Award Honors a Bold and Visionary Project That Uses Music and Raw Storytelling to Illuminate the Journey of Healing from PTSD
From the Heart Productions is proud to announce that Heal by Example, a courageous and deeply moving docuseries created by former first responder turned house music producer Thomas White, has been selected as the recipient of the Britt Penrod Award for the Roy W. Dean Spring Grant.
Established through the generosity of Britt Penrod, longtime supporter of the Roy W. Dean Grant, the award honors a finalist whose film is unique and makes an exceptional contribution to society. The Britt Penrod Award is an acknowledgment of visionary storytelling and social impact, awarded independently of the eventual Roy W. Dean Grant winners. Heal by Example stood out among this year’s entries with its artistic bravery and profound message of healing.
“Heal by Example is not only a powerful story, it’s a movement. It gives a voice to first responders and others silently suffering from PTSD, offering them hope and healing through the universal language of music,” said Carole Joyce, Director of the Roy W. Dean Grants. “We are thrilled to recognize this work with the Britt Penrod Award.”
About the Film
The docuseries follows the personal and transformative journey of Thomas Kalasz, who grapples with the effects of PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI). After years of service as a first responder, Thomas turned to house music—not just as a creative outlet, but as a lifeline. Through immersive storytelling, stunning cinematography, and emotionally charged interviews with mental health experts, musicians, psychedelic medicine providers, and fellow survivors, Heal by Example reveals the complex layers of trauma, recovery, and hope.
With each episode, viewers are invited into a raw, unfiltered experience of what healing can look, feel, and sound like. The series is designed to not only reduce stigma around mental health and psychedelic medicine but to build a community of support and inspiration. Through its educational interviews and visceral artistic sequences, Heal by Example fosters vital conversations around holistic wellness and post-traumatic growth.
In addition to receiving the Britt Penrod Award, Heal by Example is also a fiscally sponsored project of From the Heart Productions, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting independent filmmakers with unique voices and socially conscious projects.
About the Filmmakers
Thomas White – Producer & Subject
Thomas White is a former EMT, firefighter, and wildland medic who turned to electronic music after leaving emergency services to heal from PTSD and TBI. Music became his lifeline, and now, filmmaking his mission. Inspired by his own mental health journey, Thomas created Heal by Example to foster healing through storytelling and sound. His path into film began on a Netflix doc shoot, leading him to produce this deeply personal series. With musical mentorship from legends like Johnny Yono and Eddie Amador, Thomas merges house music with raw filmmaking to save lives through shared experience and creative expression.
Dan Foss – Co-Producer
Dan Foss is a filmmaker and media producer based near Atlanta with a background in indie films, documentaries, and live broadcast. After a TBI led him back to his creative roots, he completed a degree in Communication and Media Studies and founded Djames Foss Media. During the pandemic, he produced thousands of hours of live content for faith-based and food justice organizations, including a documentary on women farm owners. Known for his tireless work ethic and passion for storytelling, Dan brings heart, logistical expertise, and a vision for empowering untold voices to every frame of Heal by Example.
Lindsey – Director & Cinematographer
Lindsey is a filmmaker passionate about illuminating stories that inspire healing and social change. With nearly a decade of experience in documentary and narrative filmmaking, she currently serves as Creative Director at Community Seven Television. Lindsey’s past credits include Her Farm and Trashion, which explore food justice and sustainable fashion. She holds degrees in Digital Media Production and Communications. After meeting Thomas at a music venue, she felt compelled to help tell his story. Having seen PTSD’s impact on loved ones, Lindsey brings emotional depth, visual storytelling, and heartfelt dedication to her direction of Heal by Example.
About the Britt Penrod Award
Britt is president of Giant Entertainment & Management Inc. (G.E.M.) is a Los Angeles based Film & Television Studio design and development company with in depth experience in the United States, Europe and Asia.
G.E.M. delivers knowledgeable business foundations to Studio development projects that include; Market Analysis, Site Planning, Operating Financial Evaluation, Construction, MEP & Value Engineering, Start-up of Operations and ongoing Management Services for stage-based entertainment properties.
About the Roy W. Dean Grant
Now in its 32nd 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 that 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 Emmy Winners Belly of the Beast and The Love Bugs, 2019 Sundance Film Festival selection Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, as well as 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 fiscal sponsorship to filmmakers. This allows donations made to films they sponsor to be tax deductible. From The Heart has helped independent filmmakers raise millions through their fiscal sponsorship program. The non-profit also offers film funding and production educational programs which include their Intentional Filmmaking Class and Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course in Indie Film Production.
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.
