Entries Open for 2013 Heartland Film Festival

For Immediate Release
March 4, 2013

Contact: Greg Sorvig
Phone: 317.402.5876
Email: gsorvig@trulymovingpictures.org

 Call for Entries Now Open for 2013 Heartland Film Festival

 Academy Award® qualifying festival expands its award field with additional categories and cash prizes for independent films.

(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.) – Independent filmmakers can now submit films for consideration to the 22nd Annual Heartland Film Festival. The 10-day Festival, which will be held in Indianapolis, Ind., October 17-26, 2013, serves to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Filmmakers participating in the Festival attend numerous screenings of their films and other special events designed to allow interaction between filmmakers and audiences.   
The Heartland Film Festival is a qualifying festival for the Annual Academy Awards® in the Short Films Category. This means that the winner of the Grand Prize for Best Narrative Short Film will qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules. Three 2012 Heartland Film Festival Award Winners were selected as nominees for the 2013 Academy Awards® and one, “Inocente,” won the Oscar® for Best Documentary, Short Subject.
“Our number of submissions spiked dramatically last year,” said Tim Irwin, artistic director of Heartland Truly Moving Pictures. “We expect the numbers to grow again this year and have expanded our Festival Awards field with additional categories and cash prizes. Heartland is truly a filmmakers’ festival and we’re excited to offer even more ways to honor and share these films with Indianapolis audiences.”

Filmmakers are invited to submit independently-produced feature length and short films in Narrative and Documentary categories. Student filmmakers are encouraged to apply for consideration within the standard field of competition. High school filmmakers are encouraged to enter their films in the High School Film Competition, now entering its fourth year.
Submissions will be evaluated for their achievement of excellence in filmmaking and alignment with Heartland’s mission to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Submissions are accepted through Withoutabox.com.
Volunteer screening committees will help narrow down the initial field of competitors. Juries comprised of individuals from the scholarly film community, local film critics and previous Heartland Film Festival filmmakers will review the submissions and select five narrative features, five documentary features, five narrative short films and five documentary short films including student films, as winners. Outstanding films will be recognized with Heartland Film Festival Awards and more than $125,000 in cash prizes, including a Grand Prize for Best Narrative Feature, Grand Prize for Best Documentary Feature, Grand Prize for Best Narrative Short Film and Grand Prize for Best Narrative Short Film.  

Completed U.S. and international feature length and short films may be submitted by May 1 for early consideration and a reduced submission fee. The regular deadline to submit films for the 2013 Heartland Film Festival is June 15.
Visit HeartlandFilmFestival.org for eligibility requirements, a full list of categories, submission rules and more information on Heartland Film Festival’s 2013 Call for Entries page.
About Heartland Truly Moving Pictures
Heartland Truly Moving Pictures, a nonprofit arts organization, seeks to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Its flagship event, the Heartland Film Festival®, launched in 1991 and runs each October in Indianapolis, screening independent films from around the world. Each year, the Festival awards more than $125,000 in cash prizes and presents its Festival Awards to the top-judged submissions. Heartland has awarded more than $2.5 million to support filmmakers during the last 20 years. The organization’s Truly Moving Picture Award was created to honor films released theatrically that align with Heartland’s mission. By bestowing this award seal to honored films, the award allows studios and distributors to inform audiences of a film’s transformative power and appeal. Heartland is also dedicated to cultivating youth, and thus created the Heartland Institute to provide innovative educational and outreach programs that enrich the minds and lives of youth and aspiring filmmakers. Heartland shares inspiring films year-round in the community through the Heartland Roadshow, bringing meaningful films across Indiana. For more information, visit TrulyMovingPictures.org.