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The Latest News

7/9/07
Award Winners to Screen at IMAX Indianapolis with Indiana Black Expo's Summer Celebration

The 37th Annual Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration kicks off on July 12 in Indianapolis, and Heartland is excited to announce a Truly Moving Picture Award Winner and two Crystal Heart Award winners will screen during an exclusive engagement at the IMAX Theater in downtown Indianapolis.  The 2006 Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Film, Tsotsi will screen alongside Crystal Heart Award winners I Want To Be A Pilot and A Man Named Pearl, both featured at the 2006 Heartland Film Festival.

Join Heartland and Indiana Black Expo for these powerful films on Sunday, July 15 beginning at 5:00 p.m.  Seating is limited and tickets are only $3, so arrive early to guarantee a seat for the show! CLICK HERE to view the Invitation. Learn more at the IBE Summer Celebration website.

6/20/07
Heartland Receives Grant from the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis

Heartland extends its gratitude to the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis for its support.

5/15/07
Second Annual Festival Poster Competition Begins

Last year's winning entry by Indianapoils artist Kyle Ragsdale, entitled "Magical Movies" (above) embodied the 15th Anniversary celebration.

OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM Heartland Truly Moving Pictures invites artists to create an original work of art for the 2007 Heartland Film Festival® Poster Design Contest. This year’s Festival theme is “DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT,” since Heartland films are unlike anything you routinely see at the local cineplex. The artwork will be displayed during the 16th annual Heartland Film Festival, October 18—26, 2007. This year's Poster Contest deadline is Friday, July 27.

For complete rules and regulations, check out the ENTRY FORM (pdf).  Submit your artwork today for a chance to win the $1,500 cash prize and the opportunity to put your masterpiece in front of thousands of Festival attendees!

5/9/07
Heartland Truly Moving Pictures Becomes Festival's Parent Organization

Indianapolis, IN (May 9, 2007) – 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 PicturesTM. 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.  READ THE FULL STORY

4/20/07
2005 Selection "Something To Cheer About" Opens in Theaters Friday!

In this triumphant documentary, the Crispus Attucks basketball team becomes the first ever to win a U.S. State Championship.  LEARN MORE

Catch the movie at Landmark Theaters beginning April 27th.  But don't wait--the movie's in theaters for one week only! A portion of the proceeds from this film has been designated to establish a fund administered for and by the players.

2/27/07
2005 Crystal Heart Award Winner "Pearl Diver" Opens in Indianapolis

The story of family and tradition that captivated audiences at the 2005 Heartland Film Festival is opening in Indianapolis on Friday, March 2.  Don't miss you're chance to see this movie on the big screen!  For more information on the movie and where you can see it, visit the OFFICAL SITE.

2/14/07
Heartland Chimes in on "Filmanthropist" Movement in L.A. Times Article

Jeff Sparks, Heartland's president and CEO, was interviewed recently by Chris Lee of the Los Angeles Times for a story on movies with a social conscience.  The movement to make films that matter more to the heart than the bottom line is being called "filmanthropy," and Heartland Truly Moving Pictures knows exactly what the excitement is all about.

As Heartland's mission is "to recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life," the movies made by these filmanthropists align seamlessly with Heartland's perspective.

You can read the entire article at the LA TIMES, though a free registration is required.

11/16/06
Crystal Heart Award Winner to Air on WFYI, Indianapolis
A 2004 Crystal Heart Award winner, A Place Called Home is the Gaunt family’s struggle to adopt nine siblings in the face of overwhelming odds.  This Indianapolis-based documentary is told from the perspective of the family’s eldest biological son, chronicling the evolution of the United States’ second largest sibling group adoption from moments of doubt to moments of hope and triumph.

Now you can see this compelling documentary on television, Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2006.  WFYI Indianapolis will air the 90-minute documentary at 2 p.m.  Visit the film online or view the Flyer (pdf)

10/30/2006
Heartland Concludes Record-Breaking Year

With an almost 20% increase in screening attendance, Heartland Film Festival concluded a record-breaking year on Friday, October 27 with a sold-out screening of The Queen.  Held at the Indiana History Center, attendees were also present for the announcement of the 2006 Audience Choice Award winners.

The total attendance at the Festival this year, including events and screenings, topped 21,000, with almost 18,000 people attending movies.  View the complete PRESS RELEASE.

10/27/06
Audience Choice Awards Announced
Before a sold-out screening of The Queen at the Closing Night Event, Heartland President and CEO announced the 2006 Audience Choice Award winners.  Every audience member had the opportunity to vote on Crystal Heart Award winning films and Official Selections after each screening by rating the film anywhere between one and five. The numbers were tallied and averaged, and three films in each category - feature, documentary and short - were honored as the audience favorites.  Grand Prize winner Shooting Dogs also received the Audience Choice Award, proving that the Jury and festival-goers have similar tastes.  The inspiring A Man Named Pearl took the prize for documentaries, while I Want To Be A Pilot was the audience's favorite short film.

As a special treat for those attending Closing Night, filmmakers Pippa Cross (producer, Shooting Dogs) and Scott Galloway (A Man Named Pearl) and Pearl Fryar himself were all reached by phone to receive their awards.  Each was received with thunderous applause, their films having made quite an impact on audiences throughout Indianapolis.

10/22/2006
Festival's Top Honors and $200,000 Awarded at Gala

The Vision Award is presented to the best short film of the Festival. This year, Shade took home the $10,000 accompanying the honor. Jury members selected The Hip Hop Project as the Festival's Best Documentary, the first time such an award has been presented. Heartland happily awarded $25,000 with this prize. At the end of the evening, the night's top prize was awarded to the gripping Shooting Dogs (pictured).  Set during the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the powerful film captures the spirit of what difference one voice can make. Click on any of the film titles to see when these award winning films are screening next, and don't miss out!  You can also watch a WEBCAST of the entire ceremony, and relive the night's events!