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 |
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
Now celebrating 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 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: 2nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts, the new online class How to Fund Your Film, and Perfecting Your Pitch and Proposal.
