Heartland Film Festival
fest passes now available
Heartland Film Festival
October
8-18
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.
The films we watch don't just entertain us. They expose us to new stories, alter our core realities and become what we're made of. From October 8-18, discover 100 transformative films at the 35th Heartland Film Festival presented by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at The Square!
The full film lineup and tickets will be available on Thursday, September 17. Screenings will take place at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Indy Arts Center, Kan-Kan Cinema, Living Room Theaters, Newfields and the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Attendees can expect World Premiere screenings, blockbuster sneak peeks, local Hoosier films, filmmaker Q&As and red carpet events.
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.
The films we watch don't just entertain us. They expose us to new stories, alter our core realities and become what we're made of. From October 8-18, discover 100 transformative films at the 35th Heartland Film Festival presented by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at The Square!
The full film lineup and tickets will be available on Thursday, September 17. Screenings will take place at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Indy Arts Center, Kan-Kan Cinema, Living Room Theaters, Newfields and the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Attendees can expect World Premiere screenings, blockbuster sneak peeks, local Hoosier films, filmmaker Q&As and red carpet events.
FESTIVAL EVENTS
The 35th Heartland Film Festival schedule and tickets will be available on September 17, but you can purchase a Fest Pass or Ticket Pack now! Heartland Film Members get an additional 20% off these prices! Tickets are now available for the events below:
TRAILER WATCH PARTY
Get a sneak peek of this year's Heartland Film Festival lineup at our trailer watch party. We’re serving up complimentary HotBox Pizza and trailers from HFF35 selections.
FIRST FIVE
Tip off the 35th Heartland Film Festival with the World Premiere of "First Five," a documentary about Coach Bob Knight’s first recruiting class at Indiana University.
JIMMY
Celebrate the start of the 35th Heartland Film Festival with the Festival World Premiere of "JIMMY," a new biopic celebrating the life and legacy of beloved Hollywood icon Jimmy Stewart.
FEST PASSES & TICKET PACKS
VIP Fest Pass
$220
Member Price: $176
- 1 ticket to any in-person screening
- 1 ticket to any virtual screening
Duo Fest Pass
$430
Member Price: $344
- 2 tickets to any in-person screening
- 1 ticket to any virtual screening
Theater 10-Pack
$120
Member Price: $96
- 1 ticket to any in-person screening
Streaming 10-Pack
$140
Member Price: $112
- 1 ticket to any 10 virtual screenings
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
2025 Festival Photos
Recap Video
Heartland Film Festival
October 2025
2025 Festival Guidebook
Awards & Cash Prizes
Grand Prize for Narrative Feature
$20,000 Cash Prize
Grand Prize for Documentary Feature
$20,000 Cash Prize
Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award
$5,000 Cash Prize
Humor & Humanity 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
Best Narrative Premiere Award
$2,500 Cash Prize
Best Documentary Premiere Award
$2,500 Cash Prize
Hoodox Indiana Spotlight Documentary Award
$2,000 Cash Prize
2025 Award Winners
Grand Prize for Narrative Feature | Happy Birthday | Sarah Goher (USA) |
Grand Prize for Documentary Feature | Jimmy & The Demons | Cindy Meehl (USA) |
Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award | The Eyes of Ghana | Ben Proudfoot (USA) |
|---|---|---|
Humor & Humanity Award | Tight & Nerdy | Jeff Nucera & Jonathan Ruane (USA) |
Richard D. Propes Narrative Social Impact Award | Shakti | Nani Sahra Walker (USA & Nepal) |
Richard D. Propes Documentary Social Impact Award | Comparsa | Vickie Curtis & Doug Anderson (USA & Guatamela) |
Best Narrative Premiere Award | Shakti | Nani Sahra Walker (USA & Nepal) |
Best Documentary Premiere Award | À demain sur la Lune | Thomas Balmés (France) |
Hoodox Indiana Spotlight Documentary Award | The Tenderness Tour | Andie Redwine (USA) |
2025 Audience Choice Award Winners
Overall Narrative Audience Choice Award | Nuremberg | James Vanderbilt (USA) |
Overall Documentary Audience Choice Award | Best Day Ever | Ben Knight & Berne Broudy (USA) |
Narrative Special Presentation Audience Choice Award | Rental Family | HIKARI (Japan, USA) |
|---|---|---|
Documentary Special Presentation Audience Choice Award | John Candy: I Like Me | Colin Hanks (USA) |
Narrative Official Selection Audience Choice Award | A Simple Machine | Mark Alan Hoffman (USA) |
Documentary Official Selection Audience Choice Award | Tight & Nerdy | Jeff Nucera & Jonathan Ruane (USA) |
Indiana Spotlight Audience Choice Award | The Tenderness Tour | Andie Redwine (USA) |
Horror Audience Choice Award | Queens of the Dead | Tina Romero (USA) |
Indiana Film Journalists Association Award | Blue Moon | Richard Linklater (USA, Ireland) |
In the News
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, 2025
34th Annual Heartland International Film Festival Announces Winners; ‘Nuremburg’ Snags Top Honor
The Contending
Heartland International Film Festival Grand Prizes Go to Debut Film Happy Birthday and Doc Jimmy & the Demons
MovieMaker Magazine
2026 SPONSORS
MARQUEE SPONSOR
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at The Square |
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 |
Daniel's Vineyard | The Stewart Foundation |
F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. | Trendy Minds |
IndyStar | LOCALiQ | TQL Wealth Management |
National Endowment for the Arts |
SILVER SCREEN
AARP Indiana | Lacy Foundation |
CBIZ | Nicholas H. Noyes Jr. Memorial Foundation, Inc. |
HotBox Pizza | OneAmerica Financial Foundation |
Indianapolis International Airport | Portrait |
Indiana Arts Commission | The Spoonmore Family |
Indy Arts Council | Sweet & Savory |
CINEMA
12 Stars Media | La-Z-Boy |
Diane & John Abrams | Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering |
Arthur Jordan Foundation | Lumina Foundation |
Barnes & Thornburg | Midwest Presort |
Dynamark Printing | Old National Bank |
Efroymson Family Foundation | Printing Partners |
Glick Philanthropies | Van Riper-Woodard Family Foundation |
Tom & Arlene Grande | The Great Frame Up |
REEL
Bottleworks District | Pins Mechanical Co. / Rise Brands |
Christy Paddock Advisors | The Reelist |
Duke Energy | Visit Indy |
Future Keys Foundation | Tinker House Events |
Health & Hospital Corp of Marion County | Sun King Brewery |
Hoodox | Roberts Camera |
Kalogon |
MEDIA & INDUSTRY
Current | IndyStar | LOCALiQ |
Do317 | North Indy Magazine |
Destination Indy | Mirror Indy |
Indianapolis Monthly | WFYI |
SUPPORTERS
Ball Brothers Foundation | The Penrod Society |
Constellation Brands | Shake Up |
Earshot Audiopost | Sundry & Vice |
Jan White | Tito's Handmade Vodka |
Market Square Popcorn Company | |
Metazoa Brewing Company |