Heartland Film Festival Announces Carlos Diaz as Host of the

2006 Crystal Heart Awards Gala

EXTRA correspondent will emcee the night’s festivities on October 21st

Indianapolis, IN – Heartland Film Festival® announced today that “Extra” correspondent Carlos Diaz will host the Crystal Heart Awards Gala at Conseco Fieldhouse on October 21 for the 2006 Festival.

An Indianapolis native and graduate of Indiana University, Diaz began his career in the entertainment industry as sports director for WZPL-FM. During that time, he also worked at the “Indianapolis Star” as a freelance entertainment writer. Still, Diaz pursued his strong interest in sports by becoming the news director at WRZX-FM, where he was able to return to his first love by filing sports reports for WRZX's sister station WNDE-AM. In 1996 Diaz won the Edward R. Murrow award for his coverage of the Indianapolis Colts. Diaz joined "Extra” in 2005 as a correspondent after having spent more than a decade in news, sports and entertainment. Throughout his award-winning career, Diaz has worked in all aspects of media including hosting shows such as ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and “Celebrity Justice.”

Crystal Heart Awards and $200,000 in cash prizes will be presented to the Festival’s top entries during the annual gala, including the announcement of the $100,000 Grand Prize Winner for Best Dramatic Feature, $25,000 winner for Best Documentary Film and the $10,000 Vision Award for Best Short Film.

Doors for the black-tie optional Gallery Seating will open at 7:30 p.m., and the awards ceremony will begin at 8:15 p.m. The Afterglow Party immediately following the ceremony at 10 p.m. will feature live music by the Toy Factory, hors d’oeuvres and the chance for guests to mingle with filmmakers and stars. General admission Gallery Seats for those who wish to experience the magic of Hollywood in the Heartland cost $35.

Heartland will celebrate 15 years of honoring Truly Moving PicturesSM during the annual Festival, October 19-27 in Indianapolis. The Festival’s complete film and event lineup will be announced September 7 with tickets available September 8. For information or to purchase tickets call 1-866-HFF-1010 or visit www.HeartlandFilmFestival.org.

About Heartland Film Festival

Heartland Film Festival, a non-profit organization, was established in 1991 to recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life. Each October, Heartland screens Truly Moving Pictures from around the world and presents cash prizes and Crystal Heart Awards to the Festival’s top entries. In 2006, Heartland will increase its total prize money to $200,000. This includes doubling its Grand Prize for Best Dramatic Feature to $100,000 and two new awards: a $25,000 cash prize for Best Documentary Feature and a $10,000 cash prize for Best Short Film. The remaining $65,000 will be shared among the 2006 Crystal Heart and Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award winners. The Crystal Heart Award cash prizes are made possible by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. and the Max Simon Charitable Foundation. Including the 2006 prize money, Heartland will have awarded more than $1.6 million in 15 years to support filmmakers in their quest to create Truly Moving Pictures.