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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowNot-for-profit arts organization Heartland Film Inc. announced Wednesday that it plans to launch what it is calling Indianapolis’ first-ever short-film festival.
The Indy Shorts International Film Fest is scheduled for July 26-29 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. It will exclusively feature films shorter than 40 minutes, including films that will be eligible for Academy Awards.
Heartland Film President Craig Prater said the annual Heartland International Film Festival, which wrapped up its 26th year in October, received record-breaking numbers for film submissions, filmmaker attendance and the number of films programmed. The abundance of films is providing the opportunity for the new festival.
“In 2017, our film submissions grew by more than 1,000 submissions from around the world,” Prater said in written comments. “The majority of these were short films, and we are thrilled to dedicate an all-new festival to this exciting medium of independent film. Heartland Film is devoted to growing the film community in Indianapolis and beyond, and Indy Shorts is an exciting way to expand on what we’ve accomplished over the past 26 years.”
All of the short film categories and prizes that have been part of the Heartland International Film Festival will be moved to the new festival. More than $25,000 in cash prizes will be awarded across multiple categories.
One of the categories will be “Indiana Spotlight,” which requires 65 percent of the film to be shot in Indiana, and the director, producer or writer to be an Indiana resident or native.
Indy Shorts winners will show encore screenings at Heartland International Film Festival, which this year runs from Oct. 11-21.
Organizers plan to unveil the films to be featured in the new festival June 28 at an event called the Indy Shorts Reveal Party.
The festival is expected to be one of the largest short-film festivals in the Midwest. It will be sponsored by ShortsTV, a cable and satellite television channel dedicated to short film.
More information on the festival, including a list of prize categories, can be found at indyshorts.org.
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