toronto International Film Festival 2011), Running from Crazy (Sundance Film Festival 2013) and My Own Man, produced by Edward Norton (TriBeCa Film Festival 2014).

Most recently he edited two-time Oscar winning director Barbara Kopple’s film This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Keeper of Time is his directorial debut.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Past winners of the grant include the Emmy winning Mia: A Dancer’s Journey, 2019 Sundance Film Festival selection Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, and the acclaimed documentary Kusama-Infinity which is now in distribution showing in theaters around the US and world.

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 it’s fiscal sponsorship program. President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts and the new online class “How to Fund Your Film”.

For More Information and interview requests, please contact:

Richard Kaufman

richard@fromtheheartproductions.com

www.fromtheheartproductions.com

Finalists Chosen for First Roy. W. Dean Film Grant of 2020

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Richard Kaufman

22 Films Selected for Grant Valued at $30K

Celebrating its 28^th year, the Roy W. Dean Film Grants are awarded to films that are unique and make a contribution to society. Awarded 3 times each year, From The Heart Productions, the nonprofit which offers the grant, announced the finalists for their Spring grant. The winner will receive $3,500 cash and thousands more in donated production services from film industry professionals and companies.

“We were truly fortunate to have received so many outstanding submissions from around the world.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “We got applications from Estonia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada and Argentina just to name a few.”

The Roy W. Dean Film Grant is open to documentary films, feature films, web series, and short films or a combination. It is open to filmmakers internationally for films with a budget of under $500,000. The grant is an essential lifeline for filmmakers wishing to finish their films which can often take years.

Unique to the Roy W. Dean Film Grant is all applicants are offered a free consultation on their project. They can discuss their proposals, search for funding, distribution, or whatever they feel is needed to move their film forward. Winner of the grant is expected to be announced in August.

The grant finalists are:

Title	Type	Filmmaker
Ginga	Short Film	Or Schraiber
The Chemical Factory	Documentary	Andrew Leung
Good Time Fela	Short Film	Adomako Aman
Live Bum	Documentary	Beau Sylte
Chaperone	Feature Film	Zoe Eisenberg
26 Seconds	Documentary	Kelly Galindo
Scrap	Feature Film	Vivian Kerr
Seaper Powers: In Search of Bleu Jay’s Treasure	Feature Film	Kim Cameron
Lea’s DIY	TV,Web or New Media	Lea Furnion
Scared To Debt: America’s Student Loan Scam	Documentary	Mike Camoin
Fatima	Documentary	Sourabh Dutta
Hamlet/Horatio	Feature Film	David Wenzel
The Golden Rule	Documentary	Stacey Stone
Pomegranate	Short Films	Molly Evans
Keeper of Time	Documentary	Michael Culyba
Martha	Feature Film	Debra McClutchy
Love Me Bait Me	Documentary	Rachel Ward
Voice of Vanilla	Documentary	Maureen Maloney
Fandango at the Wall	Documentary	Afro Latin Jazz Alliance
Tommies	Feature Film	Ioanna Karavela
A Journey of a Thousand Miles	Documentary	Zhu Shen
Tuesday Lunch	Documentary	DIANE STARK

Each of the grant finalists is given the opportunity to post information on their contending film on the From the Heart Productions website. Filmmakers can include an image from the film, filmmaker info, and loglines. If they have available, filmmakers can include a link to their film’s website, Facebook page, or relevant social media connection.

In addition to the $3,500 in cash provided by From the Heart Productions the winner will also receive $500 in expendables, lighting or grip equipment from Filmtools, a G-Technology ArmorATD hard drive with case, 30% discount in equipment rental from AbelCine Tech, Inc. NYC, and more from film industry companies and individuals.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Founded in 1992 by Carole Dean, the Roy W. Dean Film Grant seeks films that are unique and make a contribution to society that, without it’s help, might otherwise not get made. There is a Spring, Summer and Fall Grant. The Summer Grant is now accepting applications. Deadline is June 30^th.

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 completed. Besides providing funding through the grant, they offer filmmakers fiscal sponsorship which allows donations made to films they sponsor to be tax deductible. From the Heart Productions has helped independent filmmakers raise over $10 million through its fiscal sponsorship program. They also offer Intentional Filmmaking Class which focuses on film funding. President Carole Dean is the author of the best-selling “ The Art of Film Funding: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts” as well as the new online class “How to Fund Your Film”.

“How to Have an American Baby” Wins Roy W. Dean Grant

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Richard Kaufman

Winner to Receive $30,000 Cash and Production Services to Complete Post-Production

Awarded to an independent film that is unique and makes a contribution to society, From the Heart Productions announced that the 3^rd and last Roy W. Dean Grant in the 2019 cycle goes to the documentary “How to Have an American Baby”.

Directed by Leslie Tai, “How to Have an American Baby” is a kaleidoscopic voyage behind the closed doors of the Chinese birth tourism industry—a booming shadow economy catering to Chinese tourists who travel to Southern California on “birthing vacations” in order to obtain U.S. citizenship for their babies.

Through a network of stories, the film traces the human supply chain from Beijing and Shanghai to Los Angeles—chronicling the fortunes and tragedies that befall the ordinary people caught in the web of its influence.

“We are very honored to support a this very talented filmmaker and help her to complete this moving, powerful film” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions which sponsors the grant. “It provides a fascinating look into how those from other countries view American society.”

In addition to the $3,000 cash prize, Leslie and producer Jillian Schultz will receive $6,000 in animation services from Emmy winner Charlie Canfield, $500 expendable, lighting and grip equipment from Filmtools, one week DSLR camera package rental from Birns & Sawyer, and more from many other heartfelt film industry donors

About the Filmmaker

Leslie Tai – Her work chronicles the dreams, anxieties, and consumer desire of China’s rising middle class and the Chinese diaspora from a distinctly female perspective.

A Chinese-American filmmaker hailing from San Francisco, Leslie moved to China in 2006 on a U.S. Fulbright Scholarship after graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in Design|Media Arts. There, she earned her filmmaking chops in the underground Chinese documentary world as a student of Wu Wenguang, a founding figure of the New Chinese Documentary Movement. From 2007-2011, she made and exhibited films as an artist of Wu’s Beijing-based studio, Caochangdi Workstation.

Tai is recipient of a 2019 Creative Capital Award and a graduate of the MFA Program in Documentary Film and Video at Stanford University. Her short films have premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, Visions du Réel (Nyon), International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and broadcast on The New York Times.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

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 $10 million through it’s fiscal sponsorship program. President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts

Documentary “999” Named Winner of 2nd Roy W. Dean Grant of 2019

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Richard Kaufman

Filmmaker to Receive $30,000 in Cash and Film Production Services to Help Complete Film

The documentary “999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Transport from Auschwitz” has been chosen by From the Heart Productions as winner of their Summer 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant. Awarded 3 times each year, the Roy W. Dean Grant goes to an independent film that is unique and makes a contribution to society. With the grant, first time filmmaker Heather Dune Macadam will continue her work to bring this important film to the public.

Roy W. Dean Grant Winner

“We need to reminded of the holocaust and it’s terrible toll with great films such as this.” said Carole Dean, president of From the Heart Productions. “It is an amazing, untold story that we are proud to help document.”

In addition to the $3,500 cash prize, the Roy W. Dean Grant Winner will receive $500 expendable, lighting and grip equipment from Filmtools, $1,295.00 Scholarship to Writers Boot Camp, 2TB ArmorATD hard drive from G-Technology, and more from many other heartfelt film industry donors.

About the Film

On March 26, 1942, a train took 999 unmarried, young Jewish women for government service–they thought they were going to a shoe factory to work. They ended up in Auschwitz. “999 – The Extraordinary Yound Women of the First Official Transport to Auschwitz” reveals the hidden story about how the Slovak government paid the Nazis to take their unmarried young Jewish women for slave labor, where they were supposed to be worked to death.

Who were these young women? Why were they chosen? How did a handful survive over three years in the death camps? Multiple narratives have been collected from survivors and families over the years that retrace that fateful transport and frame the girls’ stories with 94-year-old Edith Grosman—#1970—to discover the truth of this largely unreported and completely ignored women’s history about the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz.

What started as a documentary is now also a book being published by Kensington Citadel Press in the US. Heather’s goal is to have the documentary released with the book. The book is already creating a bit of a buzz on BookBuzz where it was picked as one of the top 10 nonfiction books for Fall/Winter 2019. Being translated into 12 languages to date, it will be released in the UK as The Nine Hundred by Hodder and Stoughton (February 2020).

About the Filmmaker

Heather Dune Macadam – Heather began her career as a performance artist and dancer with the Martha Graham Contemporary Dance Company. After an accident prematurely ended her performing career, she began writing. Her first book, was the memoir Rena’s Promise: A Story of Sisters in Auschwitz, which she co-wrote with the 716th woman in Auschwitz. In 2012, the Digital Edition went viral and became an instant best seller, topping Holocaust and Memoir lists on Amazon.

She has been published by The New York Times, National Geographic, The Guardian UK, The Daily Mail, Marie Claire, Newsweek among other national and international publications, and was a semi-regular commentator on NPR’s All Things Considered.

Ms. Macadam holds a Masters in Creative Writing and has received a Presidential Grant for Research from Savannah College of Art and Design and a PEN American stipend. She is the director and president of the Rena’s Promise Foundation and ran the Rena’s Promise Intl. Creative Writing Camp 4 Teens for 5 years, reaching out to children at risk and helping them discover their creative voices.

Her Roy W. Dean Grant Winning Film is her first film.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Now in its 27th year, 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.

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 $10 million through it’s fiscal sponsorship program. President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts.

For More Information and interview requests, please contact:

Richard Kaufman

richard@fromtheheartproductions.com

www.fromtheheartproductions.com

Feature Film “El Cadejo Blanco” Wins First Roy W. Dean Grant of 2019

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Richard Kaufman

Spring 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant Winner to Receive $30,000 in Cash and Film Production Services

From the Heart Productions, the nonprofit that awards the Roy W. Dean Grant has selected, for the first time in the grant’s 27 year history, a narrative feature film as a grant winner. “El Cadejo Blanco”, a female-driven crime thriller set in the dangerous world of “clicas” (youth-gangs) in Guatemala, is the recipient of the Spring 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant. Awarded 3 times each year, the Roy W. Dean Grant goes to an independent film that is unique and makes a contribution to society. The winning film will receive $30,000 in a combination of cash and production services to aid in it’s completion.

“El Cadejo Blanco”

“We are very thrilled to be able to support this film exposing the harsh realities of life for some in Latin American.” said Carole Dean, president of From the Heart Productions. “It is very exciting for us to assist this film through our grant on its journey to completion and to reach an audience.”

“El Cadejo Blanco” is a narrative/documentary hybrid feature film about a young, working-class girl from Guatemala City (Sarita) who, when her younger sister goes missing, travels to the small town of Puerto Barrios to track down her sister’s dangerous ex-boyfriend, Andrés. Through great peril and life-threatening tasks, Sarita lies about who she is and joins Andrés’ teen-gang, slowly growing closer to him and to the truth about what happened to her sister.

The script was written by director Justin Lerner with the help of real teenage gang members who shared with him their stories of living in Puerto Barrios and who will play versions of themselves in the film. They will act alongside a handful of Guatemala’s most famous, award winning film actors.

Lerner is a professor of film at the Cinema School at University of Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala City and this project has partnered with the NGO “Movimientos De Esperanza” to use some of the film’s budget to give financial, psychological, and emotional aid to the children of Puerto Barrios, before, during and after the film is finished, to give them opportunities to earn a living that does not involve violence, outside of the gangs.

In addition to the $3,500 cash prize, the Spring 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant Winner will receive, expendable, lighting and grip equipment from Filmtools, a Glyph StudioRaid 6tb hard drive from Glyph Production Technologies, 40% deduction on color, editing, and sound & all production services from ProMedia NYC, and more from many other heartfelt film industry donors.

About the Filmmaker

Justin Lerner – Writer/Director After graduating “cum laude” from Cornell University, Justin moved to Spain to teach, before getting an MFA in Film Production at UCLA. His thesis film “The Replacement Child” was awarded with two College Television Awards (Student Emmys) and premiered at Telluride Film Festival.

One year after receiving an MFA from UCLA, his first feature film “Girlfriend” premiered at Toronto Film Festival and won the Gotham Independent Film Audience Award. It went on to screen in 14 countries. His second feature film “The Automatic Hate” premiered at SXSW Film Festival and and was named by IndieWIRE as one of the 10 Best Films at SXSW. It was distributed by Film Movement.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Now in its 27th year, 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 needing help to continue working on their film and to get it completed. Without assistance from the grant, many excellent and important films may never have been made.

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 films fiscal sponsorship which allows donations made to films they sponsor to be tax deductible. From The Heart has helped independent filmmakers raise over $10 million through it’s fiscal sponsorship program. President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts.

For More Information and interview requests, please contact:

Richard Kaufman

richard@fromtheheartproductions.com

www.fromtheheartproductions.com

Summer 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant Finalists Named

Posted on October 20, 2019 by Richard Kaufman

26 Films Selected as Summer 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant Finalists. Winner to Receive Grant Valued at $30K in Cash and Production Services

From The Heart Productions , the nonprofit dedicated to helping of independent filmmakers fund their films, announced Summer 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant finalists. The second of 3 film grants awarded yearly, the Roy W. Dean Grant is given to a film that is unique and makes a contribution to society. The winner will receive $3,500 cash and thousands more in donated production services from film industry professionals and companies.

Summer 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant Finalists

“The quality of work and commitment to it from all these filmmakers is wonderful.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “All of the projects chosen to compete for the grant have the opportunity to become exceptional films in the future.”

Now in its 27^th year, the Roy W. Dean Grant is open to documentary films, feature films, web series, and short films or a combination. It is open to filmmakers around the world. Applications were received not just from U.S., but from filmmakers in Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Lebanon, and the Ukraine.

All filmmakers who entered the grant are given the opportunity for a free consultation on their project. Winner of the grant is expected to be announced in November.

The Summer 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant finalists are:

Title	Film Type	Submitting Filmmaker
Where Love is Illegal	TV, Web or New Media	Nick Fitzhugh
In Justice	TV, Web or New Media	Nikki Hevesy
Help Is On The Way	Documentary	William Nolan
One List One Life	TV, Web or New Media	Dillon Hill
The History Of This	Documentary	Leyla Rouhi
Beyond The Duplex Planet	Documentary	Beth Harrington
26 Seconds	Documentary	Kelly Galindo
The Vintage Voyageur	TV, Web or New Media	Allison Maldonado
An Elephant In The Room	Documentary	Katrine Sahistrom
El Cadejo Blanco	Feature	Justin Lerner
999 The Extraordinary Young Women	Documentary	Heather Dune Macadam
Swanson on Sunset	Documentary	Jeffrey Schwarz
Ready Or Not?	Documentary	Jenny Mackenzie
Acid Test	Feature	Jenny Waldo
Conscience	Short	Brandon Kelly
Sacrifice Zones: The 48217	Feature	Ben Corona
Wali & Zuri	Short	Derrick Woodyard
Quantum Qi	TV, Web or New Media	Sharron Rose
Radical Landscapes	Documentary	Elettra Fiumi
Dawn Dusk	Documentary	Jason & Blue Gerber
Mermaids Against Plastics	Documentary	Sylvia Johnson
Crossing Market	Short	Brandon Kajewski
The Other Tribe	Documentary	Lydia Mangeni Stewart
40 Days & 40 Nights	Documentary	Taira Akbar
Busted	Feature	Rebecca Hamm
La Recua	Documentary	Trudi Angell

Each finalist is given the opportunity to post information on their contending film on the From the Heart Productions website. You can view an image from the film, filmmaker info, and loglines. If they have available, filmmakers can include a link to their film’s website, Facebook page, or relevant social media connection.

In addition to the $3,500 in cash provided by From the Heart Productions the winner will also receive $500 in expendables, lighting or grip equipment from Filmtools, a G-Technology ArmorATD hard drive with case, $1,295.00 Scholarship to Writers Boot Camp, and more from heartfelt film industry donors that support independent filmmaking.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Founded in 1992, the Roy W. Dean Grant seeks films that are unique and make a contribution to society that, without it’s help, might otherwise not get made. There is a Spring, Summer and Fall Grant. The Fall 2019 Grant has extended its previous deadline and is accepting entries until Oct 31^st.

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 films fiscal sponsorship which allows donations made to films they sponsor to be tax deductible. From the Heart Productions has helped independent filmmakers raise over $10 million through its fiscal sponsorship program. President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts.

Win, Shoot, Get Film Score with Roy W. Dean Grant

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Richard Kaufman

Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall Offers Cash and Production Services Including Music

Production team from Roy W. Dean Grant Winner “Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins”. Film Will be in Theaters in September Across U.S.

The final Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Fall 2019 offers indie filmmakers a prize that should be music to their ears as well as their audience. The winner receives $3,000 cash, $30,000 in film services to shoot and finish their project, including a film score!

Award winning composer David Raiklen will give the grant recipient $15,000 in theme music for their project. David provided music for the Emmy and Roy W. Dean Grant winning documentary “Mia: A Dancer’s Journey”. In addition, Emmy award winner Charlie Canfield will donate $6,000 in animation services to the winner.

The Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall

Now in its 27^th year, the Roy W. Dean Film Grant seeks films that are unique and make a contribution to society. Projects can be documentaries, short films, features, or web series. Deadline for submission is October 31st, 2019.

Other prizes include a one week DSLR camera package rental from Birns & Sawyer, $500 in expendables from Filmtools, a 20% discount on the design of your marketing sheet by award winning designer Dan Chapman, and much more from many heartfelt donors.

Each Applicant Gets a Consultation on Their Project

Another unique part of the grant is each applicant for the grant is given the opportunity for a 15 minute consultation on their project from a member of the non-profit From The Heart Productions which sponsors the grant.

More information about the grant can be found at https://fromtheheartproductions.com/roy-w-dean-film-grants-and-awards/

You can apply for the grant at https://fromtheheartproductions.com/grant-application-form/.

For more information, please email info@fromtheheartproductions.com or call 805-984-0098

About the Roy W. Dean Film Grant

Founded in 1992, the Roy W. Dean Grant seeks films that are unique and make a contribution to society that, without it’s help, might otherwise not get made. There is a Spring, Summer and Fall Grant. Films submitted to the grant can be short films, documentaries, features, and web series from early stages of pre-production to those needing help in post.

The grant has been integral in helping talented artists with great stories get their films produced. Recent past winners of the grant include the award winning “Heist: Who Stole the American Dream”, “Kusama-Infinity”, and Emmy winner “Mia: A Dancer’s Journey”.

About From the Heart Productions

The 501(c)3 non-profit which sponsors the grant was founded by Carole Dean in 1993 when she saw how many filmmakers with important and often controversial stories were having trouble getting financing for their films. The mission of From the Heart Productions is to educate and assist filmmakers in getting funding to create unique films that make a contribution to society.

Under their fiscal sponsorship program, From the Heart Productions offers advice and guidance to filmmakers looking to fundraise. It also allows donors to projects to get a tax deduction for their donations. Their Intentional Filmmaking Classes which teaches filmmakers the tactics on how to get funded is now open for enrollment. New classes start Sept 23rd.

Roy W. Dean Grant Finalists Named for First Grant of 2019

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Richard Kaufman

25 Films Still in Competition for Grant Valued at $30K

From The Heart Productions has announced the Roy W. Dean Grant finalists for its Spring 2019 grant. One of the oldest grants in U.S. for independent filmmakers, the grant is awarded to a film that is unique and makes a contribution to society. The winner will receive $3,500 cash and thousands more in donated production services from film industry professionals and companies.

“It is always a joy and honor to review all the incredible projects submitted from such talented filmmakers.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “It was not easy choosing finalists from so many life changing and world changing stories that all need to be told.”

Finalists include documentary films, feature films, web series, and a short film. These finalists will now go to the judges to determine winner. The announcement of the winner is expected in September.

List of Roy W. Dean Grant Finalists

TITLE FILM TYPE SUBMITTING FILMMAKER

El Cadejo Blanco Feature Justin Lerner

Pave the Road Documentary Kelly Mason

Underdogs Documentary Ashia Lance

Girls Are Strong Here Short Film Scott Burkhardt

El Susto (The Shock) Documentary Karen Akins

Women Behind the Wheel Documentary Hannah Congdon

Made: Meet Me At the Assembly Line Documentary Janette Chien

Scared to Debt:America’s Student Loan Scam Documentary Mike Chamoin

Assisted Living Web Series Amanda Bullis

Perma Red Documentary Maya Dittloff

26 Seconds Documentary Kelly Galindo

Shway Shway Web Series Rachelle Hair

Lady Long Rider Documentary Wren Winfield

Donnie Documentary Anna Augustowska

The MicroCosmic Cartoon Show Feature Prema Rose

Ground Zero: Ferguson Documentary Partick Hamm

The Weeping Season Documentary Alexandra Hildago

Lady Madonna Documentary Chris Cloyd

90291: Venice Unzipped Documentary Colin K. Gray

Dawn Dusk Documentary Jason & Blue Gerber

The Sixty-Six Percent Documentary Natalie Abruzzo

The Queen of the Lowriders Documentary Debbie Sanchez

Amara & Family Feature Suman Hanif

Grounded: The Roots of the Revolution Documentary Simon Geisker

La Recua (Saddling South) Documentary Trudi Angell

In addition to the $3,500 in cash provided by From the Heart Productions the donations of film services and products include $500 in expendables, lighting or grip equipment from Filmtools, a Glyph StudioRaid 6TB hard drive from Glyph Production Technologies, 40% deduction on color, editing, and sound & all production services from ProMedia NYC and more from film industry donors.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Founded in 1992, the Roy W. Dean Grant seeks films that are unique and make a contribution to society that, without it’s help, might otherwise not get made. There is a Spring, Summer and Fall Grant. The Fall 2019 Grant is now accepting entries. Films submitted to the grant can be short films, documentaries, features, and web series from early stages of pre-production to those needing help in post.

About From the Heart Productions

The 501(c)3 non-profit was founded by Carole Dean in 1993 when saw how many filmmakers with important and often controversial stories were having trouble getting financing for their films. The mission of From the Heart Productions is to educate and assist filmmakers in getting funding to create unique films that contribute to society.

“Triple Threat” Web Series Wins Fall 2018 Roy W. Dean Grant

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Richard Kaufman

Winner to Receive $30K in Cash and Production Services Including Film Score and Animation

For the first time in its 26 year history, a Roy W. Dean Grant has gone to a web series. “Triple Threat”, a comedy web series for women “of a certain age” has won the final grant available for 2018. Awarded 3 times each year by From the Heart Productions, the Roy W. Dean Grant goes to a film that is unique and makes a contribution to society. With the grant, writer, producer, and series co-star Gina Surles will now be able to complete post production of Episodes 3 and 4, as well as offset costs towards creating the next episode.

“Triple Threat”

“We are honored to award our Fall Grant to this brilliant web series. Our judges found this to be a fresh idea for an under served audience.” said Carole Dean, president of From the Heart Productions. “The acting and technical skills in this production are excellent.”

About the Web Series

“Triple Threat” tells the stories of three mature women searching for meaning in their lives, who become undercover detectives despite having no prior investigative experience. The mastermind of their “missions” is Francesca Fortuna, an 85-year-old wealthy widow, philanthropist with a heart of gold.

Described by its creator as “a cross between “The Golden Girls” meets “Charlie’s Angels” (but, seriously, without the bikinis)” Triple Threat was a project in the 2017 Creative Lab Hawaii Web Series Immersive program.

“Mature women have been under-represented in advertising, TV, movies, as well as in other industries including science, technology, and business.” commented Gina about her project. “Enter ‘Triple Threat’, for girls who still wanna have frolicking fun after 50!”

In addition to the $3,000 cash prize, the project’s producers will receive theme music and score written by composer David Raiklen, animation services from Emmy award winner Charlie Canfield , expendable, lighting or grip equipment from Filmtools, a hard drive from G-Technology, one week DSLR camera package rental from Birns & Sawyer , and more from many other heartfelt film industry donors.

About the Filmmaker

Gina Surles – Writer/Producer/’Rosie’

Born and raised in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois. Gina received her B.F.A. in dance from the University of Illinois, Champaign, Gina performed with regional ballet and modern dance companies. Gina has spent the last 35 years as assistant director of Hawaii State Ballet alongside her husband John Landovsky. She has helped train and produce some of Hawaii’s most talented professional dancers and ballet instructors.

She was elated to return to her first love, acting, and screenwriting. Triple Threat is her first project as a producer. She has worked as an extra on films and television shows shot in Hawaii and has had roles in several UH/Academy of Creative Media films that have screened at international film festivals. Gina was thrilled and extremely grateful to have Triple Threat accepted into the Creative Lab Hawaii Web Series Immersive program under the direction of Michael Palmieri, which she views as one of the most valuable of any learning experiences on her artistic journey to date.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Now entering its 27th year, 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 needing help to continue working on their film and to get it completed. Without assistance from the grant, many excellent and important films may never have been made.

Past winners of the grant that have been completed include the Emmy winning Mia: A Dancer’s Journey, the SXSW Best of Fest Music Film The Winding Stream: An Oral History of the Carter and Cash Family, Official Sundance 2019 selection Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, and Kusama-Infinity which is now in distribution showing in theaters around the US.

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 films fiscal sponsorship which allows donations made to films they sponsor to be tax deductible. From The Heart has raised over $3 million for crowdfunding films. President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts.

For More Information and interview requests, please contact:

Richard Kaufman

richard@fromtheheartproductions.com

About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From the Heart Productions

About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

22 Films Selected for Grant Valued at $30K

The grant finalists are:

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

Winner to Receive $30,000 Cash and Production Services to Complete Post-Production

About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

Filmmaker to Receive $30,000 in Cash and Film Production Services to Help Complete Film

About the Film

About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

Spring 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant Winner to Receive $30,000 in Cash and Film Production Services

About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

26 Films Selected as Summer 2019 Roy W. Dean Grant Finalists. Winner to Receive Grant Valued at $30K in Cash and Production Services

Title

Film Type

Submitting Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

The Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall

Each Applicant Gets a Consultation on Their Project

About the Roy W. Dean Film Grant

About From the Heart Productions

List of Roy W. Dean Grant Finalists

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From the Heart Productions

Winner to Receive $30K in Cash and Production Services Including Film Score and Animation

About the Web Series

About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions