Grant News - From the Heart Productions Inc

Roy. W. Dean Film Grant Names Finalists for 2021 Summer Grant

Twenty Films in Running for Second Roy W. Dean Film Grant for 2021

Twenty fantastic finalists were chosen for the 2021 Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Summer 2021. Offered by the non-profit From The Heart Productions , the grant is awarded to a unique film and the 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.

“These films are all excellent and deserve to be completed and shown to the public.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “It is a great pleasure and honor to be able to be exposed to all this incredible work for very talented filmmakers.”

The Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Summer is the penultimate Roy W. Dean Film Grant for 2021. Now in its 30^th year, the grant seeks to help filmmakers get their films completed. All applicants to the grant 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 named at end of October.

The finalists are:

Title	Type	Submitting Filmmaker
Ellis	Documentary Feature	Sascha Just
The Bridge Ministry (wt)	Documentary Feature	Christopher Farina
I Was Born This Way	Documentary Short	Daniel Junge
An Extraordinary Woman	Documentary Short	Tara Price
Mujeres Gobernando	Documentary Feature	Timothy Moran
Discharge	Short Fiction	Ken Schwartz
Finding the Money	Documentary Feature	Maren Poitras
Broken Toy	Short Fiction	Oliver Woodward
The Legend of Princess Ronkonkoma	Feature Fiction	Maria Capp
Impossible Town	Documentary Feature	Meg Griffiths
Simulating Religious Violence	Documentary Feature	Jenn Lindsay
Hangtown	Documentary Feature	Stuart Harmon
On Board	Documentary Feature	Muriel Cravatte
The Missing	Documentary Feature	Fahrinisa Oswald
Stopping Traffic 2	Documentary Feature	Siddhali Shree
Not Soft	Short Fiction	Robert Macfarlane
The Portrait	Feature Fiction	Vinicius de La Rocha
Prodigal Daughter	Documentary Feature	Mabel Valdiviezo
Afghan Dreamers	Documentary Feature	Beth Murphy
The Science of Ink	Documentary Feature	Cary Weldy
Watering the West	Web Series	Shari Due
Coming Home: Fight for a Legacy	Documentary Feature	Matia Karrell
A Family of Stories	Documentary Feature	Alexandra Hidalgo

Each finalist 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 $1295.00 Scholarship to Writers Boot Camp, applicable to Online or live Professional Membership sessions, $429.00 OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dock hard drive from OWC , a major discount on sound mix from Jeff Alan of Alan Audio Works, and more from film industry companies and individuals.

Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall 2021 Now Accepting Applications

The final Roy W. Dean Grant of the year is open for submissions until Oct 31st. Winner will receive $3,000 and thousands more in donated services including a film score, animation, camera rental, and more to help them complete their film.

For more information and to apply, go to: https://fromtheheartproductions.com/roy-w-dean-film-grants-and-awards/

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Now celebrating its 30^th 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.

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, Peabody Award nominee Belly of the Beast, 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 its 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”.

Alexandra Hidalgo Wins Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Documentary Storytelling

Filmmaker Will Receive $2,500 to Help Complete Work on Project

From the Heart Productions, a 29 year old top-rated non-profit dedicated to helping independent filmmakers fund their projects, is pleased to announce that Alexandra Hidalgo has won the inaugural Carole Joyce Award for her documentary A Family of Stories. The prize is bestowed on a project submitted to the Roy W. Dean Film Grant that exhibits excellence in documentary storytelling. She will receive $2,500 to help her continue work on this film.

A Family of Stories

“Alexandra’s film is incredible and very deserving of this first-time award,” commented Carole Dean, president of From the Heart Productions. “Told from the heart, it is touching and captivating. We look forward to seeing it completed.”

A personal, true story, A Family of Stories celebrates family bonds even when they are at their most complicated. It’s a story about facing our familial demons with love and emerging stronger from the experience.

In 1983, Miguel Hidalgo, a Venezuelan writer and inventor, disappeared in the Amazon, leaving behind his six-year-old daughter. Now a filmmaker, her life is transformed as she untangles the mystery of his absence and figures out why her MIT-educated father with a genius IQ ended up buying gold in the Amazon.

As she uncovers secrets about him, her family, and herself she must come to terms with the fact that she based her identity on a mirage created by her ancestors. Having completed her quest, she starts over, aware of how her past shaped her but ready to move beyond the wounds she has carried since childhood.

A Family of Stories is written and directed by Alexandra Hidalgo and produced by Hidalgo and Natalia Machado. The film is co-produced by the US-based company Sabana Grande Productions and La Pandilla Producciones, a Venezuelan production company.

They’ve completed the film’s fine cut and the filmmakers are seeking finishing funds and European co-productions. You can learn more about A Family of Stories on its website: https://afamilyofstories.com/.

About the Filmmaker

Alexandra Hidalgo is an award-winning Venezuelan filmmaker, memoirist, film and TV critic, and editor whose documentaries have been official selections for film festivals in 15 countries and been screened at universities around the United States. A Family of Stories is her second feature as director and producer. Her short documentary Teta has been selected for 30 film festivals and won 8 awards, including best short documentary at three festivals.

Her videos and writing have been featured on The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, NPR, The Criterion Collection, and Women and Hollywood. She has a PhD in English from Purdue University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa University and is associate professor of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures and co-director of the Doc Lab at Michigan State University.

Her video book Cámara Retórica: A Feminist Filmmaking Methodology for Rhetoric and Composition received the 2018 Computers and Composition Distinguished Book Award. Her academic video essays have been published in Enculturation, Kairos, Present Tense, and Peitho, among others. She is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the digital publication agnès films: supporting women and feminist filmmakers.

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, Emmy winner and Peabody Award nominee Belly of the Beast, as well as the acclaimed documentary Kusama-Infinity.

About From The Heart Productions

Hot Films in the Making – Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Summer 2021

26 Films from Talented Filmmakers That You Will Be Hearing from in Future

With each of the four Roy W. Dean Film Grants offered by From the Heart Productions, there is a select group of films and filmmakers that, while not making the finals, deserve recognition. These are the Hot Films in the Making. These are films that chosen by the grant judges that have excellent concepts and brilliant filmmakers. They should be in the finals for Roy W. Dean Grant in coming years.

“Separation” – Feature from Hasan Demirtas

“These films deserve to be noticed and be supported.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “It is exciting to see, in the throes of creation, so many touching, heartfelt stories being tackled by exceptional filmmakers.”

The Roy W. Dean Grant seeks films that are unique and that make a contribution to society. It is the hope of From the Heart Productions that, by shining a light on these films, it will not only expand their audience, but help them find those who will help the films on their journey to completion.

The films chosen for Hot Films in the Making include documentary, narrative features, short films and web series. Projects were submitted to the grant from filmmakers in Asia, Europe, the United States and Canada.

The Hot Films in the Making for the Roy W. Dean Grant for Summer 2021 are:

Title	Type	Filmmaker
Underdogs	Documentary Feature	Ashia Lance
The Door	Short Fiction	Pablo Lopez
Saving Amy	Feature Fiction	Jessie Kahnweiler
Fish House	Documentary Feature	Kristin Adair
Woman in the Mirror	Documentary Feature	Tatyana Bronstein
The Better Part	Feature Fiction	Mollie Mulvey
American Sons	Documentary Feature	Andrew Gonzales
The Haunting of Molly Pickett	Feature Fiction	Michael K. Johnson
Why Are You You?	TV,Web or New Media	Lindsay LaPointe
For a Daughter	Feature Fiction	Daniel Pouesi
My Piece	Documentary Short	Bervick J. Decullus II
The Gathering Society	Documentary Feature	Barb Benton
Broken Strings	Series	Catherine Dudley-Rose
I’m So OCD	Documentary Feature	Charles Frank
Separation	Feature Fiction	Hasan Demirtas
Motherland	Short Fiction	Grace Merriman
There is No Sushi Chef	Documentary Feature	Vinicius de La Rocha
Plant Moms	Short Fiction	Liv Amundsen
Oaklead	Documentary Feature	Alex Bledsoe
Rediscovering John Bergman	Documentary Feature	Kelly Lamphear-Dash
Saving Walden’s World	Documentary Feature	James Merkel
Caddisfly	Documentary Short	Liv Johnson
The New York Love Songs	Documentary Feature	Darah Golub
Just Bake Cookies	Short Fiction	Quinn Early
Unmuted	Series	Milena Warns
City of Heroes	Documentary Feature	Fiona Lloyd-Davis

Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall 2021 Now Accepting Applications

For more information and to apply, go to: https://fromtheheartproductions.com/roy-w-dean-film-grants-and-awards/

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 $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”.

First Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant Won by “Stairway to the Stars”

Short Fiction Film to Receive Cash and Donated Services to Complete Film

Non-profit From the Heart Productions is pleased to announce that “Stairway to the Stars” has captured the inaugural Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant for 2021. The grant is awarded to a live action or animated short fiction film that is unique and that makes a contribution to society.

Writer/Director Lorenzo DeStefano (“Talmage Farlow”, “Los Zafiros-Music From The Edge of Time”, “Hearing is Believing”, “Shipment Day”, “The Diarist”), was chosen to receive this prestigious award that comes with a $3,000 cash prize and access to significant in-kind and discounted goods and services from film industry donors.

“We are very excited to have this excellent project as our first recipient of the Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant. ” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “Lorenzo faced tough competition from many wonderful projects from other very talented filmmakers. We look forward to seeing his project completed.”

In addition to the $3,000 cash prize, filmmaker DeStefano will receive $3,000.00 in music and audio services from well-known composer David Raiklen, $6,000.00 in animation from Emmy award winner Charlie Canfield, $1,400 value (4 hours of sound mix session) from Silver Sound, and more from many heartfelt donors that love and support indie filmmakers.

About “Stairway to the Stars”

“Stairway to the Stars’ is based on a real incident witnessed by DeStefano when he first moved to Hollywood from Honolulu and later produced as a One-Act play. The film explores the complex relationship between friends who are enemies and enemies who are friends. Lorenzo’s film is a tribute to Nathanael West’s “Day of the Locust”, the plays of Samuel Beckett, and to the countless two-reel comedies shot in these very hills over 100 years ago.

Sean Young

Starring as the lead character Lavergne, a has-been thespian in her 70’s, is the celebrated actress, Sean Young (“Stripes”, “Blade Runner”, “Dune”, “No Way Out”, “Wall Street”, “Fatal Instinct”, “A Kiss Before Dying”, and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”). “Sean is the ideal choice to bring this complex character to life.” added director DeStefano. On the verge of physical and mental collapse, Lavergne’s love hate relationship with Tony, a young gay man of blind ambition & ample proportions who has vowed to save her life, is the central theme of the film.

One hot, smoggy afternoon, Lavergne and Tony attempt to climb an absurdly steep flight of outdoor steps in the Hollywood Hills. Lavergne wishes she were back in her Hollywood apartment watching “The Match Game” and eating Cheetos. Tony refuses to give up on her, goads her up the stairs with a mixture of brutality and real tenderness. Humorous, tragic, and deeply touching, Lavergne & Tony’s story reveals itself between the bottom of the stairs and the top, mined by the filmmakers for its maximum serio-comic potential.

Fundraising Campaign Underway for Final Funding

With half of the production budget raised, a crowdfunding campaign is running through October 7, 2021 on WeDid.it (https://stairwaytothestars.wedid.it/campaigns/9578-please-support-stairway-to-the-stars). With fiscal sponsorship provided by From The Heart Productions, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the goal is to raise an additional $30,000 in tax-deductible contributions by October 7^th. Westshire Films plans to shoot the film on L.A. locations in early-to-mid October, 2021.

DeStefano and his filmmaking team are very pleased to be returning to production after so many months of uncertainty. Their efforts and those of other committed filmmakers all over the world strive to get us back in the business of telling great stories and bringing people together in the dark, where stories that shed light on the human condition can be shared and appreciated.

Narrative short films are undergoing a real renaissance. Recognized and celebrated by numerous international film festivals and award-giving entities, this genre has evolved into a powerful and audience-friendly genre. Opportunities for international streaming & broadcast distribution have also improved exponentially in the past few years, reflecting a growing appetite and demand for high-quality, compelling short stories.

With its strong cast, unique characters, high-profile locations, and compelling narrative, “Stairway to the Stars” is aiming for a 2022 film festival & awards release and will be marketed internationally to all available sales, distribution, exhibition, and social media platforms.

More information on the film can be found at www.stairwaytothestarsfilm.com, www.facebook.com/pg/Stairway-to-the-Stars-586330618549435/about/?ref=page_internal, and at the filmmaker’s IMDb page – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0221805/.

About the Filmmaker

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Lorenzo DeStefano is a playwright, screenwriter, producer, director, and photographer. A member of the Directors Guild of America and past member of the Motion Picture’s Editors Guild, DeStefano has worked in the U.S. and U.K. theater. He has written fiction & non-fiction, original screenplays and adaptations, as well as producing and directed narrative and documentary films.

He is producer/director of the 2018 Humanitas Prize-nominated documentary “Hearing is Believing” about the astonishingly talented young musician and composer, Rachel Flowers. DeStefano produced and directed “Los Zafiros-Music From The Edge of Time” an award winning film about the Beatles of 1960’s Cuba. He also produced, directed, and edited the acclaimed public television documentary “Talmage Farlow”, a portrait of the great American jazz guitarist.

His current narrative feature project as producer/writer/director is “Shipment Day”, a filmed adaptation of his prize-winning play. He is writer/producer on “The Diarist”, a 5-Part Limited Series that tells the true story of Boston eccentric Arthur Crew Inman and his 17 million word “Inman Diary”, published by Harvard University Press. DeStefano is also writer/producer of the fact-based urban thriller “House Boy”, set in London and South India and adapted from his novel. More at www.lorenzodestefano.com.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

The Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant is the most recent addition to the Roy W. Dean Grants for independent filmmakers. From it’s inception in 1992, the Roy W. Dean Grants have awarded over $2,000,000 in cash and donated film services to unique films that make a contribution to society.

In addition to the Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant, the other grants are awarded times each year 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 $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

Roy W. Dean Film Grant Finalists Announced for Fall 2021 Grant

Winner to Receive Cash and Donated Production Services Including Music and Animation

From the Heart Productions, the 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to helping independent filmmakers get their films funded, is proud announce the finalists for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Fall 2021. Twenty-three films are still in running for final grant in what was the grant’s 30^th year. The grant is awarded to a unique film that makes a contribution to society.

“We’ve been very blessed over the last 30 years to have been able to view such great films before they are completed by their incredibly talented filmmakers.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “This year is no exception. The judges will have a tough time selecting a winner from this group of amazing finalists.”

The grant winner will receive $3,000 in cash provided by From the Heart Productions and donations of film services and products from film industry professionals and companies. These include $15,000.00 theme music and score written by well-known composer David Raiklen, $6,000.00 in animation from Emmy award winner Charlie Canfield, $750 in Grant Writing Services from Karen Everett of New Doc Editing, and more from many heartfelt film industry donors.

The grant is open to documentaries, narrative features, short films, and web series. Filmmakers from around the globe can submit their projects to the grant. Entries were received from Spain, Australia, the Netherlands and Nepal. Winner is expected to be announced in March 2022.

Finalists for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Fall 2021 are:

Title	Type	Filmmaker
Radical Landscapes	Documentary Feature	Elettra Fiumi
Journey of a Thousand Miles	Documentary Feature	Zhu Shen
After the Vote	Documentary Feature	Dawn Scibilia
Second Chances	Documentary Feature	Nathan Roels
The History of Women	Documentary Feature	Deborah Romare
They Dream	Documentary Feature	William Caballero
Racket	Fiction Short	Zoe Eisenberg
The Loom	Documentary Feature	Helene Kvale
The Girl in the Backroom	Documentary Feature	Francine Graff
Finding Snow White	Documentary Shot	Fiona McDougall
Ramona At Midlife	Fiction Feature	Brooke Berman
The Water Cell	Documentary Short	Sterling Buell
Hangtown	Documentary Feature	Stuart Harmon
Sangoma	Documentary Short	Dayle McLeod
Separation	Documentary Short	Hasan Demitras
Piece of Mind	Documentary Feature	Sheila Ganz
United Against Hate	Documentary Feature	Shehr Haroon
“Untitled”	Documentary Feature	Karen Johnson
Greatest Loss	Fiction Short	Marshall McCabe
Capturing America	Documentary Feature	Kristen Akers Gozdecki
Only in Theaters	Documentary Feature	Raphael Sbarge
The Science of Ink	Documentary Feature	Cary Weldy
Mom & Me	Documentary Short	Indira Somani

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Since 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. Having recently expanded to four grants each year, 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 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: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts and the new online class “How to Fund Your Film”.

“The Bridge Ministry” Captures Third Britt Penrod Award for 2021

Award Goes to Film Submitted to a Roy W. Dean Film Grant That is Unique and That Makes an Exceptional Contribution to Society

Top-rated non-profit From the Heart Productions has announced producer/director Christopher Farina has been named as winner of Britt Penrod Award for his documentary-in-progress “The Bridge Ministry”. Submitted to the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Summer, the $500 prize goes to a project applying for the grant that is unique and that makes an exceptional contribution to society. The award will help support Chris continue move toward his goal in getting his film completed.

“A heart-felt decision. Humanizing individuals otherwise painted with a broad brush, absent mercy, would seem especially poignant these days,” commented Britt Penrod on the winning film. “I would very much like to see the doc get made and widely distributed.”

For over 20 years the Bridge Ministry has been transforming the lives of men dealing with life-threatening addiction issues by providing them with a residency in a camp where they are both taught productive job skills and are also provided with psychological and spiritual mentoring to alter their paths heading to incarceration. This film will present a portrait of this class to inspire and advocate for replicating this experience in communities across the country and beyond.

Interwoven throughout this film will be the inspiring story of the life of William Washington, founder of the Bridge Ministry. Having suffered serious trauma as a child, this led to him becoming a homeless teenager on the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia as both a user and seller of deadly drugs. He was incarcerated more than once, and while eventually facing a long-term prison sentence, he was given a chance by Judge Jay Swett to enter a program which positively altered his life.

Uplifted by this experience, he dedicated his own life to helping others who faced the same troubled path that he had been on. This led to his creation of the Bridge Ministry along with the support of others including Judge Swett.

About the Filmmaker

Chris Farina has produced various award-winning independent documentary films. One of his most successful films was World Peace and other 4th-Grade Achievements, which premiered at SXSW in 2010 and has played at film festivals around the world and received wide exposure on U.S. public television, as well as on international television through distribution by American Public Television (APT) between 2012-2014.

His most recently completed film, Seats at the Table, about a University of Virginia class which connects college students with residents of a juvenile prison through the study of Russian literature, has also been presented by APT for a two-year run which began on June 1, 2020. Both of those films were also finalists for NHK’s Educational Media Japan Prize.

About the Britt Penrod Award

The Britt Penrod Award was made possible by a donation from longtime friend of 501(c)3 non-profit From the Heart Productions and the Roy W. Dean Grants, Britt Penrod. The $500 award will be presented to a finalist for the upcoming 2021 Roy W. Dean Grants whose film is unique and makes an exceptional contribution to society. Results of the award have no bearing on the eventual winner of any of the Roy W. Dean Grants.

Winners this year have included the documentary 26 Seconds for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring and the short film The Fog Catcher which won for the Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant

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 30^th 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 new 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 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

“Impossible Town” Captures Roy W. Dean Grant for Summer 2021

Documentary Receives Cash and Donated Production Services to Complete Project

From the Heart Productions, the top-rated non-profit dedicated to helping indie filmmakers get their films funded and completed, awards the 2nd Roy W. Dean Grant of 2021 to the feature-length documentary Impossible Town. Now in it’s 30^th year, the Roy W. Dean Grant is awarded 4 times each year to a unique film that makes a contribution to society. Co-Directed by Meg Griffiths and Scott Farris, the grant will provide the project with $3,500 cash and thousands more in donated production services.

“This film is inspiring.” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “It has some wonderful characters and a brilliant story.”

When her father passes unexpectedly, Dr. Ayne Amjad is thrust to the helm of a decades-long struggle to aid a southern West Virginia town beset by cancer-causing chemicals. After formulating an audacious plan to relocate the town’s residents, Ayne must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice – and which of her allies she can count on – to fulfill her late father’s mandate to “help others” at all costs.

Impossible Town is the story of Ayne’s unexpected rise to state leadership and the stalwart citizen activists who subvert so many of the stereotypes that exist about places like West Virginia.

Rural Appalachia is a poorly understood region of the country with a long history of industrial exploitation and a political identity that continues to frustrate coastal pundits. Though the region’s coal industry and labor movements defined a crucial chapter in American history, modern Americans struggle to appreciate the intelligence, resilience, and diversity of Appalachian people.

Impossible Town shows us tireless social and environmental struggle through the eyes of a cast of characters that complicate common rural Appalachian stereotypes. Dr. Ayne Amjad alone is a study in interesting contradictions: a devout Republican with a strong activist bent, a daughter of immigrants who is a pillar of her largely white community, and a wealthy physician-turned-public-servant who spends her time advocating for her disenfranchised and low-income neighbors. With Ayne and the rest of the cast, nothing is as it seems.

In addition to adding to the breadth of stories about how environmental catastrophes disproportionately affect the poor, the documentary has much to say about our complex relationships with home – the connections we form with the places we’re from, and the difficulty we have in letting go of those places, even when they’re killing us. Through the ambitions of Ayne and other Minden activists, the film explores the persistent modern American fantasy that complex issues are best solved through miracle solutions rather than the decidedly grittier work of slow and patient social, political, and legal exercises.

Most poignantly, Impossible Town is an ode to the way we commune with our parents long after they’ve left this plane, their aspirations and legacies lighting our paths to unanticipated destinations, their absence leaving a painful void in our lives that never fully heals.

About the Filmmakers

Meg Griffiths, Co-Founder, Universe Creative: Meg is Impossible Town’s co-director and producer. She is the co-founder of Universe Creative, a video production company focused on creating documentaries and short content for conscientious brands. Meg began her career as the Houston Chronicle’s first video journalist, and then she held a leadership role at Teach For America where she built the nonprofit’s first video studio. Later, Meg oversaw content development at Redbird, a Los Angeles-based creative agency, as their Vice President of Strategy. Meg’s work has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and she’s also been awarded EPPY, NPPA, CMA, and various film festival accolades. She holds a MA in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.

Scott Faris, Co-Founder, Universe Creative: : Scott is Impossible Town’s co-director, director of photography, and editor, as well as the co-founder of Universe Creative. Scott has roots in film, education, and advertising. He grew up in West Virginia and graduated with a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. After teaching 5th grade on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, he joined Teach For America’s award-winning marketing team as a video producer. He continued to pursue the intersection of education and video storytelling at Redbird, a marketing firm in Los Angeles. Scott’s work has been recognized by the Webbys, EPPY, CMA, and film festivals across the country.

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.

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

Hot Films in the Making – Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Fall 2021

42 Films That Will Impress You with Their Creativity and Brilliant Filmmakers

What are Hot Films in the Making? For each of our 4 Roy W. Dean Film Grants each year, there are many projects submitted, with excellent concepts and talented filmmakers, that just miss making our group of finalists. We call them Hot Films in the Making.

The Roy W. Grant for Fall 2021 was no exception with 42 films qualifying for that honor. From the Heart Productions, the sponsor of the grant, feels they deserve a chance for people to take notice of them. We expect these films should be in the finals in the future.

“The creativity and passion behind these projects can’t and shouldn’t be ignored.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “We are honored to be exposed to all these works-in-progress and know we’ll be seeing great things from these filmmakers in the future.”

From the Heart Productions believes that by highlighting these films, that will not only expand the audience, but find those who will help them on their journey to completion.

The films chosen for Hot Films in the Making include documentary, narrative features, short films and web series. They represent projects from around the world including films from India, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the U.S.

The Hot Films in the Making for the Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall 2021 are:

Title	Type	Filmmaker
1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted A Culture	Documentary Feature	Sharon Roggio
Rising Son	Fiction Feature	Kevin Osoo
Sathu – Year of the Rabbit	Fiction Feature	Joshua Trigg
Bleu Dream	Fiction Feature	Jared Bratt
Trusted Sources	Documentary Feature	Don Colacino
The Maltese Collection	Documentary Feature	Kendrick Simmons
Once Upon a Time in Italy	Documentary Feature	Alessandro Pezza
Self Care	Fiction Short	Cassidy Civiero
Mother of Color	Fiction Feature	Dawn Jones Redstone
Our Sins	Fiction Short	Anjini Azhar
Las Abogadas	Documentary Feature	Victoria Bruce
Bienvenidos a Los Angeles	Fiction Short	Lolia Etomi
“Charlie’s Story, Tuskegee and More”	Documentary Short	Molly Smollett
Thank You for Thinking of Me	Documentary Feature	Akram Shibly
Kinsley Vs.	Web Series	Courtney Romano
The Black Man’s Voice	Web Series	Evaugh High
The Row	Documentary Feature	Sarah Anthony
Untitled Farmer Documentary	Documentary Feature	Jacqueline Romano
Marrow of the Mountain	Documentary Feature	Roo Vandegrift
Dear Luke, Love, Me	Fiction Feature	Mallie McCown
Woman Of God	Fiction Feature	Angel Moreira
The Forgotten Angels	Documentary Short	Kevin Knight
Prison Park	Documentary Feature	Juliet Belmas
Infinity Mission Earth- South	Web Series	Clemens Oestreich
YURT (Dormitory)	Fiction Feature	Nehir Tuna
The Last Drop	Documentary Short	Adam Joel
Who Cares About DC?	Documentary Feature	Stephen Kolb
Ellos Gritan Libertad (They Scream Freedom)	Documentary Feature	Melinda Raebyne
Desmond’s Not Here Anymore	Fiction Short	Lindiwe Suttle Müller-Westernhagen
Just Bake Cookies	Fiction Short	Quinn Early
Smoke Eater	Fiction Short	Gloria Mercer
Food Synergy	Documentary Feature	Vivian Davidson-Castro
The Apocalyptic is the Mother of All Christian Theology	Documentary Feature	Jim Finn
Fast	Fiction Short	Rachel Johnson
Z Chronicles	Fiction Short	Steven Thompson
An Insignia of a Forced Winter	Documentary Feature	Ajimesh Saha
Beauty (or the Curious Case of Ugliness)	Fiction Short	Michael Muthee
Death Target	Web Series	Daniel Solis
American Sons	Documentary Feature	Andrew Gonzales
Reduction (working title)	Documentary Feature	Kelley Bruggere
Human Shield	Documentary Feature	Erin Persley
Weird Fishes	Fiction Short	Zenzele Ojore

Each finalist 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.

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 $30 million through their 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”.

“Generation Nerd Girl” Wins Roy W. Dean Film Grant

Character-Driven Feature Documentary Explores Why Record Number of Young Women are Entering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and Its Impact

Awarded to a film that is unique and makes a contribution to society, the final Roy W. Dean Film Grant of 2021 goes to the documentary Generation Nerd Girl. Presented four times each year by From the Heart Productions, the top-rated non-profit dedicated to helping indie filmmakers get their films funded and completed, the Roy W. Dean Film Grant provides the winner with cash and production services. Producer/Director Karen Johnson and Producer/Writer Bobette Buster will use the grant to help them continue production on their project.

“Karen and Bobette have been researching this film for years. They are passionate and determined to empower women with information on how to get into these fields.” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “This is just what women need, encouragement and guidance to break through in these high paying jobs.”

In addition to the $3,000 in cash provided by From the Heart Productions the winner will also receive $15,000.00 in original music written by well-known composer David Raikle n, $6,000.00 in animation from Emmy award winner Charlie Canfield, $700 one week DSLR camera package rental from Birns & Sawyer , and more from heart-felt film industry companies and individuals.

About the Film

Generation Nerd Girl is a character-driven feature documentary exploring the exciting generational change taking place for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) through the lens of one of its bold leaders – Dr. Karen Panetta, Dean of Graduate Education for the School of Engineering at Tufts University and a 2011 Winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring.

The film looks at the history of women in STEM, Dean Panetta’s exceptional vision and mentoring, handling many career challenges in her 20+ years of work to change the opportunities for her mentees, along with other factors contributing to this generational change.

Though recent data from LinkedIn’s millions of platform members shows women are now entering STEM careers in record numbers, Dr. Panetta is focused on the deeper systemic changes that still need to take place to generate lasting change. She has been a bridge to the change, having taught and mentored hundreds of young women from all over the world, encouraging them to pursue and persist in undergraduate and graduate STEM studies and careers.

The importance of this shift towards STEM careers can’t be overstated for the difference it makes in the lives of these women and our greater world. Women in STEM have earnings 105 percentage points higher than women in non-STEM. Many key industries are still nowhere near parity in opportunities for women and BIPOC men. It could take far more generations, if focus is not kept on systemic changes and keep the momentum and awareness going forward now.

A diverse STEM workforce promotes new innovations and solutions that might never come forth, but for the unique lived experiences of women and other underrepresented groups. Dean Panetta is most proud of the outstanding accomplishments of her many mentees working in a wide range of STEM careers, as well as forging new roles as entrepreneurs, environmental evangelists, and technology futurists.

Generation Nerd Girl will show the challenges and perseverance it took for Dean Panetta to break through endemic sexism and will explore the teaching and mentoring insights she specifically developed to help open the path to STEM success for young women and girls. In the process, she also extended the same techniques and opportunities to BIPOC men who have experienced many of the same challenges as women in STEM. Interviews and archival material will introduce some of Dean Panetta’s mentees and highlight the impact of their career choices on their lives and the lives of others.

Producer/Director Karen Johnson has been drawn to the subject of women in STEM for many years after wondering why she never considered becoming a scientist or engineer as a young girl in spite of demonstrating a natural aptitude. What she discovered is that years of research indicates girls have historically lacked both role models to promote awareness of STEM opportunities and the encouragement to pursue them.

Even though great breakthroughs have been made, the STEM professions, and especially engineering, remain white male dominated. A greater bench of cultural support and broader understanding of how to encourage and mentor young women must be maintained to keep up the progress.

About the Filmmakers

Karen Johnson’s mission as a Producer for 20+ years has been to elevate women’s stories and women storytellers, specifically challenging the stereotypes of women and girls via the entertainment media. Generation Nerd Girl will be her directing debut.

With Co-Producer Bobette Buster and Director Midge Costin, they created the feature documentary Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound, which premiered at Cannes and Tribeca Film Festivals and is in distribution around the world.

Karen produced two films that have been awarded the Roy W. Dean Film Grant. She produced director Heather Lenz’s 2018 Sundance documentary feature Kusama: Infinity about the avant-garde Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, distributed domestically by Magnolia Pictures and worldwide by Dogwoof, Ltd. She also produced director Amanda Micheli’s multi-award-winning documentary feature Double Dare about Hollywood stuntwomen, an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival, distributed worldwide by NBC/Universal.

Bobette Buster is the Special Projects Adj. Professor at Tufts University, teaching “Finding Your Voice in Science Communication.” She is the Writer/Producer of the feature documentary, Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound, with Karen Johnson and Midge Costin (Director) – 2019 premiers at Cannes, Tribeca, the BFI London Film Festival, and international festivals, earning many nominations and awards.

She is the author of DO STORY: How to Tell Your Story So the World Listens (Do Book Co.UK, 2013; Chronicle Books (US), now in its 13th printing (translated into five languages), and DO LISTEN: Understand What’s Really Being Said, Find A New Way Forwards, Do Book Co (UK) 2018; (translated in French, 2nd printing). lecture. Her TEDx Lecture, The Radical Act of Storytelling, has 250K+ views.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Winners of the grant include recent Emmy Winners Belly of the Beast and The Love Bugs, the award winning narrative feature Cadejo Blanco, 2019 Sundance Film Festival selection Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, the 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 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

Final 2021 Britt Penrod Award Won by Fiction Feature “Separation”

Kurdish Filmmaker Receives Award for a Film That is Unique and That Makes an Exceptional Contribution to Society

From the Heart Productions , the top-rated non-profit dedicated to helping indie filmmakers get their films funded, has selected Producer/Director/Writer Hasan Demirtas as winner of Britt Penrod Award for his feature “Separation”.

The award goes to a project was submitted to the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Fall of 2021 and selected as a finalist. Hassan will receive a $750 prize that will help support his effort in completing this film.

“This is a great filmmaker who is tremendously dedicated to finishing this touching story,” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions.

“Separation,” tells the story of Grandfather Hamit who lives in Eastern Turkey in a village in the Kurdish region. Grandfather Hamit is a venerable person for the villagers because of his knowledge about health treatments. Hamit’s wife died years ago, but he still daily visits her grave. Grandfather Hamit’s son Mehmet and his family, live with Hamit.

The political situation goes bad in Eastern Turkey because a group of Kurdish people rebel against the Turkish government. The government’s rules get worse and the Kurdish language and culture is banned. The government gives two choices to villagers. Join the Turkish army or leave their villages.

For Hamit, that would mean leaving his wife’s grave that he has visited every day for 5 years.

About the Filmmaker

Hasan Demirtas received his BA from Marmara University in Istanbul. His short films won awards from film festivals and participated in international Film Festivals including the Cannes Film Festival and Oscar Academy Award Qualifying Film Festival, 42nd Atlanta Film Festival, Atlanta, USA.

Demirtas graduated from Northwestern University with a Documentary Media MFA. His first documentary You Name It participated in many Film Festivals including Treasure Coast Film Festival in the USA, the International TV Broadcasters and Independent Producers Festival SIMFEST in Romania, and Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Marketing. You Name It received Best Documentary Feature film from Collected Voices Film Festival in the USA.

About the Britt Penrod Award

The award is presented to a finalist for the 2021 Roy W. Dean Grants. It goes to a film is unique and makes an exceptional contribution to society. The Britt Penrod Award was made possible by a donation from longtime friend of 501(c)3 non-profit From the Heart Productions and the Roy W. Dean Grants, Britt Penrod. Results of the award have no bearing on the eventual winner of any of the Roy W. Dean Grants.

Winners for 2021 include the documentary 26 Seconds, the short film The Fog Catcher, and The Bridge Ministry.

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 $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

Stuart Harmon Wins Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Documentary Storytelling

Documentary “Hangtown” Examines the Problematic History of California Gold Rush Through the Eyes of Three Women Fighting for Their Identities and Communities

Still from “Hangtown”

From the Heart Productions, a top-rated non-profit dedicated to helping independent filmmakers fund their projects, is pleased to announce that Director Stuart Harmon has won the second Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Documentary Storytelling for his documentary “Hangtown”.

The Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Documentary Storytelling is awarded to a film submitted to the Roy W. Dean Film Grant and selected as a finalist. The filmmaker will receive $2,500 to help him continue work on this film.

“Stuart’s film is timely and powerful,” commented Carole Dean, president of From the Heart Productions. “He has done a fabulous job of weaving these stories together from a divided community.”

About the Film

“Hangtown,” a documentary film in production, asks some of the most pressing questions around white supremacy in America today, revealing the challenges small towns must face when grappling with a contentious past.

For generations, the noose scrawled on the city seal and swaying effigy in Placerville, CA was a symbol of pride by locals and a kitschy tourist landmark for those headed to Lake Tahoe. Legend has it that the mostly white, former gold mining town’s moniker “Hangtown” came after three outlaws were hung during the Gold Rush for robbing a saloon in 1849 – the first “official” execution in California’s history – and the community’s ethos has been wrapped around the notion of frontier justice ever since.

Drive down main street and you’ll find scores of businesses named “Hangtown.” Hanging contests used to be a favored pastime at summer festivals and nooses adorned the school basketball gym. The area has staked its entire identity on the noose.

But that’s all changed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Lizzie Dubose, a 26 year-old struggling college student and one of the few Black residents of the town, has mobilized a team of activists to target the iconography in the fight for racial justice. To her the noose represents more than mining lore – it’s a symbol of white supremacy and perpetuates a false narrative about “law and order” in the American west.

The activists liken their battle to the removal of Confederate monuments across the South and have led weekly protests, the likes of which have never happened in the bucolic town. Their efforts also spark a deeper look into the problematic history of African Americans during the Gold Rush by descendants of the original pioneers.

About the Filmmaker

Stuart Harmon is an award-winning director and producer. He’s produced a wide range of documentary and television projects for PBS, A&E, VICE, New York Times, Fusion, CNN, MTV, and several other networks and outlets. His short film for the NY Times titled “Guns to Gloves” is one of their top viewed documentaries, garnering over 10 million views across several platforms.

He also shot a harrowing TV documentary about the female FARC guerillas of Columbia for the Emmy-nominated VICELAND series “Woman.” His first feature documentary film THE MONEY STONE won the Roy W. Dean Film Grant. It premiered on BBC Africa, won Best Documentary at the Black Star International Film Festival and was given glowing reviews by the BBC and The Boston Globe. Most recently he was nominated for a Deadline Club award for his work with The Intercept and received a fellowship with the Logan Nonfiction Program.

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, Emmy winner and Peabody Award nominee Belly of the Beast, as well as the acclaimed documentary Kusama-Infinity.

Previous winner of the Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Documentary Storytelling was Alexandra Hildago for A Family of Stories.

About From the Heart Productions

Roy W. Dean Film Grant Finalists Selected for Spring 2022 Grant

Winner to Receive Cash and Donated Production Services to Help Complete Their Film

Celebrating its 30^th year, the first Roy W. Dean Film Grant for 2022 has chosen its finalists. From the Heart Productions, the 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to helping independent filmmakers get their films funded and grant sponsor, announced that twenty-six films will vie for the grant. Winner will receive $3,500 and thousands more in donated production goods and services.

“It is a joy and a privilege to be exposed these works by such amazing, talented filmmakers.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “After three decades, the task of choosing this group continues to challenge us especially when we see such brilliant stories told with passion.”

The cash prized awarded by From the Heart Productions is accompanied donations from film industry professionals and companies. These include 40% deduction on color, editing, and sound & all production services from ProMedia , 30% discount in equipment rental from AbelCine Tech, Inc. NYC , $1,600 value in sound mix session from Silver Sound, and more from many heartfelt film industry donors.

The grant is open to documentaries, narrative features, short films, and web series. Grant is open to filmmakers around the world. Entries to the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring were received from Iran, India, the United Kingdom and South Africa. Winner is expected to be announced in August 2022.

Finalists for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring 2022 are:

Title	Type	Filmmaker
Regina Doyle Silent Film Starlet	Documentary Feature	David Brown
Van Der Pals	Documentary Feature	Mauricino Gonzalez-Aranda
B-Side: For Taylor	Fiction Short	Christina YR Lim
A Different, Deadly Beast: The 1918 Flu Epidemic in Montana	Documentary Short	Dee Garceau
Ask For Help	Fiction Short	Gina DeAngelis
Blight	Fiction Short	Markus Hoeckner
Going Fine SInce 1889: The Magical Armstrongs	Documentary Feature	Jennifer Stoy
Hunger Surfaced: An American Recipe for Disaster	Documentary Feature	Justin Ross
Voice of Vanilla	Documentary Feature	Maureen Maloney
Chiraku	Documentary Feature	Neelu Bhuman
Acting Like Women	Documentary Feature	Cheri Gaulke
A Thousand Faces	Fiction Feature	Elton Loud
Open Air	Documentary Feature	Judit Sos
Lunchbox	Fiction Short	Anne Hu
Irish Cops Under Siege	Documentary Feature	Mike Houlihan
Viaticus	Documentary Short	Matt Nadel
Silver Screen Dreams	Fiction Feature	William Chen
My Letter to Bergman	Documentary Feature	Helen Beltrame-Linne
Somerset County	Documentary Feature	Katie Cook
Egypt, a Love Story	Documentary Feature	Iris Zaki
Only in Theaters	Documentary Feature	Raphael Sbarge
To Be Free	Documentary Feature	Birgit Gernboeck
Locally Grown Comedy	TV, Web or New Media	Brittany Parker
Catching the Light	Fiction Feature	Koura Linda
Nomads	Documentary Feature	Vanessa Carr
Searching for Onoda	Documentary Feature	Mia Stewart
Invisible Children of LA	Documentary Feature	Maryana Palmer

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 $30 million through their 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”

“Invisible Children of LA” Wins Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring 2022

Documentary Feature Explores How Homeless Children Cope and Survive in Their Daily Lives

From the Heart Productions, the top-rated non-profit dedicated to helping indie filmmakers get their films funded and completed, has announced the first Roy W. Dean Film Grant of 2022 goes to Invisible Children of LA. Presented four times each year, the grant goes to a film that is unique and that makes a contribution to society. Maryana Palmer, the film’s director and producer, will receive cash and production services to continue work on the project.

“With her film, Maryana has shown a light on a sadly neglected segment of the homeless, the children.” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “With this poignant and hearfelt documentary bringing attention to their plight, hopefully more resources can be focused on them to improve their lives.”

About the Film

Invisible Children of LA is a documentary featuring three homeless children and their families in Los Angeles. It is a heartfelt, intimate, emotional film where we learn about the kids daily lives, how they cope with homelessness, how they feel about being homeless, what brings them joy and their hopes and dreams for the future.

Today there are over 5,000 homeless children on any given night in Los Angeles County. In the film, the personal stories of the children are interwoven with homeless advocates letting us know the reasons for homelessness, the systemic reasons, what needs to be done to eradicate this tragedy. LA City Councilman, Kevin de Leon is included as well as Pete White of LA CAN in skid row, and Morgan Blanchard who is a social worker for L.A. Family Housing.

As you get to know these amazing children, you will love them and recognize the importance of ending this terrible situation.

About the Filmmaker

Maryana Palmer – Producer/Director – Maryana has been a psychotherapist for thirty-eight years, specializing in working with cancer patients. She has made two educational short videos, twenty years ago. One was a six minute video on an organization that helped students in the schools feed homeless people in Venice beach. The other was a short film on collaborative poetry with 3rd graders on the Rain Forest.

Invisible Children of LA is Maryana’s first professional film. The short version has won ten international awards. She has always been a peace and justice activist and homelessness has always been her major concern.

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 $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 Named for 2022 Roy. W. Dean Short Film Grant

Twenty-Two Films Selected to Compete for Grant Valued at $15K

From the Heart Productions, the 501(c)3 non-profit that helps indie films get funding for their projects, has announced the finalists for their Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant. The grant, now in its second year, is awarded to a fiction short film that is unique and the makes a contribution to society. The winner will receive $3,000 cash and thousands more in donated production services to help them complete their film.

“These finalists have intriguing stories and are dedicated filmmakers.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “We are honored to work with these highly talented filmmakers.”

Projects were submitted by filmmakers around the world including many student filmmakers. Grant applications were received from not only the United States, but from Canada, United Kingdom, Jordan, Egypt, Slovakia, and Peru.

As with the other three Roy W. Dean Film Grants, the Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant offers all applicants 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 September.

The finalists are:

Title	Submitting Filmmaker
DIXXX	Andis Solomon
Land’s End	Imogen Radwan
Color Theories	Devin Jane Febbroriello
Carnation	Elif Nur Kayalar
Hart of the Wild Bunch	Sophia Arguellis
Awakening George	Akiva Penaloza
The Note	Kyle Asperger
The Ladies	Jill Gutowitz
Love Taps	Derrick Woodyard
John	Katherine Hadar
Valle Arriba	Julian Garnik
Newbie	Premila Puri
Without Heaven	Merve Bozcu
Just Kids	Alessandro Riconda
The Audition	Oliver Chen
Nearly Departed	Molly Quinlan
Fly Trap	Sierra Nutkevitch
My Sweet Sweet Child	Arnie Hicks, Jr.
Two Wrongs	Jason Spagnuoli
Citizen Wong	Richard Chang
Lunchbox	Anne Hu
Charlie’s Freedom	Georgina French

In addition to the $3,000 in cash provided by From the Heart Productions the winner will also receive $3,000.00 in music and audio services from well-known composer David Raiklen , $6,000.00 in animation from Emmy award winner Charlie Canfield , $1,400 value (4 hours of sound mix session) from Silver Sound, $600.00 for your Free Closed Captioning by NetCaptioning, and more from film industry companies and individuals.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Over its 30-year history, the Roy W. Dean Grant has awarded over $2,000,000 in cash and donated film services to independent films. Outside the short film grant, there are three other grants in Spring, Summer, and Fall. Each of those grants is open to documentary films, narrative fiction films, short films, and web series.

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.

The winner of the inaugural Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant was Stairway to the Stars. Past winners of the other Roy W. Dean Grants include recent Emmy winners Belly of the Beast and The Love Bugs , 2019 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: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts and the new online class “How to Fund Your Film”.

Roy W. Dean Film Grant Hot Films in the Making for Spring 2022

36 Films Submitted to Spring Grant from Filmmakers You’ll Be Hearing from in Future

For each Roy W. Dean Film Grant, there are a select group of films submitted with excellent concepts and talented filmmakers, that just miss making our group of finalists. From the Heart Productions, the sponsor of the grant, honors them by designating them Hot Films in the Making. The Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring 2022 produced 36 films that share that honor.

“The Sound of Hope”

“The goal of this list is to shine a light on these potentially great films and the brilliant filmmakers who are creating them.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “We expect them to be in our finals in the future.”

From the Heart Productions showcases these films in the hope that they will find fans and followers to help them complete their films.

The films chosen for Hot Films in the Making include documentary features, fiction features, short films and web series. They represent projects from the United States and around the world.

The Hot Films in the Making for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring 2022 are:

Title	Type	Filmmaker
Susan	Documentary Feature	Amber Patee
Intent 2 Win	Fiction Feature	Dontai Keith
Family Story	TV,Web or New Media	Joel Clark
Scintilla	Fiction Short	Laura Valtorta
Who the Hell Is Johnny Otis?	Documentary Feature	David Ziegler
SOL	Fiction Short	Taylor Leigh
Miss-Diagnosed	Documentary Short	Yvonne Montoya
The Book Keepers	Documentary Feature	Phil Wall
Dog Walk Home	Documentary Feature	Vicki Topaz
The Sound of Hope	Documentary Feature	Emanuele Michetti
Stronghold	Fiction Feature	Julia Camara
Angels and Saints – Eros and Awe	Documentary Feature	Vic Compher
The Cemetery of Cinema	Documentary Feature	Maud Martin
More Than Our Skin	Documentary Feature	Tonia Magras
Serena	Documentary Feature	Gillian Zinser
Staten Island Graveyard	Documentary Feature	Heather Quinlan
Food Synergy	Documentary Feature	Vivian Davidson
The Insurance Man	Fiction Feature	Alex Lage
Revelations of Divine Love	Fiction Feature	Caroline Golum
Dear Luke, Love, Me	Fiction Feature	Mallie McCown
Trusted Sources	Documentary Feature	Don Calacino
Orchestrated: Ignatz Waghalter and the Negro Symphony Orchestra	Documentary Feature	Natalia Iyudin
Prison Park	Documentary Feature	Juliet Belmas
Zero Hour	Documentary Feature	Cristina Hanes
Community in Conflict: The Santa Fe internment Camp Marker	Documentary Short	Claudia Katayanagi
Last Time On Earth	Fiction Feature	Paromita Dhar
King Luck	Documentary Feature	Emile Graham-Handley
Voice From Behind the Glass	Documentary Feature	Gloria Kurnik
Rolling Chairs	Documentary Feature	David Goodman
Vision of the Ages	Documentary Feature	Chief Phil Lane
Ducey	Fiction Short	Calvin Dutton
The Long Rescue	Documentary Feature	Jennifer Huang
Disposable Humanity	Documentary Short	Cameron Mitchell
Portraits in Black: Honoring Our National Treasures	Fiction Short	Monda Webb
Salsa, A Caribbean Swing (Salsa, un tumbao caribeño)	Documentary Feature	Beni Marquez
Slab City	Documentary Feature	Lauren Vance

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 $30 million through their 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”.

Fiction Short “Lunchbox” Wins First Britt Penrod Award of 2022

Timely Story That Examines Anti-Asian Racism Receives Award for a Film That is Unique and That Makes an Exceptional Contribution to Society

From the Heart Productions , the top-rated non-profit dedicated to helping indie filmmakers get their films funded, has named Director/Writer/Editor and Actor Anne Hu as winner of the Britt Penrod Award for her short film “Lunchbox”. This award goes to a project that was submitted to the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring and selected as a finalist. Anne will receive a $500 prize that will help support her effort in completing this film.

Still from the Making of “Lunchbox”

“Anne has done a brilliant job handling multiple jobs to bring this very personal and touching film to completion,” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions.

Currently in post-production, “Lunchbox” is a dramatic, three-part, coming-of-age short film about regret, healing, and honoring the people we love. When a Taiwanese American woman prepares lunches from her childhood, she struggles to forgive herself for pushing away her immigrant mother.

Based on a true story, this retelling examines the personal cost of fitting in as well as the recovery from cultural and familial loss.

About the Filmmaker

Anne Hu – Director, Writer, Editor, Lead Actor (Adult Shirley & Teen Shirley) Anne is a Taiwanese American, award-winning director, writer, editor, and actress. Her directing focus is in narrative film, TV, and commercials.

As seen in The Hollywood Reporter, Hu made the 2020 Alice List for Emerging Female Filmmakers Who Have Not Yet Directed a Feature. She was selected to participate in Netflix’s Original Series Directors Development Program from 2020 to 2022. She shadowed director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) on Netflix’s The Society. Hu is also a fellow of the 2019 Space on Ryder Farm FilmLab.

She has directed, written, and starred in award-winning short films. Her short CAKE was accepted into 38 festivals, earned 9 awards, and was featured in The Washington Post. As an actor, she has trained at T. Schreiber Studio, The Barrow Group, and The Freeman Studio. In CAKE, she and the cast were nominated for Best Ensemble.

Hu hopes to provide catharsis for audiences and inspire them to regard marginalized voices with their whole humanity.

About the Britt Penrod Award

The award will be presented to a finalist for Roy W. Dean Grant whose film is unique and makes an exceptional contribution to society. The Britt Penrod Award was made possible by a donation from longtime friend of 501(c)3 non-profit From the Heart Productions and the Roy W. Dean Grants, Britt Penrod. Results of the award have no bearing on the eventual winner of any of the Roy W. Dean Grants.

Winners for 2021 include the documentary 26 Seconds for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for the Spring Grant, The Bridge Ministry which won for the Summer Grant, and Separation which won for the Fall Grant. The Fog Catcher won for the Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant.

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 $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

2022 Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant Awarded to “Love Taps”

Dramatic Short Fiction Film from MFA candidate at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Wins $3,000 Cash and Thousands More in Donated Production Services

From the Heart Productions, the 30-year-old non-profit dedicated to helping indie filmmakers fund their films, is proud to announce that the 2022 Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant goes to “Love Taps” from director Derrick Woodyard. The grant is awarded to a live action or animated short fiction film. It must unique and that makes a contribution to society.

An NYU Tisch School of the Arts MFA candidate, Derrick will receive $3,000 and thousands more in production services to continue help him continue his work on the project.

“We are very thrilled to have Derrick be our first student filmmaker to win a Roy W. Dean Grant,” remarked Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “The quality of his work we’ve seen is exceptional. We expect to see many great films from him in the future.”

In addition to the $3,000 cash prize, the winner will receive $3,000.00 in music and audio services from well-known composer David Raiklen, $6,000.00 in animation from Emmy award winner Charlie Canfield, $1,400 value (4 hours of sound mix session) from Silver Sound, and more from many heartfelt donors that love and support indie filmmakers.

About “Love Taps”

Love Taps is a dramatic short film that follows the experience of a young boy who decides to conceal his father’s affair with another man in order to get his family back together.

This is Derrick Woodyard’s film project in the NYU Graduate Film Program and continues his exploration of family themed narratives from a child’s perspective. The project is the recipient of Spike Lee’s 2021 Thesis Production fund and will also be executive produced by Lee.

About the Filmmaker

Writer/Director/Cinematographer Derrick Woodyard currently is an MFA candidate at NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a focus in Directing and Writing. His commitment to finding truth in his narratives leads him to explore the nuances of his characters through their desires, inner conflicts, and personal relationships. This search for truth is influenced by his lived experiences from which he takes inspiration. His films have investigated stories of internal moral struggles, trials of multiracial familial bonds, and the traumas of parental absence all from the lens of Black characters.

His latest project, “Love Taps” will be executive produced by veteran Director and Academy Award winner Spike Lee for which Lee has granted funding towards. This follows his last short film, “Wali & Zuri” which played at a number of film festivals around the country, for which he also received close advisement from Lee during pre- and post-production.

Derrick is a selected participant in the Facebook SEEN Black Filmmakers Program in partnership with the Blackhouse organization. He is also a recipient of the Peter D. Gould Scholarship, the Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Scholarship, and is the 2020 recipient of the Martin Scorsese Young Filmmakers Scholarship and is the 2020 BAFTA NY HBO Scholar.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

The Roy W. Dean Grant for Short Films is the most recent addition to the Roy W. Dean Grants for independent filmmakers. The first Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant was awarded in 2021 to Lorenzo DeStefano and his film “Stairway to the Stars.

The grants are awarded to unique films that make a contribution to society. From it’s inception in 1992, the Roy W. Dean Grants have awarded over $2,000,000 in cash and donated film services. Three other Roy W. Dean Grants are awarded times each year to films budgeted under $500,000.

The grants have been an important lifeline for independent filmmakers that need 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 $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

“Hart of the Wild Bunch” Wins Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Storytelling

Filmmakers Will Receive $2,000 to Use for Post-Production to Complete Their Film

From the Heart Productions, a top-rated non-profit dedicated to helping independent filmmakers fund their projects, has announced “Hart of the Wild Bunch” has won the Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Storytelling for the Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant.

Prize is awarded to a film submitted to a Roy W. Dean Film Grant and selected as a finalist.

The short film is co-directed by Sophia Arguelles and Grace Caroline Currey. The project will use the $2,000 award to help wrap production and begin submitting to festivals.

“What a fun and fresh take on the classic western,” commented Carole Dean, president of From the Heart Productions. “They’ve done an outstanding job of creating a compelling story in this genre from the female perspective.”

About the Film

“In “Hart of the Wild Bunch”, a wild west gang of runaway women find themselves destitute after a chain of unsuccessful heists. Benevolent leader Cassidy Hart must leverage her authority when one of her rebel followers rallies the group around a very dangerous scheme.

About the Co-Directors

Sophia Arguelles – Sophia has been an actress and ballet dancer her whole life, but she can now additionally say she is a filmmaker and screenwriter. In the process of making her first short, HART OF THE WILD BUNCH, she has won herself a literary agent, theatrical manager, and soon will be working with a new literary manager for her two new screenplays that she has written during the post production of HOTWB.

Sophia always had a strong desire to write screenplays and direct films, but due to financial instability throughout her life, she knew college or film school would be out of the question. It was only in December 2020, when a professional screenwriter saw her potential and drive after reading her first written screenplay (with absolutely no structure she will soon learn), was her dream of becoming a screenwriter a truly possible reality.

Sophia has been under private education and mentorship under this professional screenwriter and has four production companies already looking out for her written and directorial debut work in HOTWB. Sophia hopes after the short comes out to start directing and writing music videos and commercials while her features work in pre production. Her dream is to tell the stories that dance in her head daily, knowing that the stories she dreams of can help others and leave an impact on people for the better.

Grace Fulton – Grace is known for her starring roles in the DC Comics movies Shazam!, as a child Grace trained as a ballerina, including a summer training at the Royal Ballet School in London. Before focusing full time on acting, she pursued both ballet and acting, including a session in the Summer Intensive program at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2014.

Credits include: Shazam! 2: Fury of the Gods, Shazam!, Annabelle: Creation, Jag, Bones, Ghost Whisperer, Revenge, and coming to theaters this summer: Fall.

As Grace continues her love for dancing and acting, she is adding on the additional exploration of the art of directing. With HART OF THE WILD BUNCH as the frontier, Grace will further her directorial feat by co-directing a feature film with her father, Damian Fulton, late this summer. Though she is a superhero in big blockbuster films, at her core she is truly a detail oriented artist who strives to capture beautiful visual storytelling.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Since its inception in 1992, the Roy W. Dean Grants have awarded over $2,000,000 in cash and donated film services to independent films. The Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant is now in its 2^nd year and is awarded to fiction films under forty minutes in length.

There are four Roy W. Dean Grants awarded each year. They have 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

Documentary “Lord of Nature” Wins Roy W. Dean Grant for Summer 2022

Roy W. Dean Grant Winner Focuses on Irish Lord’s Efforts to Re-wild Family Estate to Fight Climate Change

From the Heart Productions, the top-rated 501(c)3 non-profit supporter of indie filmmakers, has awarded its 2^nd Roy W. Dean Film Grant of 2022 to the documentary Lord of Nature. Awarded four times each year, the Roy W. Dean Film Grant, the grant goes to a film that is unique and that makes a contribution to society. The cash and donated production services included in the grant will help Producer/Director Kat Green continue her work to bring this amazing project to completion.

“We are very proud to be able to support Kat and this amazing story of a private individual taking control of their environment, changing it to help our planet, and setting an example for others.” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions.

As the grant winner, the filmmaker will receive $3,500 in cash provided by From the Heart Productions as well as a $1,295.00 Scholarship to Writers Boot Camp, a discount from Jeff Alan from Alan Audio Works for a sound mix, $600.00 for your Free Closed Captioning by Cineprosmedia, 35% discount for lighting services from Paskal Lighting Hollywood, and more from heart-felt film industry companies and individuals.

About the Film

Roy W. Dean Grant Winner Lord of Nature tells the story of how Lord Randal Plunkett (39), the 21st Baron of Dunsany Castle Ireland, changed his life and is working to re-wild his 1700-acre estate to fight climate change. But the Transportation Authority threatens to build a railroad through his property which will destroy his forest and the wildlife that call it home. Martin Sheen has signed on to provide narration.

The 21st in a long line of Irish Barons. Lord Randal is like a real-life prince – complete with a huge medieval castle – but he’s far from any Disney character. Randal is a rock music fan, former steak-eating bodybuilder-turned-committed vegan, and a dramatic film director.

This unexpected eco-warrior has spent nearly a decade working to re-wild almost a thousand acres of his Irish estate, persevering through myriad challenges including death threats from unruly hunters who have been hunting in these forests for centuries, and risking total financial ruin in the process. All in the name of the planet.

About the Filmmaker

Kat Green is a creative renaissance woman as an accomplished singer, songwriter, music producer as well as a filmmaker. She has produced films for the Hallmark Channel starring Naomi Judd, Danielle Panabaker, and Fiona Gubelmann shooting in Canada as well as in castles in Ireland. In addition to producing, Kat directed the festival award winning short film The Big Swim which included underwater scenes with live sharks.

Kat directs all of her own music videos where she tells personal stories as well as inspiring others such as a cover of the Foo Fighters “Times Like These” honoring the front-line healthcare workers during the COVID pandemic. She documented the empty streets of Los Angeles during the Pandemic for another video, created and directed the documentary “This is Me” for the Angel City Chorale when they were on America’s Got Talent as well as has experience shooting with unique angles including the use of drones and special FX.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

From its 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.

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. They have been chosen a top non-profit for seven years in a row by greatnonprofits.org. Besides providing funding through the grant, they offer a unique film fiscal sponsorship program for filmmakers.

This program offers personal consultations and guidance on funding their project. 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: 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

Roy W. Dean Film Grant Finalists Chosen for Summer 2022 Grant

Eighteen Films Still in Running for Grant That Includes Cash and Production Services

From the Heart Productions, the 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to helping independent filmmakers get their films funded and grant sponsor, has named the eighteen films as finalists for its Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Summer. Awarded to a film that is unique and that make a contribution to society, the winner will receive $3,500 cash and thousands more in donated production goods and services.

“Janis Ian: The Art of Song”

“We are truly honored to have glimpses of this wonderful projects before they are finished.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “It will be an honor as well to award our grant to one and know that we helped it move to completion.”

The cash prized awarded by From the Heart Productions is accompanied donations from film industry professionals and companies. These include $1295.00 Scholarship to Writers Boot Camp, 30% Discount by Jerry Deaton for Music Post Production Services at AudioKut, $750 in Grant Writing Services from Karen Everett of New Doc Editing, and more from many heartfelt donors.

The grant is open to documentaries, narrative features, short films, and web series. Grant is open to filmmakers around the world. Winner is expected to be announced in November 2022.

Finalists for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring 2022 are:

Title	Type	Filmmaker
Going Fine Since 1889	Short Film	Jennifer Stoy
Sanctuary of Butterflies	TV, Web or New Series	Daniel Sznajderman
Trial by Media: The Michael Jackson Story	Documentary Feature	Daljinder Chohan
Blooming of Time – Dance with Gao Yanznzi	Documentary Feature	Siyuan Xu
When Creation Fables Meet	Fiction Short	Robert Pound
Better Than They Found	Documentary Feature	Tarana Harris Mayes
Thank You Sister, The Movie	Documentary Feature	Ingrid Nordstrom
Holding Back the Tide	Documentary Feature	Emily Packer
Outside the Lines	Fiction Short	Darren Lee Campbell
Desert Angel	Documentary Feature	Severine Tibi
WZZQ The Rock of Jackson	Documentary Feature	Ann Ford
Janis Ian & The Art of Song	Documentary Feature	Varda Bar-Kar
Lord of Nature: Born to Re-Wild	Documentary Feature	Kat Green
I’m Still Here	Documentary Short	Andy Volk
Mom & Me	Documentary Short	Indira Somani
Squires	Documentary Short	Alec Goldberg
Positive	Fiction Short	Abby Tozer

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Having recently expanded to four grants each year, 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 $30 million through their 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”

Hot Films in the Making: Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Summer 2022

Promising Projects That We Predict Will Be Future Grant Finalists

Hot Films in the Making honors those films submitted to a Roy W. Dean Film Grant that have excellent concepts, talented filmmakers, and deserve to be noticed despite just missing making the list of finalists. From the Heart Productions, the sponsor of the grant, bestowed the Hot Films in the Making honor on 42 films from the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Summer 2022. We can expect to see many of these fantastic films in the future.

“We were not just being generous by including so many in our Hot Films in the Making for this grant.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “These all have the potential to be wonderful films and are harbingers of great careers for these brilliant filmmakers.”

From the Heart Productions showcases these films in the hope that they will find supporters to see them through to completion as well as an audience.

The films chosen for Hot Films in the Making include documentary features, fiction features, short films and web series. They represent projects from the United States and around the world.

The Hot Films in the Making for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Summer 2022 are:

Title	Type	Filmmaker
The Dolphin Dilemma	Documentary Short	Olivia Andrus
The Destruction of Our Lives	Fiction Feature	John Blythe
Him, Tool	Documentary Short	Elahe Esmaili
The Last Laibon	Fiction Feature	Wairimer Kanyeria
Undaunted	Documentary Feature	Janet Roberts
Valley of Exile	Fiction Feature	Anna Fahr
Mask4Masc	TV, Web or New Series	Anthony Williams
My Piece	Documentary Short	Bervick J Deculus
Black Water	Documentary Feature	Jokin Pascual
Funny How	TV, Web or New Series	David DiBona
Like Heaven Without God	Documentary Feature	Luca Capponi
Science Fiction	Documentary Feature	Gilles Francous
One Thousand Hills Between Us	Documentary Short	Ornella Mutoni
The Blooming Lotus	Fiction Short	Safiya Parker
What’s In A Name	Documentary Feature	Cary Cronenweltt
I Carry You In Me	Fiction Short	Carman Ho
Mission MediArts	Documentary Feature	Debra Koffler
LaConcierge de Azule	Documentary Feature	Samuel Diaz Fernandez
Here to Make Friends	Fiction Short	Meghan Ross
Imillas	Documentary Feature	Ruth Mariela Morales
Flesh	Fiction Short	Jose Manuel Velez
Amendment	Fiction Short	Belinda Gosbee
Swinging For Maternal	Documentary Feature	Adonis Williams
Unpaid Work in Europe	Documentary Feature	Marilen Martin
Blues For 475 Kent	Documentary Feature	Tyler A Chase
The Last Drop	Fiction Short	Adam Joel
Sweeps	TV, Web or New Series	Nino Tandilashvili
Sticker Movie	Documentary Feature	Sha-Risse Smith
The Runs	TV, Web or New Series	Quanny Carr
Rope From Heaven	Fiction Short	Grace (Hyejin) Park
Arcade Dreams	Documentary Feature	Zach Weddington
A Life in Tandem	Documentary Feature	Mia Grimes
Whale	Fiction Feature	Ziyao Liu
Saving the Wild Coast	Documentary Feature	Gary Janks
Arthur Brown – Everything is Now	Documentary Feature	Ashley James
The Heart of Long Beach	Fiction Feature	Damian Apunte
That’s the Spirit	TV, Web or New Series	Shamel Fadloun
Moon	Fiction Short	Toy Lei
Man Freed	Fiction Feature	Will Rittweger
Lullaby	Fiction Feature	Veronika Graves
Planning to Turn the Tide	Documentary Feature	James Schwab
The Anti-College Documentary	Documentary Feature	Mason Aksamit

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Now celebrating its 31^st 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 to help them 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 2021 Emmy winners Belly of the Beast and The Love Bugs , the feature film Cadejo Blanco which is now beginning an international theatrical run, 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 sponsorship organization 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 over $30 million through their fiscal sponsorship program. President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts, the new online class How to Fund Your Film, and Perfecting Your Pitch and Proposal.

“I’m Still Here” Wins Britt Penrod Award

Documentary Short Inspired by Work of Non-Profit Helping the Homeless by Nurturing Their Artistic Expression

Chosen from the finalists for the Roy W. Dean Grants, the Britt Penrod Award goes to a film that makes an exceptional contribution to society. “I’m Still Here” has been selected as one of the recipients for the award for the Summer 2022 grant. From the Heart Productions, the top-rated non-profit that sponsors the grant, will give $500 to filmmaker Andy Volk to help him complete his project.

“This project provides a beautiful example how through compassion, a positive spirit, and an environment encouraging creativity, the Austin non-profit Arts from the Street is making a profound difference in the lives of the homeless,” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions.

About “I’m Still Here”

“I’m Still Here” is a portrait of a formerly-homeless artist, capturing how the non-profit Art from the Streets helped them find community, creative expression, and self-determination while living on the street.

Andy intends that the film will be a portrait of the artist, encapsulating the many ways we view ourselves and each other. It will be the artist’s story. Their words, their feelings, their actions, captured to remind communities around the country that the homeless are still here, even if we see them or not.

About the Filmmaker

Andy Volk – Director/Editor Andy is a versatile filmmaker who grew up in Tucson, AZ and earned his B.A. in Film Studies from Seattle University. He got his start as a Programmer for Seattle International Film Festival before graduation in 2018.

He is fascinated by themes of connection: What drives it? How does it forge? How do we let go? He sought to explore this through the animated documentary, Coffee & Sugar, based on his grandparents’ story. It premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Seattle International Film Festival before playing at dozens more across the country.

A firm believer in the empowering nature of films, Andy produced Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story (Dir. Aaron Bear, Nar. Zachary Quinto, feat. Bill Gates) which won awards nationally and across the sea. The feature documentary tells the story of queer Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist, and LGBTQ rights activist, Ric Weiland.

Andy is now the Short Film Programmer at Austin Film Festival and is currently in development on a horror-comedy with producer Michael R. Zumaya of Muted Windows and current AFI Cinematography Student, Zach Morrison.

About the Britt Penrod Award

The award will be presented to one or more finalists to one of our four yearly Roy W. Dean Grants whose film is unique and makes an exceptional contribution to society. The Britt Penrod Award was made possible by a donation from its namesake who is a longtime friend of 501(c)3 non-profit From the Heart Production. Results of the award have no bearing on the eventual winner of any of the Roy W. Dean Grants.

The Britt Penrod award for the 2022 Spring Grant went to Lunchbox from filmmaker Anne Hu. Winners for 2021 include the documentary 26 Seconds for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for the Spring Grant, The Bridge Ministry which won for the Summer Grant, and Separation which won for the Fall Grant. The Fog Catcher won for the Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant.

About Britt Penrod

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.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Now in its 31st 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 new 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 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: 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

“Desert Angel” Wins Britt Penrod Award

Documentary on Man Dedicating His Life to Rescuing Immigrants Making Treacherous Desert Crossing from Mexico to the United States

Awarded to a finalist for the Roy W. Dean Grant that makes an exceptional contribution to society, “Desert Angel” has captured a Britt Penrod Award for the Summer 2022 grant. From the Heart Productions, the top-rated non-profit that sponsors the grant, will give $500 producer Séverine Tibi and to help her bring the film to a wide audience.

“It’s the story of how one person can, and takes it upon themself, to change the world around them in the face of great adversity,” commented Britt Penrod in selecting this film, “I’m left asking, if he can do that, what can I do?”

About “Desert Angel”

For 25 years, Rafael Larraenza has risked his life along the US-Mexico border to rescue immigrants lost in the desert. But as the years catch up with him, he worries his next search-and-rescue mission could be his last.

Intimate and poetic, it’s a character study of a man driven to save others and willing to risk anything to do so.

While traversing the no man’s land during filming, there were times that Vincent felt a presence. Not a haunting but a connectedness, as if he was where he belonged.

About the Filmmakers

Séverine Tibi – Producer Séverine is a LA-based producer whose mission is to find, nurture and promote emerging and unique filmmakers with distinctive voices. In 2017, she co-founded the production company Sevana Films, with Anaïs Calmels in Cannes. Since then, they have produced documentary and fiction films on four continents and with international teams, which have screened at festivals across the globe. Their feature documentary, ‘Fenua Aihere: The Heart of Tahiti’, was broadcast on France Télévisions and is currently available to watch on all Air Tahiti Nui flights.

Sevana Films is now at different stage of production on several projects, including Lara Zeidan’s debut feature in Lebanon, which won the French Film Institute’s Development Award at the Desert Angel by Vincent DeLuca Crossroads Co-Production Forum, the Rotterdam Lab Award at Beirut Cinema Platform and the Special Mention Award at the Red Sea Souk.

Séverine regularly attends events and festivals as a consultant, through talent development programs and to discover the next generation of storytellers. Most recently, she was a film mentor at SXSW, a Zurich Film Festival Academy participant and a jury member at the Annapolis Film Festival.

She has also been invited to join the Sundance Institute’s Producers Summit in July 2022.

Vincent DeLuca – Director Vincent is an award-winning filmmaker who, over the past 15 years, has made documentaries on a variety of human rights topics. Having grown up in a Mexican-American neighborhood in Southern California, DeLuca witnessed what it’s like to live without papers and was moved by the constant uncertainty and anxiety immigrants live with to provide for their families.

In 1999, DeLuca moved to Guerrero, Mexico to better understand the immigrant experience. His time in rural Mexico inspired him to study law and Latin American politics at Duke University. DeLuca also worked with migrant farm workers through the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, practiced law at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego and was the Director of International and Comparative Law at Columbia Law School.

DeLuca completed his PhD at the University of Amsterdam’s School for Cultural Analysis focusing on the history and philosophy of human rights filmmaking, examining Latin American Third Cinema, the African American filmmakers of the LA Rebellion and, modern works by filmmakers like Merawi Gerima and Mati Diop. In addition to his filmmaking, DeLuca is committed to educating new filmmakers and is a professor of Film Production at Loyola Marymount University.

About the Britt Penrod Award

About Britt Penrod

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 $30 million through their 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

For More Information and interview requests, please contact:

Richard Kaufman

richard@fromtheheartproductions.com

www.fromtheheartproductions.com

“Save the Wild Coast (Warship Off the Wild Coast)” Wins Britt Penrod Award

Documentary Brings Attention to Indigenous People Fighting a Multinational Corporation to Preserve Their Environment

From the Heart Productions, the top-rated non-profit dedicated to helping indie filmmakers get their films funded, has selected “Save the Wild Coast (Warship Off the Wild Coast)” as a winner of the Britt Penrod Award. This award goes to a project that was submitted to the Summer 2022 Roy W. Dean Film Grant, was named a finalist, and that makes an exceptional contribution to society. Director & Consultant Producer Quinton Fredericks and Executive Producer Gary Janks will receive a $500 cash prize that will help them continue their work on this project.

The battle to save the planet are being fought on many fronts,” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “We thank Quinton and Gary for working to bring this amazing story to the public.”

About “Save the Wild Coast (Warship Off the Wild Coast)”

For centuries, the amaMpondo have bravely resisted invaders, protecting their natural world along the South African Wild Coast, to maintain a culture of conservation, where nature is sacred.

This fight culminated in a David vs Goliath court case against oil giant Shell, where the indigenous community is succeeding in preserving their ocean connection and marine life from invasive deep-sea blasting by Shell, while seizing the world’s attention.

About the Filmmakers

Gary Janks – Executive Producer Gary is a retired teacher, with a career spanning 35 years. For the last 7 years, he has worked as a producer/director. Credits include “Chasing Mandelaʼs Rainbow” (2019) which was honored with 37 international film festival selections, 7 awards/nominations, including Best Documentary, Cinema At The Edge, L.A. USA, & TV broadcasts, UR (Sweden), Deutsche Welle – international single run in 4 languages (Germany),ShortsTV (USA) and e.tv (South Africa)

Quinton Fredericks – Director/Consulting Producer Quinton is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, director, producer and writer. In 2007, he won a SAFTA for the best Educational Documentary Series covering 58 episodes of 24 minutes each for SABC. With a career in the film and television production industry spanning more than 20 years, he was extensively understanding of the policy and legislative environment as it pertains to the film and television sector having chaired the Working Group on Black economic Empowerment and Transformation under the auspices of then Cape Film Commission.

As a registered skills development facilitator, he pioneered some of the most comprehensive and innovative skills development programs for emerging and underprivileged filmmakers and producers.

About the Britt Penrod Award

About Britt Penrod

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 $30 million through their 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

For More Information and interview requests, please contact:

Richard Kaufman

richard@fromtheheartproductions.com

www.fromtheheartproductions.com

“Wrestling with Iran” Wins Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Documentary Storytelling

Through their Competition, American and Iranian Wrestlers Discover a Respect for their Common Humanity that Transcends their Sport

From the Heart Productions, the top-rated non-profit dedicated to supporting independent filmmakers with unique films that make a contribution to society, has awarded the project “Wrestling with Iran” the Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Documentary Storytelling.

The $2,000 award goes to a film submitted to the Roy W. Dean Film Grant and selected as a finalist. Submitted to the Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall 2022, the documentary is being produced and directed by Jahangir Golestan Parast. He will use the additional funding to complete this important film.

“The film points out that Iranians and Americans have many misconceptions about each other’s country and people,” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “Jahangir has done a wonderful job using this film to bridge those misconceptions and to show how much we are alike.”

About the Film

This film opens with the 2016 World Wrestling Cup in Los Angeles where Golestan Parast becomes convinced that the ancient Iranian sport of wrestling may offer a vehicle for widening the understanding of Americans about Iran. As Ali Bayat, the Iranian free style coach notices, “After five minutes [the athletes]are friends.” One of the more striking images in the film shows Jordan Burroughs, the American champion, and an Iranian competitor, walking away from the camera, their arms around each other.

Golestan Parast embarks on a trip back to his homeland in Iran. Once there, he seeks out an ancient Iranian institution, the zurkhanhe (House of Strength) where wrestlers train in a disciplined regimen in which physical training is inseparable from the molding of the soul in that humility, respect and compassion for others that the American wrestlers found in their Iranian competitors.

About the Filmmaker

Jahangir Golestan-Parast – Director/Producer – Jahangir is an award winning documentary film maker whose work is always looking into humanity’s love and compassion for one another and for the environment. He usually focuses on addressing the themes of transformation and healing.

His feature documentaries have been screened at several universities across the United States, as well as Washington National Cathedral, and Iman Cultural Center in Los Angeles, United Nations Association film festival, and Peace Corps Iran Association. They have also been shown at cultural groups in a wide variety of settings, as well as nonprofit organizations.

Golestan-Parast’s primary concentration is social problems and social change. His passion is to document and reflect the passages that unite humanity together across the globe. He is the winner of the best documentary award at the NOOR Film Festival in Los Angeles, which is focused mainly on Iranian-American culture.

Jahangir’s most touching and delicate film is Bam 6.6 (2006, 55 min.) This feature documentary recounts the devastating earthquake in Southern Iran and how a nation weaves promise and hope into human tragedy. Bam 6.6 is a testament to the love and kindness of humanity regardless of where we live.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Since its inception in 1992, the Roy W. Dean Grants have awarded over $2,000,000 in cash and donated film services to independent films.

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. They have been chosen a top non-profit for eight years in a row by greatnonprofits.org. Besides providing funding through the grant, they offer a unique film sponsorship which has helped filmmakers raise over $30 million for their projects. The program offers personal consultations and guidance on finding funding their project.

President Carole Dean, is a published writer, a producer, and instructor for two essential classes for indie filmmakers. She wrote the best-selling The Art of Film Funding: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts. Her Intentional Filmmaking Class teaches film funding and her new class, How to Produce Films, starts Spring 2023.

For More Information, please contact:

Richard Kaufman

richard@fromtheheartproductions.com

www.fromtheheartproductions.com

Xackery Irving Wins Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Documentary Storytelling

His New Documentary Project Details the Heroic Resistance of Soldiers, Citizens, and Volunteers to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Top-rated non-profit From the Heart Productions, dedicated to helping independent filmmakers with unique films that make a contribution to society, has announced that Xackery Irving’s Untitled Documentary Project has won the Carole Joyce Award for Excellence in Storytelling.

The $2,000 award goes to a film submitted to the Roy W. Dean Film Grant and selected as a finalist. Submitted to the Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall 2022, the documentary, currently in production, is being produced and directed by Xackery Irving. He will use the additional funding to complete this important film.

“There are few stories timelier and more important to tell than this one,” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “We admire his tremendous dedication to this project as he is filming right now in one of the most harrowing places on earth right now, the battlefields of the Ukraine.”

About the Film

Irving’s feature documentary reveals how soldiers, citizens and volunteers brace for the horrors of war while preserving their humanity. After two months embedded with a frontline Ukrainian army unit, we see the true impact of the conflict from their eyes and the citizens they struggle to protect.

During filming, filmmakers have enjoyed unfettered access to the Ukrainian army units while they have been fighting historic battles in one of the most violently fought territories of the war. They have also been gaining access to civilians who endured the impact of this brutal war and continuing to gather more extraordinary stories.

About the Filmmaker

Xackery Irving – Director/Producer – Xackery has been producing and directing long form film and television projects for over twenty years. His first feature film, a documentary entitled American Chain Gang screened in several international film festivals, won awards (including a Roy W. Dean Grant), and enjoys worldwide television and streaming distribution. .

His follow up film, Nothing Without You enjoys success as one of the most highly watched indie-film thrillers on Amazon and AppleTV. Xackery has produced and directed over a hundred hours of documentary programming.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Since its inception in 1992, the Roy W. Dean Grants have awarded over $2,000,000 in cash and donated film services to independent films.

About From the Heart Productions

For More Information, please contact:

Richard Kaufman

richard@fromtheheartproductions.com

www.fromtheheartproductions.com

“Piece of Mind” Wins Final Roy W. Dean Grant for 2022

Through Intimate Stories, Documentary Reveals the Challenges of Those Suffering from Severe Mental Illness and the Impact on Their Families

Closing out the 2022 Roy W. Dean Grant cycle, From the Heart Productions, the top-rated 501(c)3 non-profit supporter of indie filmmakers, has awarded its Fall 2022 Roy W. Dean Grant to the documentary Piece of Mind. The grant goes to a film that is unique and that makes a contribution to society. It provides a combination of cash and donated production services which Producer/Director/Editor Sheila Ganz will utilize in completing her project.

“Piece of Mind”

“In all her films, as in this one, Sheila shines a light on those with problems who are neglected and outcast by society,” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “The stories she exposes touch the hearts and minds of audiences, prodding them to contribute solutions.”

In addition to the $3,000 cash prize, the grant winner will receive $15,000.00 in original music written by well-known composer David Raikle n, $6,000.00 in animation from Emmy award winner Charlie Canfield, $500 in grip, lighting or expendables from Filmtools, a 4tb OWC Gemini Raid Hard Drive from Other World Computing (OWC), and more from heart-felt film industry companies and individuals.

About the Film

There are 8.8 million adults living with severe mental illness in the U.S. today. Family members are their primary caregivers.

The documentary-in-progress Piece of Mind amplifies the voices of families as they advocate for equity in health care for their loved ones with brain disorders. This private story is told through the eyes of a mother fearful for her son unaware of his schizophrenia, two Japanese American sisters with a sister diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder who was shot by police seven times and survived, and a suicidal man with bipolar disorder who has a positive encounter with police.

Their experiences reveal complicated family dynamics, conflicts with law enforcement and the impact of a broken mental health care system. Combining intimate interviews, archival footage and animation, the film highlights the urgent need for humane solutions for treatment before tragedy and a comprehensive continuum of care for individuals with brain disorders to give them a chance at a better life.

About the Filmmaker

Sheila Ganz – Producer/Director/Editor – She is deeply committed to giving voice to the lives of misunderstood and marginalized women, men and children. She directed, produced and edited the Emmy-nominated documentary ON LIFE’S TERMS: MOTHERS IN RECOVERY, Certificate of Recognition, California State Legislature and Certificate of Honor, City and County of San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Ganz first documentary UNLOCKING THE HEART OF ADOPTION , Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, Angels in Adoption Award. Both films continue to screen in educational institutions, adoption agencies and substance use treatment programs.

Ganz has been a volunteer of the warm helpline for Bay Area Birth Mother’s Assoc., since 2010. She taught filmmaking at Film Arts Foundation and guest lectured at City College of San Francisco and Academy of Art University. Ganz wrote and directed two stage plays PRETEND IT DIDN’T HAPPEN about relinquishing her daughter for adoption, and LEAVING JOE about domestic violence.

Before becoming a documentary filmmaker, Ganz was a painter and sculptor. Her work has been exhibited in the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Boston Area. Ganz is a Black Belt in Karate.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Winners of the grant include recent Emmy Winners Belly of the Beast and The Love Bugs, the award winning narrative feature Cadejo Blanco which is now in theaters around the world, 2019 Sundance Film Festival selection Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, the acclaimed documentary Kusama-Infinity.

About From the Heart Productions

From The Heart Productions is a 501(c)3 non-profit that helps filmmakers get their projects funded and made. They have been chosen a top non-profit for eight years in a row by greatnonprofits.org. Besides providing funding through the grant, they offer a unique film sponsorship which has helped filmmakers raise over $30 million for their projects. The program offers personal consultations and guidance on finding funding their project.

For More Information and interview requests, please contact:

Richard Kaufman

richard@fromtheheartproductions.com

www.fromtheheartproductions.com

Finalists Named for Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall 2022 Grant

An International Group of Filmmakers Vie for Grant That Includes Cash and Production Services

For the final Roy W. Dean Grant in the 2022 cycle, the 501(c)3 non-profit grant sponsor From the Heart Productions has named the twenty-two finalists for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Fall 2022. Awarded to a film that is unique and that make a contribution to society, the winner will receive $3,000 cash and thousands more in donated production goods and services to help them complete their project.

Roy W. Dean Grant Finalist: “Red Bus in Baghdad”

“We are thrilled at seeing so much amazing work from filmmakers all around the world.” said Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “Included in our finalists are film projects from England, Zambia, France, Sweden as well as the United States.”

Along with the cash prize awarded by From the Heart Productions are donations from film industry professionals and companies. These include $15,000.00 in original music written by well-known composer David Raikle n, $6,000.00 in animation from Emmy award winner Charlie Canfield, $500 in grip, lighting or expendables from Filmtools, an OWC Gemini Raid Hard Drive from Other World Computing, and more from many heartfelt donors.

The grant is open to documentaries, narrative features, short films, and web series. The winner is expected to be announced in February 2023.

Finalists for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Fall 2022 are:

Title	Type	Filmmaker
“On the Brink – Miscalculation: Kennedy and Khrushchev”	Documentary Feature	Darin Nellis
Why did we plant roses?	Documentary Feature	Mohanad Salahat
Jebus	Fiction Feature	Cole Thomas
Trusted Sources	Documentary Feature	Don Colacino
Mixed Legacy – Operation Katima Mulilo	Fiction Feature	Abdon Yezi
Against the Tide	Documentary Feature	Katie Moore
Red Bus in Baghdad	Documentary Feature	Ingrid Nordstrom
The Cassandra Project	Fiction Feature	Debbie Chesebro
Escape From Death Valley	Documentary Feature	Kit Tyler
Turning Tides	Documentary Feature	Eloise Curran
The Rwenzori Rainmakers	Documentary Feature	Jacqui Doughty
Daly City	Fiction Short	Nick Hartanto
Wrestling with Iran	Documentary Feature	Jahangir Golestan Parast
Freedom Is Our Religion	Documentary Feature	Xackery Irving
Shell Shock	Fiction Short	Patricia Garza
Piece of Mind	Documentary Feature	Sheila Ganz
King Luck	Documentary Feature	Emily Graham-Handle
Minnie Evans: Visionary Artist	Documentary Feature	Linda Royal
Lico Jiménez, the Ebony Liszt	Documentary Feature	Julie Carmen
Salsa, A Caribbean Swing (Salsa, un tumbao’ caribeño)	Documentary Feature	Beni Marquez
Dear Lara	Fiction Short	Patrick Hamm
On The Line	Fiction Short	Brianna Devons

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Since its 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 is unique and that make a contribution to society.

Offering four grants for filmmakers each year, The Roy W. Dean Grant has been an important lifeline for independent filmmakers helping them 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. In addition to personal guidance, free classes on fundraising and filmmaking, the program allows donations made to films 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: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts and the new online class “How to Fund Your Film”.

“The Need to Grow” Wins Summer Roy W. Dean Grant

Documentary Investigates Solutions to Localize Food and Regenerate our Planet’s Dying Soils

Can we feed the world without destroying the Earth? That and other questions on the sustainability of life on our planet are explored in The Need to Grow which has been awarded the Summer Roy W. Dean Grant for 2016. Co-Directors and producers, Rob Herring and Ryan Wirick, will receive $30K in cash, film products, and services to help them complete their film now in post-production.

From The Heart Productions, the 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to help filmmakers get their films funded, founded the Roy W. Dean Grant in 1993. Awarded 3 times each year, submitted projects must be unique and make a contribution to society. The grants are open to all types of film projects including documentaries, short films, features, and web series in any stage of production.

“There is not a more important topic then how we feed ourselves now and in the future” commented Carole Dean, president of From the Heart Productions on the Summer Roy W. Dean Grant winner. “The problems exposed in the film are frightening, but the brilliant and determined people shown working on them give us hope.”

The documentary follows innovators of low and high tech solutions to localize food and regenerate our planet’s dying soils. With more toxic chemicals being sprayed than ever before, food seed varieties going extinct, bees dying off, historic water shortages, epidemics of malnutrition, hunger and food waste coexisting, and an estimated 60 years of farmable soil left on the planet, the time to fix our broken food system is now.

Through the stories of underdog leaders facing unpredictable challenges—from activists to urban farmers, from permaculture designers to computer scientists, from ancient to cutting edge technologies, from Boston to Los Angeles—emerge solutions that conserve natural resources and create true food security.

The “Need To Grow” reveals not only the potential of decentralized food production models that work with nature, but more importantly, reveals our potential as active participants in an interconnected biosphere to become a planetary force for ecosystem restoration.

Rob Herring is a graduate of the Tisch School of Arts at NYU where he received the Drama Award for Film and TV. He Co-Produced/Directed his first feature, Nothing in Los Angeles, which received numerous best picture honors. Rob also worked on the recent document GMO OMG. He is a certified Holistic Health Coach and, as a musician, writes songs for health activism.

Ryan Wirick is an award winning writer and journalist, as well as a cinematographer and film editor. He’s been producing videos since he was 15, the same year he learned about the environmental havoc caused by our food system. He is graduate of Chapman University and collaborated with Moms Across America to raise awareness of the systemic problems in our food system.

The Summer Roy W. Dean Grant includes $3,500 cash given by From The Heart Productions. The winners also receive a hard drive from G-Technology, 30% Discount for music post production services from AudioKut, discounts on original music and sound mix from Alan Audio Works, and much more from many heart-felt donors who support independent filmmakers.

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

Now in its 23^rd year, the Roy W. Dean Grant has awarded over $2,000,000 in cash and donated film services to films. The grant has been an important lifeline for 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, and the now in release on video and on demand The Brainwashing of My Dad.

Submissions are being accepted for the Roy W. Dean Grant for Spring 2017

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 are also a fiscal sponsor which allows donations made to films they sponsor to be tax deductible. From The Heart has raised over $2.4 million for crowdfunding films as a partner with Indiegogo. President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2^nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts.

For More Information, please contact

Richard Kaufman

richard@fromtheheartproductions.com

www.fromtheheartproductions.com

Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall 2021 Now Accepting Applications

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

Filmmaker Will Receive $2,500 to Help Complete Work on Project

About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall 2021 Now Accepting Applications

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

About “Stairway to the Stars”

Fundraising Campaign Underway for Final Funding

About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

About the Britt Penrod Award

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From the Heart Productions

Documentary Receives Cash and Donated Production Services to Complete Project

About the Filmmakers

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

The Hot Films in the Making for the Roy W. Dean Grant for Fall 2021 are:

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

About the Film

About the Filmmakers

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

About the Filmmaker

About the Britt Penrod Award

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From the Heart Productions

About the Film

About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From the Heart Productions

Finalists for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring 2022 are:

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

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About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

Title

Submitting Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

The Hot Films in the Making for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring 2022 are:

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

About the Filmmaker

About the Britt Penrod Award

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From the Heart Productions

About “Love Taps”

About the Filmmaker

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

About the Film

About the Co-Directors

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From the Heart Productions

About the Film

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About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From the Heart Productions

Finalists for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Spring 2022 are:

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From The Heart Productions

The Hot Films in the Making for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant for Summer 2022 are:

About the Roy W. Dean Grant

About From the Heart Productions

About “I’m Still Here”

About the Filmmaker

About the Britt Penrod Award

About Britt Penrod

About the Roy W. Dean Grant