Entertainment Magazine: Film: Truly Moving Pictures/Heartland Film Festival

2018 Truly Moving Pictures Heartland Film Festival

Heartland Film Festival 2018

Heartland Film Festival 2017 Winners Awarding more than $100,000 in cash prizes for 2017.

Heartland Film Festival 2017 Lineup, Will Honor Hollywood Legends Rob Reiner and Alan Ladd, Jr. with Lifetime Achievement Awards. A record 213 films from 104 countries to be featured at the 26th annual Heartland International Film Festival, set for Oct. 12-22, 2017, across Indianapolis.

Heartland Film Festival 2016 Unveils Film and Event Lineup for its 25th Anniversary. Appearances by Jessica Biel, Dr. Kent Brantly, John Rhys-Davies, Rory Feek, and Alan Thicke highlight the Festival’s 11-day silver anniversary, set for Oct. 20-30, 2016.

Set to award more than $120,000 in cash prizes, the 2015 Heartland Film Festival (Oct. 16-25, 2015) has opened its call for entries period to independent filmmakers from around the world. Continue reading about the 2015 Heartland FIlm Festival.

Heartland International Film Festival (Oct. 11-21, 2018) showcases more than 200 independent films over 11 days of red carpet premieres and events, parties and hundreds of film screenings across Indianapolis.

Recently, the Heartland International Film Festival expanded to an all-new shorts fest, Indy Shorts International Film Festival (July 26-29, 2018), which has earned the special designation of being a qualifying festival for the Annual Academy Awards® within the Short Films category.

Each year, the Heartland International Film Festival and Indy Shorts awards more than $110,000 in cash prizes. Heartland Film has awarded $3.1 million to support indie filmmakers over the last 26 years. Beyond the Heartland International Film Festival,

Heartland Film honors theatrically-released films that align with its mission via the Truly Moving Picture Award, inspires the next generation of filmmakers via the Heartland Film Institute, and exhibits films across Indiana all year long via the Heartland Film Roadshow. To learn more, visit heartlandfilm.org.

 

Heartland Truly Moving Pictures Archives

Go Fandango!

Don't Stand in line-
Get your tickets online at Fandango

2014 HFF in October

The Heartland Film Festival—Indiana’s largest and longest-running independent film festival—will showcase more than 130 independent films and gives audiences access to more than 100 independent filmmakers from around the world from October 16-25, 2014. With red carpet premieres and events, parties, and hundreds of film screenings, the Heartland Film Festival offers the best of world cinema right in the heart of the Midwest. Read about the 23rd 2014 Heartland FIlm Festival.

As High as the Sky with Nikki Braendlin

Nikki BraendlinI saw the film and met Nikki Braendlin (photo , left) at the 2013 Heartland Film Festival in October, the film’s last festival, but now it’s time for the film’s release.  Although As High as the Sky has finished its year on the festival circuit, the filmmakers secured distribution with Cinema Libre Studio.  The DVD comes out on May 6, 2014, and the film is available through Video On Demand and streaming on June 6, 2014. So let’s hear more about this movie from the filmmaker herself– Nikki Braendlin.

Steve Albrezzi: On the Road to Commencement

Steve AlbrezziCommencement is one of those films that draws you in to a warm sense of intimacy with a small group of characters.  There is a main character, Christa (Amelia Rose Blaire), with her own crises and decisions to make at this crossroads in her life. 

But in many ways she is the catalyst for the ensemble.  Each of a number of surrounding characters has different personal or relational issues to deal with over the course of a 24-hour period. So when the lights came up in the theater at the 2013 Heartland Film Festival, I decided immediately that I liked this film.  In fact, there was a veritable cornucopia of things to like.  Lucky for me, filmmaker Steve Albrezzi – writer, director, and producer – was at the Heartland Film Festival, where Commencement had its U.S. premiere.  I had the chance to meet Steve after the screening, so let’s learn more about the man who created this lovely film. 

HEARTLAND FILM REVITALIZES BRAND AND PROGRAMMING, ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN MAJOR FUNDING SUPPORT

Indianapolis-based nonprofit arts organization formerly known as Heartland Truly Moving Pictures unveils new brand, major funding for 2014, mini-festival, board members and staff   

(INDIANAPOLIS) – Heartland Film, Inc. President Stuart Lowry has been on the job for five months, and his vision for the organization’s future is already becoming a reality. Under Lowry’s leadership, the 23-year-old Indianapolis-based nonprofit has been revitalized with a new name (previously Heartland Truly Moving Pictures, Inc.) and logo, staff, board members, high-impact events, and funders.   

“As a founding board member, I vividly remember 23 years ago when the Heartland Film Festival was just an idea,” said Heartland Film Chairman of the Board Dan Johnson. “Seeing where we have gone, and where we continue to go, the board of directors is proud and excited to work with President Stuart Lowry to usher in the new era of Heartland Film.” 

“As an arts organization that has been around for more than two decades, it is extremely important for Heartland Film to stay relevant, purposeful and forward-thinking,” explained Lowry. “Over the past few years — thanks in part to relocating our headquarters to Fountain Square and the expansion of the Heartland Film Roadshow screening series — our fan base has grown and diversified at an amazing rate. In 2013 our team organized the most successful and highest-attended Heartland Film Festival in the event’s 22-year history, and we have channeled that momentum into new strategic initiatives and branding. Heartland Film fans, volunteers, sponsors and funders — both old and new – can be proud of what the organization has become and where it’s heading.”

From Eight Syllables to Three: The New Heartland Film Brand

To represent the shift in the organization’s growth and expanded appeal, the new Heartland Film name and visual identity was created. While the mission to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film remains the same, the new brand allows for a simpler introduction to the organization and all its moving parts.

“People know about the Heartland Film Festival, but not so much about our parent organization or the extent of what we do all year round,” said Heartland Film Director of Marketing & PR Greg Sorvig. “Ever since we brought marketing and design in-house, we have been able to tell our story in a much more purposeful and impactful way. Our new brand is all about keeping it simple and accessible; the Heartland Film brand defines the organization that we have become, and puts us in a great position to grow our audience base and support for decades to come.”

More than $1.1 Million in Funding for 2014 and Beyond

Heartland Film, Inc. is proud to announce the following gifts for use starting in 2014 (as of May 16, 2014):

• $450,000 gift from the David and Betty Klapper Family Foundation to underwrite Heartland Film Festival special events
• $300,000 gift from Lilly Endowment to underwrite Heartland Film, Inc. operations
• $175,000 gift from Frank and Katrina Basile to underwrite the Heartland Basile Theatre and operations
• $90,000 gift from The Margot L. and Robert S. Eccles Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, to underwrite initiatives including the Summer Rewind mini-festival in Fountain Square
• $40,000 gift from Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Inc. to underwrite Heartland Film, Inc. operations
• $25,000 gift from The Boren Foundation, Inc. to underwrite the Heartland High School Film Competition
• $19,000 gift from the Indiana Arts Commission to underwrite Heartland Film, Inc. operations
• $15,000 gift from Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Inc. to underwrite Heartland Film Festival operations
• $10,000 gift from the Lacy Foundation to underwrite a film premiere event   
• $10,000 gift from Bob and Alison Spoonmore to underwrite the Heartland High School Film Competition
• $7,000 gift from the Arts Council of Indianapolis to underwrite Heartland Film, Inc. operations
Summer Rewind: A Fountain Square Mini-Fest

The Heartland Film Roadshow travels all across Indiana to offer year-round screenings of select films that are entertaining but do much more than just entertain. Heartland Film is proud to announce an all-new annual mini-festival event: Summer Rewind, made possible by The Margot L. and Robert S. Eccles Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation.

Summer Rewind (June 26-28, 2014) will showcase some of the best Heartland Film Festival movies of the past in an abbreviated, three-day mini-festival format, giving moviegoers an opportunity to see an enlightening slate of independent films and to meet the filmmakers who crafted them. As an Academy Award®-qualifying festival in the Narrative Short Films category, the Heartland Film Festival will open Summer Rewind with a program of short films that were Festival Award Winners at the Heartland Film Festival before they went on to receive Oscar® nominations and/or wins in their respective categories. The event will be followed by an after-party at The Hi-Fi, Fountain Square’s newest music venue.

• WHAT: Heartland Film Festival Summer Rewind: A Fountain Square Mini-Fest, featuring 17 screenings of past Heartland Film Festival films over three day
• WHEN: June 26-28, 2014
• WHERE: Screening and event locations include the Heartland Basile Theatre (with all screenings presented by Frank and Katrina Basile), The Theatre at the Wheeler Arts Community and The Hi-Fi
• WHERE: Screening and event locations include the Heartland Basile Theatre (with all screenings presented by Frank and Katrina Basile), The Theatre at the Wheeler Arts Community and The Hi-Fi
• WHO: Nine independent filmmakers from past Heartland Film Festivals will return to Indianapolis to discuss their films and the filmmaking process
Full schedule and tickets, along with other Heartland Film Roadshow programming, available at heartlandfilm.org.

Board Member and Staff Additions

Heartland Film, Inc. is proud to announce the addition of new/promoted staff members and board members:

• Board Member Christina Hale - Hale is a global communication strategist and community leader based in Indianapolis. Prior to her election to the Indiana House of Representatives, Hale served as an executive at Kiwanis International, where she led a team that focused on strengthening communities and improving the lives of children all over the world. 
• Board Member Seth Maxwell - Founder & CEO of The Thirst Project, a nonprofit that has raised the funds for the construction of over 829 water projects in 11 countries, Maxwell has spoken internationally at over 300 schools, countless churches, and numerous conferences, including the TEDx Hollywood Youth Conference, the Nexus Global Youth Summit, and addressing the United Nations General Assembly. Maxwell was named to Forbes' "30 Under 30" in 2014, and has been honored with the Vh1 Do Something Award, and the Charles Jellinger Humanitarian in Entertainment Award from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
• Board Member David A. W. Wong – Wong is a partner with Barnes & Thornburg LLP where he is a member of the Intellectual Property Department and Chairman of the Internet and Technology Law Group. Wong’s practice focuses on Internet law, technology, media, intellectual property counseling, risk management, prosecution, policing, and enforcement. He regularly advises clients on commercial and intellectual property matters, such as trademark, copyright, defamation, trade dress, advertising, right of publicity, trade secret, and unfair competition issues.
• Development Director Kristi Barber, M.B.A. - Barber has previously held leadership positions with Hancock Regional Hospital and Alpha Chi Omega. Active in the community, Barber has held high-level volunteer positions with the Greenfield Soccer Booster Club, Junior League of Indianapolis and Phi Mu. Before she earned an M.B.A. from Indiana Wesleyan University, Barber earned a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University.
• Creative Manager Derek Hulsey – Formerly marketing and design coordinator, Hulsey was recently promoted to manager and is responsible for Heartland Film’s new visual identity. With an affinity for language and letters, Hulsey is especially skilled in typography and hand-rendered lettering. Hulsey received a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Indianapolis.
• Artistic Coordinator Jaclyn Jones - Before she earned a full-time role with Heartland Film, Jones was a two-time film programming intern and a seasonal programming assistant/print traffic coordinator the 2013 Heartland Film Festival. Jones earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI).
• Executive Assistant Abby Specht - Specht works with Heartland Film’s president and board of directors on special projects throughout the year. Before working for Heartland Film full time, Specht worked as a film programming intern and a seasonal marketing assistant for the 2013 Heartland Film Festival. Specht earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology/Biology Sciences from Indiana University.
Learn more about Heartland Film on the organization’s all-new website, heartlandfilm.org.

# # #

About Heartland Film, Inc. 
Heartland Film is a nonprofit arts organization founded in 1991 with the mission to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Heartland Film is a curator and supporter of purposeful filmmaking, honoring a wide variety of cinema and awarding storytellers from all over the world. The films Heartland Film selects and exhibits – whether they inspire and uplift, educate and inform, or have the ability to shift audiences’ perspectives on the world – all have one thing in common: they are entertaining films that do more than just entertain. Every October, the Heartland Film Festival gives its moviegoers access to more than 100 visiting independent filmmakers from all over the world, right in the heart of the Midwest. Heartland Film Festival showcases more than 130 entertaining movies that do much more than just entertain over 10 days of red carpet premieres and events, parties and hundreds of film screenings across Indianapolis. The Heartland Film Festival has earned the special designation of being a qualifying festival for the Annual Academy Awards® within the Short Films category. Each year, the Heartland Film Festival awards more than $115,000 in cash prizes and presents its Festival Awards to top-judged submissions. Heartland Film has awarded more than $2.6 million to support indie filmmakers over the last 23 years. Beyond the Heartland Film Festival, Heartland Film honors theatrically-released films that align with its mission via the Truly Moving Picture Award, inspires the next generation of filmmakers via the Heartland Film Institute, and exhibits films across Indiana all year long via the Heartland Film Roadshow. To learn more, visit heartlandfilm.org.



Heartland Film Festival Lineup Films for 21st Annual Festival

Heartland Truly Moving Pictures announced the 118 films selected to be screened at this year’s Heartland Film Festival. The films once again demonstrate Heartland’s commitment to bring inspiring films – and filmmakers - to Indianapolis for its 10-day festival.

This year’s 21st Annual Heartland Film Festival will take place October 18-27, 2012 with films showing at AMC Castleton Square 14 and AMC Showplace Traders Point 12, and special events happening at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Read more about the 2012 Heartland Film Festival.

Heartland Film Festival 2011 Winners

More than 60 sponsors contributed to the success and growth of the 20th annual Heartland Film Festival. The Festival kicked off last night with it’s opening film, The Way. The Festival’s sponsors are vital in allowing Heartland to continue to celebrate and honor beautifully made films that emphasize the best of the human spirit and to recognize the filmmakers that made them. Read more about Heartland Film Festival 2011 Winners.

2009 Heartland Film Festival

The complete lineup of films and special events for the 2009 Heartland Film Festival was announced by Heartland Truly Moving Pictures President and CEO, Jeffrey L. Sparks during the annual Announcement Celebration. The 18th annual Heartland Film Festival will take place October 15-24, 2009 and will bring a record 87 films from around the world to Indianapolis.

A few notes on a few notable films at the 2008 Heartland Film Festival

The 2008 Heartland Film Festival ran from October 16 to 24, 2008, with all the festivities kicking off on Opening Night with the North American premiere of The Boy In the Striped Pajamas.

Heartland Gala Awards 2008 photos

Powerful Innocence:
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, review
by Madelyn Ritrosky

And the power of a deceptively innocent title that belies the intensity of the film...  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas...  It’s an ironic title that captures the poignant innocence of childhood in the midst of a horrific time and place, a World War II Nazi concentration camp. Continue reading.

Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” Receives Heartland’s Truly Moving Picture Award

Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is the latest film to receive the prestigious Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award from Heartland Truly Moving PicturesTM, announced today by the organization’s President and CEO Jeffrey L. Sparks. The characters of C.S. Lewis’ timeless fantasy come to life again in this second motion picture that continues the spectacular story that began with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

A year after their last adventure in Narnia, the four Pevensie children — Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter — are beckoned back to the magical world. Over a thousand years has passed in Narnia, however, and the one-time rulers find the countryside to be a much different place than they remember. The civilization they'd grown to love and eventually rule over is on the brink of extinction, all while an evil king positions himself to take the throne by any means necessary.

Caspian, the tenth in a long legacy in kings, unites with the Pevensie children to take on the villainous Miraz, who happens to be his uncle. Determined to bring together the peaceful world of Narnia and his own kingdom stuck in a power struggle, Caspian works with the Pevensie children to find victory in even the most daunting battles. The film is directed Andrew Adamson (Shrek, Shrek 2) from a screenplay he co-wrote with Emmy® Award-winning writing partners Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (HBO’s The Life and Death of Peter Sellers). The film is produced by Academy Award® winner Mark Johnson (Rain Man, The Notebook) and Philip Steuer (The Rookie, The Alamo), executive produced by former Walden Media executive Perry Moore and co-produced by Douglas Gresham.

“The world of Narnia triumphantly returns with Prince Caspian, as vibrant and majestic as ever,” said Jeffrey L. Sparks, President and CEO of Heartland Truly Moving Pictures. “Its themes of loyalty, humility and forgiveness make it a Truly Moving Picture Award winner that does more than entertain—it inspires!”

Heartland and the National Collaboration for Youth (NCY) also selected The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian as part of their collaborative program called F.I.L.M., “Finding Inspiration in Literature & Movies.” The literacy and film program encourages youth associated with NCY organizations around the country to screen the program’s featured films, read the books/scripts associated with the movies, utilize the activity guides and partake in related service projects. To learn more about the Prince Caspian: Becoming a Leader program and to download the free youth development activity guide, visit www.youthFILMproject.org.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian joins recent Truly Moving Picture Award recipients Under the Same Moon, Young@Heart, Penelope, The Bucket List and The Kite Runner, among others. To view Heartland’s complete list of Truly Moving Pictures, visit www.TrulyMovingPictures.org.

Heartland Truly Moving Pictures, a non-profit organization, seeks to recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by expressing hope and emphasizing the best of the human spirit. Its flagship event, the Heartland Film Festival®, launched in 1991 and runs each October in Indianapolis, screening independent films from around the world. Each year, the Festival awards $200,000 in cash prizes and presents its Crystal Heart Awards to the top-judged submissions. Heartland has awarded more than $1.8 million to support filmmakers during the last 16 years. The organization’s Truly Moving Picture Award was created to honor films released theatrically that align with Heartland’s mission. By bestowing a watermark to honored films, the award allows studios and distributors to inform audiences of a film’s uplifting message and appeal. Heartland is also dedicated to its relationship with the National Collaboration for Youth and its expanding F.I.L.M., “Finding Inspiration in Literature & Movies,” project. For more information, visit www.TrulyMovingPictures.org.

Indianapolis, IN (May 19, 2008)

Heartland Film Festival Changes Name and Expands Mandate

Indianapolis, IN – To better reflect its mission to recognize films with impactful and uplifting messages, the Heartland Film Festival ® has created a newly minted parent organization – Heartland Truly Moving Pictures TM.

The name change, announced by President and CEO Jeffrey L. Sparks, highlights the organization’s industry award and watermark, the Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award, while at the same time re-defining its commitment to filmmakers, studios and distributors whose projects address challenging subjects yet provide meaningful storylines and resolution. Continue reading...

Heartland Film Festival- Heartland Truly Moving Pictures

Heartland Truly Moving Pictures, a non-profit organization, seeks to recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by expressing hope and emphasizing the best of the human spirit.

Its flagship event, the Heartland Film Festival, launched in 1991 and runs each October in Indianapolis, Indiana, screening independent films from around the world.

Every year, the Festival awards $200,000 in cash prizes and presents its Crystal Heart Awards to the Festival’s top-judged submissions. Heartland has awarded more than $1.6 million to support filmmakers during the last 16 years.

The organization's Truly Moving Picture Award was created to honor films released theatrically that align with Heartland’s mission.

By bestowing a watermark to honored films, the award allows studios and distributors to inform potential audiences of a film's uplifting message and appeal. Heartland is also dedicated to its relationship with the National Collaboration for Youth and its expanding F.I.L.M., “Finding Inspiration in Literature and Movies,” project.

The organization’s flagship event, the Heartland Film Festival, invites independent filmmakers from around the world to submit feature length and short films in dramatic, documentary and animation categories. The Festival awards $200,000 in cash prizes and presents its Crystal Heart Awards to the top-judged submissions. This includes a $100,000 Grand Prize Award for Best Dramatic Feature, a $25,000 Award for Best Documentary Feature and a $10,000 Vision Award for Best Short Film. The annual nine-day film festival in

October offers moviegoers a rare glimpse at these independent films and special events for film enthusiasts of all ages, including a black tie awards gala, a special family movie event, an education seminar featuring industry experts and much more. Festival attendance has increased the past six years with a record of more than 21,000 attendees in 2006.

Official Heartland Film Festival Web site
www.HeartlandFilmFestival.org

Film Home Page | Entertainment Magazine


© 2006-2018 Film Entertainment Magazine / EMOL.org. All rights reserved.