Established in 1991, the Heartland Film Festival has developed many ways to pursue its mission:

To recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.

Over the course of ten exciting days each October, Heartland screens films from around the world, ranging from dramas to documentaries to animation, all of which take entertainment to a higher level.

The rewards of this Festival are many. The audience of a Heartland film is lifted up and inspired. The recognition filmmakers receive at the Heartland Film Festival encourages them to continue to make films that move and inspire.

Heartland awards over $100,000 in prize cash each year to the Festival's top entries, including a $50,000 Grand Prize for best Dramatic Feature. The Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award for the best student films and the Crystal Heart Award winner shares the remaining award money. In its first 10 years, Heartland awarded over $1,000,000 to support filmmakers in their quest to create great cinema.

Heartland also recognizes theatrically-released films that seek to enrich, inspire, and provide hope. Presented prior to a selected film's theatrical release, the Heartland Film Festival Truly Moving Pictures Award of Excellence recognizes these works as examples of what happens when Hollywood makes movies with substance.

For a list of past recipients and more information on the Award of Excellence please refer to the Award of Excellence section of our website.

In 2002, the Heartland Film Festival launched Heartland Film Festival Video, a new video distribution initiative. The first movie to be released under the Heartland Film Festival video label is Best Man in Grass Creek, a romantic comedy and Crystal Heart Award Winner at the Heartland Film Festival.

Heartland Film Festival Video will provide a video outlet for promising independent films that otherwise may not gain wide distribution. Many more Americans will now be able to experience these Truly Moving Pictures.

The Heartland Film Festival is in its second decade of honoring Truly Moving Pictures and the visionaries behind them. Please join us in achieving our mission by attending the Festival, viewing a Truly Moving Pictures Award of Excellence in the theater or at home, and purchasing a Heartland Film Festival Video.

Highlights of the past ten years…

1991
The Heartland Film Festival was born. The first two-city satellite conference was held between Los Angeles and Indianapolis to announce the creation of the festival.

1992
The first Heartland Film Festival was held with Robert Wise in attendance to receive the Crystal Heart Career Achievement Award.

1993
Sydney Pollack, Angelo Pizzo, and David Anspaugh attended the Festival for the opening weekend of Rudy.

1994
Schindler's List was honored with a Crystal Heart Award. Branko Lustig, Auschwitz survivor and producer of Schindler's list, attended the Festival.

1995
Festival attendees included Hank Aaron, Horton and Lillian Foote, Karl Malden, Gary Sinise, and Jeffrey Lyons.

1996
Richard Dreyfuss participated in the Crystal Heart Awards Gala and was honored for his work in Mr. Holland's Opus.

1997
Judy Stewart Merrill was in attendance to accept a posthumous Crystal Heart Award for Career Achievement for her father Jimmy Stewart.

1998
Robert Duvall attended the Festival's screening of his film, The Apostle. The first Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award was given to a selected student filmmaker.

1999
The Festival added the $50,000 Grand Prize for Dramatic Feature becoming the largest festival award ever to be given to a single filmmaker.

2000
Remember the Titans was the first recipient of the Heartland Film Festival Truly Moving Pictures Award of Excellence. Maureen O'Hara attended the Festival to receive the Crystal Heart Award for Career Achievement.

2001
The Heartland Film Festival celebrated its 10th Anniversary. Madison premiered to a sold-out audience at the Hilbert Circle Theatre.