Information
The Academy Award®-Qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival presented by Heartland Film is the largest shorts festival in the Midwest, running in Indianapolis, Indiana, since 2018! Originally an expansion to the Heartland International Film Festival, Indy Shorts has become its own six-day summer festival that celebrates the unique, creative and captivating art of short films in a wide range of categories, including horror, comedy, documentary, narrative, animated and more!
MovieMaker Magazine named the Indy Shorts International Film Festival as one of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World for 2023, Top 20 Best Short Film Festivals in the World for 2022, and 50 Best Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee for 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023!
"Not only do they have some strong programming, but from one filmmaker to another... they have a lot of prizes and a lot of prize money! It's really incredible to see so many hardworking filmmakers get rewarded for some real cash! Also, the connections I've made from Indy Shorts have helped my career substantially. Top fav." – Camrus Johnson, Indy Shorts Alum and Panelist of Cool for MovieMaker Magazine
Read MovieMaker Magazine's full article on the Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World here.
Indy Shorts is among a small number of festivals in the world to have earned the special designation of being a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® for all three Short Film categories: Live Action, Documentary, and Animation. This means the winner of the Indy Shorts Narrative Grand Prize, Documentary Grand Prize, and Animated Grand Prize will qualify for consideration in the designated short film category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules. Over the years, 36 short films featured at Indy Shorts/HIFF have been nominated, with 10 going on to win an Oscar®! Indy Shorts is also honored to be a qualifying festival for the BAFTA Film Awards and Goya Awards.
Our mission to curate, promote and celebrate thoughtful and engaging films from diverse perspectives remains at the forefront of everything we do. This past year, we were able to award more than $35,000 in cash prizes, and present over 200 films at indoor, outdoor and virtual screenings.
2025 marks the 8th Annual Indy Shorts International Film Festival, and we are so excited to celebrate with you! Stay tuned on our social media @HeartlandFilm for the latest updates on our upcoming Indy Shorts! #IndyShorts2025
Awards & 2024 Winners
Narrative Grand Prize
$5,000 Grand Prize
Academy Award®-Qualifying Category
Documentary Grand Prize
$5,000 Grand Prize
Academy Award®-Qualifying Category
Animated Grand Prize
$5,000 cash prize
Academy Award®-Qualifying Category
Grand Prize
(High School Film Competition)
$2,500 cash prize
Underwritten by Gary D. & Marlene Cohen
Lens of Hope Award
Presented by TDB Family Foundation
$2,500 cash prize
The Children's Resilience in Film
Short Film Prize
Presented by Shine Global
$2,500 cash prize
Indiana Spotlight Award
$2,000 cash prize
$1,800 cash prize
High School Film Competition
Indiana Spotlight Winner
$1,500 cash prize
Richard D. Propes
Social Impact Award
$1,000 cash prize
Horror Award
$1,000 cash prize
Comedy Award
$1,000 cash prize
Best Directorial Debut
$1,000 cash prize
Overall Audience Choice Award
$2,000 cash prize
Audience Choice Awards
$250 cash prizes
(Narrative, Documentary, Animated, Horror, Comedy, Indiana Spotlight, High School Film Competition)
Iggy
Iggy Shorts is the official short spokesgnome for the Indy Shorts International Film Festival.
Iggy loves three things in life more than just about anything else - flowers, beer, and most of all: film.
Originally created by the Bohlsen Group, Iggy can be seen all around Indy Shorts, and is more than happy to have a photo taken with every film fan he comes across!
High School Film Competition
Indy Shorts also runs the High School Film Competition. Launched in 2010, the High School Film Competition encourages tomorrow’s filmmakers to follow their passion and create short films that push their talents, creativity and art to the next level.
Shorts made by talented high school students from around the world, compete for the $2,500 Summer White Lynch Memorial Award, underwritten by Gary D. & Marlene Cohen. Students from Indiana can also compete for the $1,500 Indiana Spotlight Award.
