Betsy Murphy’s documentary follows a mother’s journey to India after her son’s fentanyl-related death, connecting personal loss, addiction, and the urgent need to protect the world’s waterways.
Two months before he died, Charlie Griswold told his mother, “When I die, you will tell my story.”
Now, that story—Bodies of Water, a documentary by producer/director Betsy B. Murphy and Charlie Griswold—has been named the winner of the Spring 2026 Roy W. Dean Grant presented by From the Heart Productions.
The film follows Murphy to India after the death of her 27-year-old son, Charlie Griswold, from a fentanyl-related overdose.
Carrying his ashes to the Ganges River, she sets out on a deeply personal journey that becomes an exploration of grief, consciousness, environmental pollution, and the connections between the health of our bodies and the water that sustains life.
The award includes $3,500 in cash, along with donated production services and equipment from companies committed to supporting independent filmmakers.
“Betsy has taken an unimaginable personal loss and found a story that reaches far beyond her own family,” said Carole Dean, president of From the Heart Productions. “Bodies of Water asks us to look more closely at the people we love, the crises we sometimes fail to see, and our responsibility to protect life in all its forms.
“We’re honored to support a filmmaker with the courage to share such a personal journey and the vision to connect it to something much larger.”
About the Film
For Betsy, the documentary fulfills a promise that began with the words her son spoke shortly before his death.
Charlie was a father of two young daughters and had built a career as a consultant and grower in Northern California’s medical marijuana industry. His death placed Murphy among the many families whose lives have been permanently changed by fentanyl and the nation’s overdose crisis.
As she travels to the Ganges, one of the world’s most sacred rivers, she discovers that the waterway is facing a crisis of its own. The film draws a connection between a son whose life was cut short and a river threatened by pollution, asking audiences to consider what happens when the people and natural resources we depend on are left unprotected.
Through Murphy’s search for meaning, Bodies of Water examines the possibility of connection beyond death while bringing attention to the human and environmental consequences of crises that can be easy to overlook.
About the Filmmaker
Producer and Director Betsy B. Murphy is an author, humanitarian, and veteran filmmaker who founded Figaro Films, Inc. in 1998 to produce films that inspire, enlighten, entertain, and educate. In 2017, she established Beautiful Infinity Books, a publishing collective that offers workshops and retreats for writers and other creators.
Born and raised in Indiana, Murphy began her career producing and writing commercials and nonfiction programming after earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in broadcast journalism from Southern Methodist University. A mother and grandmother, she lives in California when she is not traveling.
What the Winner Recieves
In addition to the $3,500 cash award, the Spring 2026 Roy W. Dean Grant package includes:
- Filmtools: $500 in grip, lighting, or expendables.
- ProMedia NYC: 40% off color correction, editing, sound, and production services, including use of its lighting truck.
- AbelCine Tech, Inc.: 30% off equipment rentals.
- IndiPro: A Kratos 99Wh V-Mount Battery and Dual Charger Kit valued at $600.
- Silver Sound: A sound mix session valued at $1,600.
- Additional contributions from donors dedicated to helping independent filmmakers bring their projects to completion.
About the Roy W. Dean Grant
Since its inception in 1992, the Roy W. Dean Grant has provided over $2,000,000 in cash and donated film services to independent filmmakers. The grant is awarded to projects budgeted under $500,000 that demonstrate originality and social impact. With four grants awarded each year, the program serves as a crucial resource for independent filmmakers striving to complete their projects.
Past winners of the grant include winner of the 2025 Truer than Fiction Spirit Award Winner A Photographic Memory, 2021 Emmy winners Belly of the Beast and The Love Bugs, as well as Sundance Film Festival selection Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, and acclaimed documentary Kusama-Infinity.
About From the Heart Productions
From The Heart Productions is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to helping independent filmmakers secure funding and bring their projects to fruition. In addition to the Roy W. Dean Grant, the organization offers fiscal sponsorship, personal guidance, and free classes on fundraising and filmmaking. Through its fiscal sponsorship program, From the Heart has helped filmmakers raise over $30 million in donations for their films.
President Carole Dean is the best-selling author of The Art of Film Funding: 2nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts and the new online class Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.
