SEEKING SHORT FILMS (running time of 40 minutes or less) FOR CONSIDERATION: ACADEMY AWARD QUALIFIER FOR LIVE ACTION & DOCUMENTARY SHORT CATEGORIES
FEATURE FILMS SUBMIT TO HIFF: Submit to Heartland International Film Festival (41 minutes or longer) at https://filmfreeway.com/HeartlandFilmFestival
Nonprofit arts organization Heartland Film, Inc. will host the third annual Indy Shorts International Film Fest (Indy Shorts) to exclusively showcase short films (under 40 minutes in length) from July 21-26, 2020, at Newfields in Indianapolis. All winners will play encore screenings at the Heartland International Film Festival in the following October. An Academy Award®-qualifying film festival in both the Live Action and Documentary short film categories, the winner of the Narrative and Documentary Grand Prizes will qualify for Academy Awards without the standard theatrical run, granted it meets all the other requirements needed to qualify. Short films featured at HIFF over the years have gone on to be short-listed, nominated, and winners of Academy Awards®. In the past 9 years, 19 films have been nominated with 7 going on to win Oscars (including four consecutive years in the Live Action category). Heartland Film has officially signed on to the 5050x2020 Parity Pledge and at least 50% of the 2020 Indy Shorts official selection lineup will be directed by women.
*7 NEW CASH PRIZE CATEGORIES FOR 2020, INCLUDING HORROR AND COMEDY**
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WAIVER POLICY: As a nonprofit organization, our operations and the process of viewing the volume of submissions we receive are very costly. Thus, waivers are only reserved for Indy Shorts and Heartland International Film Festival alumni. We strive to keep our fees as reasonable as possible, and encourage all applicants to take advantage of our early and official deadlines to save on submission fees. Please do not contact us requesting waivers or reduced submission fees.
If you have directed a project in the past that has screened at Heartland, please email submissions@heartlandfilm.org with your film’s title and the year it screened.
The third annual Indy Shorts event will bestow more than $31,000 in cash prizes across multiple categories, including:
• Narrative Short ($5,000 Cash Prize)
Academy Award®-qualified category. Five finalists in competition
• Documentary Short ($5,000 Cash Prize)
Academy Award®-qualified category. Five finalists in competition
• Animated Short ($5,000 Cash Prize)
Five finalists in competition
• High School Film Competition (HSFC) ($2,000 Summer White Lynch Memorial Grand Prize, Underwritten by Gary D. and Marlene Cohen)
Four category winners awarded $500 each - Narrative, Documentary, Animated, Indiana
• Indiana Spotlight Competition ($1,500 Cash Prize)
• Jenni Berebitsky Legacy Award ($1,800 Cash Prize)
• Heartland Horror Award ($1,000 Cash Prize)
• Best Comedy Short ($1,000 Cash Prize)
• Best Directorial Debut ($1,000 Cash Prize)
• Best Student Film Awards ($1,000 Cash Prize each)
Categories of Narrative, Documentary, Animated, Indiana
• Audience Choice Awards in the Narrative, Documentary, Animated, Indiana Spotlight, Comedy, Heartland Horror categories ($250 each)