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Today we're talking with Simone Pero, an Emmy-nominated producer and the founder of For Impact Productions. Simone helps mission-driven artists move beyond traditional funding models and build real ecosystems of support around issue-driven work, through her signature Artists for Impact™ cohort program. She's also a sought-after public speaker and writer on the role of art and creative expression in social change. Her website is  www.forimpactproductions.com, and you can download her free guide “Your North Star for Social Impact" at www.forimpactproductions.com/guide/. 

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Our guest today is Carole Joyce, Vice President of From the Heart Productions and Director of our grant programs, including the Roy W. Dean Grants and the Carole Dorothy Joyce Grants. Carole has the unique opportunity to see grant applications from the other side of the table. She knows what makes an application memorable, what causes an application to lose momentum, and what filmmakers can do to communicate the heart, purpose, and potential of their projects more effectively.  

Grant application: https://fromtheheartproductions.com/roy-w-dean-film-grants-and-awards  

Setting goals & your mission as a filmmaker: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n3m632njjeriwwgfdir2t/Your-Mission-and-Goals-as-Filmmaker.mp3?rlkey=21n33hxu3cbw2s46mvk6pdeyc&st=5u0fvooq&e=1&dl=0

Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/

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Today, we are talking with Irina Chernikina, producer/director/writer, about one of the most important—and often misunderstood—roles in independent filmmaking: the producer. What does an independent producer actually do? How does a producer guide a film from its earliest development through production and post-production?

The Film Funding Group event takes place Thursday, 8-6-26 at 4pm PT / 5 pm MT / 6pm CT / 7pm ET

Learn More at https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmfundinggroup

The Event Recording will be posted in "featured" section at https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmfundinggroup

Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/

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Over more than 30 years, Xackery Irving has produced hundreds of hours of nonfiction programming for The New York Times Television, History, and National Geographic. For his work on Brace For Oblivion, he was granted the p.g.a. mark by the Producers Guild of America. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Employment Committee of the Producers Guild of America.

Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/

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What happens when a neighborhood asks for one dangerous street to be made safer—and discovers that the fight is really about power, money and who gets to shape the future of a city? Stay with us as filmmaker Ben Wolf reveals how he transformed that battle into his feature documentary directing debut, Changing Lanes.

www.changinglanesdoc.com

Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/

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Today, we are speaking with award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, and storyteller Betsy Murphy.

Her documentaries have screened at international film festivals and appeared on Hulu, Showtime, and Amazon Prime. Her projects have also been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The UK Sunday Times, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and Sports Illustrated.

Betsy is also the author of eight books, including Autobiography of an Orgasm, Grief Glimmers Grace, and Write On: A Daily Writing Practice for Anyone with a Story to Tell.

Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/

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Alternative ideas for Outreach distribution for the documentary,  Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor’s Guide.

In 2020, Nivi Jaswal-Wirtjes lost her father to COVID-19 while struggling through her own burnout after 15 years in high-pressure global marketing and strategy roles across consumer packaged goods, life sciences, and media. That dual reckoning — grief and exhaustion — became the catalyst for her life’s new direction: uncovering the connections between personal well-being, food systems, and planetary health.

She founded The Virsa Foundation Inc., and. the JIVINITI Research and Advocacy Program, a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit uniting experts in anthropology, psychology, lifestyle medicine, and creative advocacy to design plant-powered, climate-conscious initiatives that prevent chronic illness and foster resilience. Nivi also led The GAIA Study, the largest U.S. nonprofit study on burnout, lifestyle, and nutrition, conducted with Ipsos Public Affairs.

Her research inspired the award-winning feature documentary “Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor’s Guide”, which won Best Documentary Feature awards at the 2025 Greenpoint Film Festival, 2025 Seatte Film Festival, 2025 Show Low Arizona Film Festival, and several others, and continues to screen internationally. As a speaker, she has shared her work at King’s College Hospital, Harvard Kennedy School, University of California Berkeley, University of California Santa Barbara and the University of the Arts London.

Through research, filmmaking, and advocacy, Nivi transforms personal loss into a mission to heal both people and planet.

Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/

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Today, we're delighted to welcome Jessica Wrabel, a versatile and respected actress and producer with more than two decades of experience in television, film, and theater. Today we'll discuss Jessica's journey as a producer, how she financed her film, the unique opportunities, and challenges of faith-based filmmaking, and what she's learned about bringing an independent film from concept to audience.

Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/

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Deborah Patz’s book, Film Production Management 101, has become one of the industry's most respected resources and is often described as the “essential roadmap to the business side of production.” The newly updated third edition covers everything from budgeting and scheduling to respectful workplaces and sustainable production practices. Deborah covers important producing skills in this podcast.

Deborah is also the author of “Write! Shoot! Edit!” for teens - both books published worldwide by MWP Productions. She has worked in the industry since the mid-80s, with a filmography that spans micro-budget to international co-productions, from family and children's programming to science fiction extravaganzas and feature films of various budget sizes with companies such as Disney, Lucasfilm, Alliance/Atlantis, Nelvana, MCA/Universal, and the IMAX space team. Currently she's working in business affairs at Telefilm Canada and teaches filmmaking skills based on her books. When not involved in books and films, she sails with her family in Pacific Northwest.

www.debpatz.com

Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/

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Rae Shaw is a Black female writer-director whose work has been evolving to stretch the boundaries of how Black women see and are seen in the world. Her work concentrates on lifting the experiences of Black women and women of color by telling stories that dimensionalize us in spaces that have sought to diminish, exploit and punish us through stereotypes. Her screenplays have won honors at top international screenwriting competitions, and her film work has screened at top film festivals. She is the author of the recent  screenwriting book, THE SHORT, from MWP,  the foremost publisher of independent filmmaking books.

 Wicked Lovely Films - www.wickedlovelyfilms.com

Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/