Heartland Film Festival
thanks for attending
Heartland Film Festival
celebrating 35 years
Heartland Film Festival
The Heartland Film Festival is the #1 Best Film Festival by the 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards! Thank you for your continued support over the last 35 years.
celebrating 35 years
Heartland Film Festival
The Heartland Film Festival is the #1 Best Film Festival by the 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards! Thank you for your continued support over the last 35 years.
Stream Award Winners
Congratulations to all the 35th Heartland Film Festival award-winning films! $80,000 in cash prizes was awarded to filmmakers, including $20,000 for the Narrative and Documentary Grand Prize-winning films.
Select award-winning titles will be available to stream through Sunday, October 25.
Stream Award Winners
Congratulations to all the 35th Heartland Film Festival award-winning films! $80,000 in cash prizes was awarded to filmmakers, including $20,000 for the Narrative and Documentary Grand Prize-winning films.
Select award-winning titles will be available to stream through Sunday, October 25.
Submit a Feature Film
Submissions are closed for the 35th Heartland Film Festival, but will open up this fall for the 2027 film festival.
Submit a Feature Film
Submissions are closed for the 35th Heartland Film Festival, but will open up this fall for the 2027 film festival.
People that truly care
"Heartland redefines what it is to have attention to detail; a festival that connects with what matters though people that truly care. Thank you for a wonderful time!"
Laura Andrea López Estrada, Heartland Film Festival Alum
2026 Festival Photos
2026 Festival Guidebook
Recap Video
Heartland Film Festival
October 2026
Awards & Cash Prizes
Narrative Feature Grand Prize
$20,000 Cash Prize
Documentary Feature Grand Prize
$20,000 Cash Prize
Allen Whitehill Clowes Narrative Award
$10,000 Cash Prize
Allen Whitehill Clowes Documentary Award
$10,000 Cash Prize
Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award
$5,000 Cash Prize
Best Narrative Premiere Award
$2,500 Cash Prize
Best Documentary Premiere Award
$2,500 Cash Prize
Indiana Narrative Award
$2,000 Cash Prize
Hoodox Indiana Spotlight Documentary Award
$2,000 Cash Prize
Richard D. Propes Narrative Social Impact Award
$2,000 Cash Prize
Richard D. Propes Documentary Social Impact Award
$2,000 Cash Prize
Humor & Humanity Award
$2,000 Cash Prize
2026 Award Winners
Narrative Feature Grand Prize | Take Me Home | Liz Sargent (USA) |
Documentary Feature Grand Prize | The Fish Don't Care When It Rains | Jennifer Msumba & Siobhan McDonnell (USA) |
Allen Whitehill Clowes Narrative Award | Maybe We Should | AJ Tesler (USA) |
Allen Whitehill Clowes Documentary Award | Loving Karma | Johnny Burke & Andrew Hinton (India) |
Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award | Home from the Vietnam War | Mat Hames (USA) |
Best Narrative Premiere Award | Too Soon | Jeff Dickamore-Florence & Aurora Florence (USA) |
Best Documentary Premiere Award | All American Girls | Christy Wegener (USA) |
Indiana Narrative Award | Seniors | Lance Clark (USA) |
Hoodox Indiana Documentary Award | First Five | Grant Guffin (USA) |
Richard D. Propes Narrative Social Impact Award | Union County | Adam Meeks (USA) |
Richard D. Propes Documentary Social Impact Award | The Fish Don't Care When It Rains | Jennifer Msumba & Siobhan McDonnell (USA) |
Humor & Humanity Award | Love - Love | Thomas Leisten Schneider (USA, France) |
2026 Audience Choice Award Winners
Overall Narrative Audience Choice Award (TIE) | I Play Rocky | Peter Farrelly (USA) |
Overall Narrative Audience Choice Award (TIE) | JIMMY | Aaron Burns (USA) |
Overall Documentary Audience Choice Award | The Fish Don't Care When It Rains | Jennifer Msumba & Siobhan McDonnell (USA) |
Spotlight Narrative Audience Choice Award | Elsinore | Simon Stone (USA) |
|---|---|---|
Spotlight Documentary Audience Choice Award | Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff | Nanette Burstein (USA) |
Spotlight Animated Audience Choice Award | Tangles | Leah Nelson (USA) |
Official Selection Narrative Audience Choice Award | Too Soon | Jeff Dickamore-Florence & Aurora Florence (USA) |
Official Selection Documentary Audience Choice Award | Home from the Vietnam War | Mat Hames (USA) |
Indiana Narrative Audience Choice Award | Seniors | Lance Clark (USA) |
Indiana Film Journalists Association Award | The Protectors | Jeremy Whitham (USA) |
In the News
35th Heartland Film Festival Announces Winners, Awards $80,000 in Cash Prizes
Variety: KJ Apa on Becoming Jimmy Stewart, Speculation That He Is the Singer Mr. Fantasy and Opening Up About His Addictions and Recovery: ‘This Is A Huge Part of Who I Am’
KJ Apa talks finding Jimmy Stewart’s voice, recreating classic It’s a Wonderful Life scene
Variety: Will Poulter to Be Honored at Heartland Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)
Variety: Jimmy Stewart Biopic ‘Jimmy’ to Open Heartland Film Festival
MovieMaker Magazine: Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee
Hoosier Hospitality: How Heartland and Indy Shorts Combine Taste, Friendliness and Business Sense
MovieMaker Magazine
Heartland Film festival wins top spot in USA TODAY poll
IndyStar
Alamo Drafthouse to sponsor Heartland Film Festival for next 3 years
WISH-TV
The 25 Coolest Film Festival in the World, 2025
MovieMaker Magazine
November 18, 2025
Read More about The 25 Coolest Film Festival in the World, 20252026 SPONSORS
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EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation | Lilly Endowment Inc. |
Klapper Family Foundation | Margot L. Eccles Arts & Culture Fund, a CICF fund |
FILMMAKER'S CIRCLE
Care Institute | Ninestar Connect |
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