From The Heart Productions
Fiscally Sponsored Indie Films and Projects

The Motherboard is a four-movement film/hybrid-media arts project featuring multiple channels of projected media and projection
mapping, live performance, and operatic vocal music structures that address the experience of being a mother overwhelmed with
domestic duties while undertaking an artistic pilgrimage. Using Artistic Director Natasha Maidoff’s training in Butoh (characterized by hyper-controlled motion) and the American Mime Theatre (a physical theater technique), the Motherboard’s robotic movement is contrasted with the artist’s soul-seeking
French Pierrot. The music and opera score incorporates repetitive questions that mothers and children ask each other in domestic life.

Mothers of the Earth, Guardians of the Future is a powerful and inspiring documentary that brings the voices of unsung heroines of climate action to the forefront. This film delves into the lives of women from diverse backgrounds who are at the forefront of the fight against climate change and conservation efforts. 

A small-town janitor / motivational speaker, stumbles along through life, until he has a personal revelation and begins 'un-motivating' the town, turning everything upside down in the process.

When successful real estate agent, Jenna Anderson, can no longer deal with the crushing guilt of her daughter’s death she walks out of society to live a life of sleeping rough on the streets of Las Vegas.

“Musings” is a short film that delves into the delicate, introspective journey of a middle-aged poet grappling with writer’s block on the cusp of her next release. Desperate to rekindle her creativity, she summons her elusive Muse—only to be taken on a transformative inner journey rather than simply given words.

MY SECRET COUNTRY is a feature-length hybrid documentary that dives into the creative lives of three children who invent imaginary friends and worlds. The charms of their imagination are revealed when we meet their imaginary friends - brought to life in 2D animation - who soon discover desserts around the world have gone missing. A nefarious creature named Kritik is suspected, and the imaginary companions realize - as in all good fairy tales - they must find three magical ingredients to save delectable desserts from imminent extinction. This allegorical tale, is at heart a sweet ode to the power of play, imagination and creativity.

A story of Liberty. Revolution. And Migration

A seven-year documentary that dives into the opioid crisis as told by director, Brett Meyer, an addict in recovery who risks his sobriety and almost lost his life making the film. Brett embarks on his recovery journey, which enlightens him on the insidious and complex nature of addiction. He starts filming individual stories of other addicts and is overwhelmed by the immensity of the situation. He relapses. He nevertheless continues to tell the stories of hardships, successes and tragedies that the crisis has wrought. Brett learns that in giving hope to others, he gained it for himself.

Every family has its pain. Every family wants to heal. For Cassy Bustos Rathbun and her family, it is love, no matter what, that helps them navigate and heal through substance abuse, trauma, the criminal justice system, and re-entry from prison. This 47-minute film weaves raw storytelling, home video, and animation to convey the deep effort Cassy and her family make toward recovery and transformation as individuals and as a family.

On hell night, three Latina sorority pledges must solve the riddle of a magical ritual or dissolve into the stereotypes that infect our culture.

After 26 years of reflection as a federal inmate, Pete conveys his conviction of returning to his family and working life on the ranch. Narrated by federal inmate Pete Moreno using a series of phone call interviews, the raw emotion of pain to warmth will convey his greatest tribulations and methodical reflections on serving life for marijuana and being absent from his family. Our team is committed to make a film that speaks with humility and honesty, and to share the highly intimate story of a man who has learned a lifetime of lessons. Through this approach, we can forever change Pete's life and bring awareness to many cannabis offenders who deserve and second chance.

Three women in their 30s, a Black divorce lawyer, a Korean-American pharmaceutical sales rep, and an Iranian-American store manager lead this ensemble cast where they collectively deal with issues such as living with Schizoaffective Disorder, Depression, divorce, marriage, infidelity, finding love, and living with cultural and religious differences.

An afterlife guidance counselor defies the rules to assist a grieving mother on Earth, unknowingly jeopardizing the fate of the Universe.

When Eden disappears in the woods with her imaginary friend, it’s up to her older sister Lizzie to venture out and find her—facing the ever-present Deer King who lurks in the trees.

On the Deer King’s Land channels Folk-Horror and Fantasy in a genre-meshing story. With this film, we are combining themes through genre to create a surrealistic fantasy film. In doing so, we gladly accept the challenge of crafting and constructing the character "Deer King". The Writer and Director, Milo Kolvik-Campbell continue to draw inspiration from films such as Pan’s Labyrinth, Sleepy Hollow, and Narnia.

It was 1977. Smokey and the Bandit, Breaker! Breaker! and Citizens Band movies were released that year. CB radios, 8 Track players, feathered hair and bell bottoms were all very popular. Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album went #1 for 59 weeks, and Elvis performed his last Oklahoma concert in March. Weekend social activity for young people was talking on CB radios, hot-rodding up and down main street, meeting friends and hanging out at their favorite diners that were open 24 hrs.

Two CRAZY NUTS leave everyone they meet 'ALL SHOOK UP' after going to an ELVIS concert!

Two strangers in their 50s, both going through pivotal moments in their lives, meet on a hike and share a deep connection.

This story is about what happens after "happily ever after.” JULIE has just lost her father and WILL is recently divorced and struggling to connect with his teenage daughter. Kindred spirits, they talk about civil rights, justice, spirituality, and explore the purpose of life, which they conclude is to love each other and work toward the betterment of society. They find out it’s never too late to fall in love and confirm our spiritual connection to those who look after us once they've crossed over, realizing that her dad has set them up from his new form as an angel.

After finding divorce papers in the freezer, a complacent rule-follower attempts a one-night stand, which becomes an island getaway where she meets his family and discovers the sister’s boyfriend is her ex.

As Peg and her daughter connect, they confront the obstacles that 20 years of separation have placed in their way. Their willingness to enter this dark void reminds us that just as the lotus emerges from the mud, renewal is not just possible for some of us, it's possible for all of us.

Two adult siblings (1st gen Asian-Americans) both in the middle of their own life crises, return home to clean their mothers old house. They find something surprising in the house that could change both of their lives.

The film is a short dramedy with supernatural elements. Ordinary Objects is a character-based film where themes of grief, family relationships, and personal fulfillment in modern day America are explored.

when one of them is diagnosed with breast cancer, three childhood girlfriends gather for a sleepover in the Brooklyn of their youth, where they are confronted by their younger selves for an endless night of memories, secrets, and the meaning of what it is to truly go home again.

Featuring Gideon Adlon (Blockers), Micaela Diamond (Grotesquerie), Malka Wallick (klutz.), and Alysia Reiner (Ms. Marvel).

An investigative journey into the transactions of injustice of our youth in American culture to give us a visual of just how devastating the travesty of bullying is not only in childhood but how it resonates into bigger issues as they grow into adults from suicide to becoming a bullying themselves.

OurTurn2020 is a nonpartisan PSA designed to mobilize young people across the country to register and vote in the 2020 general election. Millennials make up roughly one third of the United States, but less than half of us actually voted in 2016. When there is so much injustice and inequity in our country, it can be easy to feel powerless. But here’s the truth: participation IS power. It’s time we started flexing. That’s why we channeled some of that optimism into a campaign that, with your help, can have an unmistakable impact. We may have different opinions about how to solve the issues that face us, but opinions are just words. It's time to take action. And it's our turn to do it.

Painting in Darkness tells two parallel stories: that of the brilliant and eccentric painter Albert Pinkham Ryder, as well as the coming of the modern art uprising to New York City in 1913 at the controversial Armory Show. Ryder's journey through the film takes him to the intellectual cafés of New York City, to homeless encampments, to a snow-encrusted racetrack, and to the mansion of wealthy patrons.

The film will tell these stories in dazzling animation. We have assembled a diverse and multi-talented international team of animators and voice actors who work in a wide variety of styles: hand-drawn animation, stop-motion, claymation, as well as painted frames to share our collective vision.

Jay’s traumatic memory of his grandfather’s death haunts him on the biggest stage of his life - the national spelling bee competition.

A rock band is hired to record the soundtrack for a romance movie only to discover that their music is mysteriously altering the film's story line. As the band struggles to restore the happy ending of the movie through the sheer power of music the lines between reality and make-believe become disturbingly blurred.

PAUL HENREID BEYOND VICTOR LASZLO is a story of will and survival overcoming extraordinary circumstances and prejudice. My father's films, NOW VOYAGER and CASABLANCA, still excite a global, multi-generational fan base. The discovery of the real man behind the roles and accolades will reveal a lifetime of dichotomy.
His life reads like a Hollywood movie…Beloved son, neglected child, aristocrat, starving artist, free thinker, freedom fighter, Nazi escapee, movie star, three time blacklist victim, comeback as respected writer/producer/director, passionate family man...haunted by his ghosts, depressed, self medicated. Alone.
Join me as I discover my father PAUL HENREID BEYOND VICTOR LASZLO.

Pearl Rising is a transformative cinematic experience following Mother Earth as she destroys the souls of her own creation. A gripping tale of the planet’s only chance to recover unfolds as her daughter, Pearl, has her own wishes for the future of humanity.

Shot in a surf town near Lima, Perú, Peñascal is a psychological drama that explores family dynamics during the grieving process. The story follows a dysfunctional family led by women that brings together after the unexpected death of a big wave surfer. The beach house whose inheritance is disputed must be sold due to an outstanding debt. In Peñascal, life and death at the sea are one. The strength of the sea reopens wounds from the past and its perfect waves opens a beautiful portal in the present. In this story surfing kills as much as it gives life.

Amidst the politically charged atmosphere of 1960s Washington D.C, two female doctors unveil a web of corruption and deceit that puts profits over people's lives. Inspired by true events.

A feature documentary about Nikola Tesla’s discovery the Earth produces an unlimited reservoir of naturally-sustainable energy and the system he invented to harness it to provide an infinite, non-toxic and renewable resource for the shared benefit of all humankind.

The film follows the events in Tesla’s life, and reproduces the groundbreaking experiments that led to the discovery he called his ‘greatest achievement’. Independent scientists and engineers provide solid scientific evidence to confirm it. In the process Pictures of Infinity reveals the soul and spirit of a true scientist and humanitarian whose passionate quest for knowledge was always at the service of humanity.

After a surprise pregnancy, a Black strait-laced lesbian and her multiracial Filipinx trans partner wrestle with how the new baby will affect their relationship and how to raise their child in a binary world.

"Pioneers of the Pacific," is an independent documentary film centered around The Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) beginning with the first baseball team in Oregon, The Portland Pioneers. The film captures the personality of Oregon baseball and its beloved baseball teams by holding up a mirror to society, to see reflections through the eyes of players, fans, teams and coaches that lived it.

From the Portland Webfeet of the 1890s Northwest League, The Browns, a charter member of the PCL, to The Beavers 100-year run, the film examines segregation, integration and triumph of minority players and teams who ultimately broke barriers and racial divides. Negro League teams like

Fed up with the series of break-ins at an exclusive Beverly Hills apartment, the doorman/struggling actor decides to dress up in his high school mascot costume and take on crime as a bumbling superhero.

The ins and out of pageantry competitions including their platforms. What do pageant winners do, during their year-long reign? What activities and/or professions are pageant winners doing after pageantry?

When mixed-race teen, Lily, is uprooted from her life in California and moves to Kauai, she discovers the dark side of “paradise” that can be traced back to its colonized history. In an effort to understand her place on the island, Lily must learn how to become a mindful settler while tackling the growing pains of teenage-hood.

During the summer before they must leave for college, lifelong friends IRIS and ROSIE are presented with a unique business opportunity: illegally harvesting and selling succulents from the California coast. But the two must decide where to draw the line when it comes to breaking the law, their morality, and their friendship.

Six friends who are learning to navigate the inevitable nuances that are a part of life- relationship changes, family dynamics, tragedy and joy. It shows flawed people in real life situations through the lens of faith

Two estranged sisters, brought together by circumstance, are forced to face their differences in pursuit of an unexpected artistic truth that will change their lives forever.

BELLA AND MAGGIE are hired to dress up as princesses and perform at A kid’s birthday party.
Upon arrival, the mom informs them that she believes her husband is cheating, and needs their help to uncover his lie.

At its core, PRINCESS PARTY P.I. is pure fun: A comedic film starring two women who get dragged into a potentially dangerous situation completely on accident.
The film is similar to comedies like SUPERBAD, BOOKSMART, and THE OTHER GUYS, mixed together with the personality dynamics of Abby & Alana from the hilarious BROAD CITY.

Starring: Elizabeth Conway & Mia Frampton

A young stripper, lost in sin and darkness, receives supernatural visions of God that restore her faith and guide her to redemption.

Imagine opening a door into a world that you were warned about as a child. Bad choices send a woman spiraling into a world she will never belong to.

Now, a broken and desperate mother cries out to God as a battle rages in the supernatural between dark and light. It’s only when Melissa accepts what God has for her that she finds freedom to get away from the dark world that held her captive and returns now to free others.

Since before the charter was signed in Wilmington, NC, there have been humans being sold. Not long after the charter in 1739, a myth was created. A secret group, men and women alike who would steal slaves and send them north to freedom. During the Civil War, it was rumored they used weapons on plantation henchmen to move human beings along the Underground Railroad. During the race riots of 1898, it was thought they would come to the defense of the African Americans being attacked by whites. Black business owners and Black City Officials were slain in the streets and yet, these anti-heroes never appeared. Some say they disappeared. Some say they were part of the mob...

Ever Had Your Fortune Told by a Puppet? Dr. Penelope, a Psychic Puppet, Co-Stars in This Short Film.
PSYCHICOLOGIST is a film about Julia, (Katie Koster - Class Dismissed, Congratulations Mr. Gonzalez!), a graduate student returning home struggling to finish her psychology dissertation. She finds herself in comical, yet serious situations where she questions herself and her intuition when she meets her mother’s (Carrie Madsen - Gilmore Girls, Jane the Virgin) psychic puppet, Dr. Penelope. Contrary to Julia’s beliefs, Dr.Penelope offers her unexpected insight to trust her inner knowledge. The importance of human connections is explored through Dr. Penelope’s diverse clients.

A GOOD OL’ BOYS CAR RACING CAR CHASING MOONSHINING COUNTRY MUSIC STYLE FAMILY FILM
Logline: Forgive yourself before you seek redemption
STORY: An old moonshining codger has died, and the family farm is headed for foreclosure. The last remaining relative (a drunken nephew still pining over the loss of his son which is why he left the farm in the first place) has been notified and has returned to see if he can save his old family farm. He enlists the help of his daughter, grandson and niece. Can an old race car and a dusty track save them from the greedy, underhanded, shenanigans of Big Momma & her cronies that originally caused the problems in the first place?

Ninja and her team trying get justice for Ninja parents

When Katherine, a career-driven mother, is faced with the tragedy of losing her only daughter to suicide as a result of being bullied, she must fight the justice system in order to bring meaning to her daughter’s life.

A joyride through silent-film era Hollywood, whose center of gravity is a rising, 24 year-old starlet whose violent death clips the rose of her silver-screen dream. One hundred years later her three grandsons embark on a 20-year journey of discovery and recovery,after finding a studio photo in their mothers childhood scrapbook--hidden away in a closet for half a century. A Tragic ending to Regina's blossoming Silent Film career, lead by"Premonition of Evil" that her mother had on her departure one rainy evening in Hollywood , she said " Regina, I feel something terrible is going to happen tonight, please be careful" Those were the last words she heard as she departed out for the night!

A lucky bunch of kids and professional artists gather each year on a funky little island farm to learn how to make music and film together. This year, a pandemic threatens the ability to gather safely, will the kids still find a way to adapt and evolve? Can Rock ShopZillah! survive the plague and transform into something new?

In the aftermath of being abandoned by her husband, the delusional Samra (33) unveils a plan to rewrite her narrative. Rather than succumbing to heartbreak and facing her vulnerability, she reconstructs her love life. Samra orchestrates a meticulously scripted romance, enlisting a young actor (Malik 23) who believes he is part of an unconventinal rehearsal method. As the lines blur between reality and fiction, Samra navigates the chaos of her own making forcing herself to look into herself. In this intriguing blend of dark romance and illusion, Samra takes center stage, leaving audiences guessing where the scripted drama ends and true emotions begin.

RON FOREVER is a 1982 Milwaukee Comedy about lies, sneaking around, Punk Rock, the AIDS crisis, standing up to convention, and calling us back to our beginner's mind through the eyes of an auteur ten-year-old who is one arrest away from being taken from her multi-generational family of misfit friends by Social Services.

A romantic engagement celebration in a luxurious hotel takes a disturbing turn when a terrified fiancée kills her husband-to-be.

This short film follows Victoria, who is finally recovering from depression. On her engagement celebration with her fiancé Oliver, Victoria will struggle to trust herself with the eerie events that will soon start to happen in the hotel. Is it all in her mind because she stopped taking her meds or are they really happening?

After getting food poisoning, Victoria will experience very strong hallucinations that will force her to face her parents and the long lasting trauma that they inflicted on her. However, her parents are not so ready to let her go…