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

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.

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.

Roy W. Dean Film Grant Finalists

“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

 

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

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: 2nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts and the new online class “How to Fund Your Film”

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 30th 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.

Roy W. Dean Film Grant Finalists for Spring 2022

“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

 

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

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: 2nd 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.  

Hot Films in the Making for Spring 2022

“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

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 30th 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 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: 2nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts and the new online class “How to Fund Your Film”.

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

Carole Joyce Award

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

Carole Joyce AwardStuart 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

Now celebrating its 30th 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, 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

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: 2nd 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 dedicatedGeneration Nerd Girl 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 Raiklen, $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

Generation Nerd GirlKaren 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.

 

 

Generation Nerd GirlBobette 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

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. 

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: 2nd 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 30th year.  The grant is awarded to a unique film that makes a contribution to society.

 

Roy W. Dean Film Grant finalists

 

“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

 

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

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: 2nd 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 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

Now celebrating its 30th 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 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: 2nd Edition, Alternative Financing Concepts and the new online class “How to Fund Your Film”.

“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 30th 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.

Roy W. Dean Grant Winner for Summer 2021

“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.

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

About the Filmmakers

Roy W. Dean Grant Winner for Summer 2021Meg 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.

Roy W. Dean Grant Winner for Summer 2021Scott 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. 

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: 2nd 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

 

Using the Mighty 990 to Fund Your Film

Before You Apply for a Grant, Take a Peek at Who Grantors Funded in Past

by Carole Dean

Where do you start? I read thousands of proposals a year for my Roy W. Dean film grants. I know what wins grants and what turns judges off quickly. Getting it right can be a piece of cake.

Documentary film funding starts with a well-written, organized proposal. It outlines your film’s story, background, and need. It also outlines the approach, structure and style in four to eight pages of dynamite passion.

It continues through finding the right grant for your film, by investigating a funding organization’s 990 as well as reaching out to the right person at that organization who can help you get funded. 

Getting started may be the hard part, when really, this is the best part

Just write page after page of your visions for the film. Don’t worry if you only need a 6 page proposal and you now have 25 pages, just keep putting down what you “see” happening in your film. Focus on your vision of the film.

I realize that you are not sure what your subjects may say in the interviews, but if you did your research thoroughly, you know the subject matter. So, tell it to us as a compelling story and any people you have secured for the film, tell us their story.

Your proposal needs to be a visual description of your film

It’s there somewhere in those 25 pages of written material so read them carefully and find the best visual sections to paste into your proposal. Now, read it over and create your first three dynamite paragraphs that tell me a compelling story.

Put time into this because it is my introduction to your film. You may have been working on it for over a year, but this is my first look. You need to condense the film to three paragraphs to engage me because the first paragraphs are the most important part of the application. It tells me you are a good writer and it shows me your vision of the film.

Don’t start by writing in your proposal how much this film is needed

With our Roy W Dean Grant, we fund stories about interesting characters and concepts. The biggest mistake is to tell us the history in the beginning or to tell us how much this film is needed or that you want to send a message.

Remember, Harry Warner said, “If you want to send a message, go to Western Union, if you want to make a picture, tell me a story!”

That’s just what we want, stories, keep telling us the story and let me see the film it as I read the story.

Who is your audience?

Now, take those 25 pages, cut and paste the information into the background, and keep that separate from the theme and separate from the approach, structure and style. We also want to know how you will market your film. Only 1 in 1000 docs gets a theatrical release and that does not always have a financial return.

Creative filmmakers are building audiences for their films on the web by organizing communities around the film’s issues and these people are donating to their films and waiting to pay for downloads. You should consider distributing it yourself to sell on your website.  Instead of a percentage of each download, you will make the full price.

What are your marketing plans? 

Outreach is a major key to socially oriented films; we want to know that the people who need the film will see it so put outreach in the budget. Did I lose you with that last word?

Well, you have to face the music and go to the left brain now and do a budget but never fear Maureen Ryan www.producertoproducer.com  is perfect for you.  Maureen is an award winner producer of many great documentaries including Dick Johnson is Dead

Her website has sample budgets on her website which is dedicated to supporting independent film producers by sharing helpful and essential information about practical film production.

Using 990’s to find grants that match your project

Finding grants that match your material is paramount to the funding process. Go to
www.grantsmart.org and search for granting organizations by key words.  Once you find them; go to https://candid.org/.

You want to find and check out the Corporations 990 form which is part of their income tax, and candid.org has a slick 990-PF that shows you exactly where the most important funding information is located.  You can find the most recent 990’s at https://www.guidestar.org/

I know is sounds sneaky, to look into some corporation’s income tax, but all is fair in love and doc financing. You can access info on over 200,000 U.S. private and community foundations for free and you will find how much an organization donated in contributions, gifts and grants for prior years.

Don’t enter grants you don’t think you can win

Find a potential funder that matches your film and find the name of the operations officer and, most importantly, find who won last years and prior year’s grants. Is your film a fit? The biggest complaint is that too many people apply for grants that do not fit. See if you can find the prior winner’s web sites, they might even be willing to give you tips on entering this grant.

Don’t enter grants you don’t think you can win. Your time is too valuable, it is best to find grants you think you have the best chance of winning and then write a few more paragraphs in your proposal to tailor it just for them.

I know when someone reads my grant web site information because they say, “My film is unique and makes a contribution to society.” That’s my mission statement and I like to see this because I know they read the guidelines.

While you read each potential funder’s site, keep looking for questions that are not answered, like how many apps did they have last year and what is the amount of money they are giving this year.

Don’t be shy

Now comes the best part of funding. Get the list of corporations or non-profits you think are the best ones to submit your film. Find your question that was not answered on their web site.  Then, search for the name of the granting officer and phone number because you are going to call them!

Don’t be shy. You would never enter a grant without first making contact with the grantor. This is your great opportunity to introduce yourself and make an important connection.

Place your call in “prime time” from 10 to 12 or 2 to 4 and ask to speak directly to the operations officer in charge of the grant. If they don’t answer, try again later or get information on the best time to reach them.

“Touch my heart and I reach for my pocket book.”

Your job is to touch them, remembering that we communicate through the heart chakra.
I say, “Touch my heart and I reach for my pocket book.” Keep this in mind when creating your short pitch. This connection puts energy to your application; it is the voice behind the film.

Now what will you say when you get them on the phone? Go back to your 25 pages and create two lines that bring your film to life and tell them this story as your pitch. Tell them the title of your film and give them this short pitch. Don’t over pitch, that’s the worst thing you can do. Just tell them enough of the story line for them to remember you and the pitch.

You read this person’s bio on the site and you know the films she/he funded in the past.  You want to compliment them on their past selections, for their on-going contributions, and support of filmmakers.  Ask your question that was not answered on the web site.

Be relaxed, have your check list of these things in front of you and make a good impression and keep this phone call under three minutes. Be sure to listen to what they say. Let them talk.

Don’t forget to write and never give up

Once you hang up the phone, write them a nice Hallmark card and mail it that day. Be sure to thank them for the information. Give them your short pitch again in the card. You now have two connections with this person and when they see your application they will remember you through the call and the card and the story of your film.

Realize that we want to fund you; we are looking for emerging and established filmmakers with engaging stories to tell.

We know you are talented, most of the people who give grants are not filmmakers, we are your admirers, and we are astonished at your talents.

The golden rule in applying for grants is “never give up.” Keep going back, I have funded 2 films that entered my grant 3 times, I love filmmaker’s tenacity.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers. She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionHer new class “How to Fund Your Film” is available on Vimeo on Demand.  She is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits