Indianapolis, IN – The 16th annual Heartland Film Festival will open October 18 with a premiere event featuring Heartland’s newest Truly Moving Picture Award winner, “August Rush” from Warner Bros. Pictures. The Opening Night Event will take place at the Indianapolis IMAX Theater in the Indiana State Museum (650 West Washington Street) with a matinee screening at 4:30 p.m. and an evening screening at 7:30 p.m. Producer Richard Barton Lewis and Music Supervisor Anastasia Brown are scheduled to attend. The 2007 Heartland Film Festival runs October 18-26 in Indianapolis.
Tickets and information are available online at www.HeartlandFilmFestival.org or by calling toll-free 1-866-HFF-1010.
“Heartland is thrilled to showcase the much-anticipated ‘August Rush’ as our Opening Night Event,” said Jeffrey L. Sparks, president and CEO of Heartland Truly Moving Pictures. “I know the Heartland of America will embrace this music-driven drama.”
Directed by Kirsten Sheridan, “August Rush” tells the story of a charismatic young Irish guitarist (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and a sheltered young cellist (Keri Russell) who have a chance encounter one magical night above New York’s Washington Square, but are soon torn apart, leaving in their wake an infant, August Rush, orphaned by circumstance. Now performing on the streets of New York and cared for by a mysterious stranger (Robin Williams), August (Freddie Highmore) uses his remarkable talent to seek the parents from whom he was separated at birth. “August Rush,” which is rated PG, will open nationwide on November 21.
Heartland’s Opening Night Event is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tickets for the 4:30 p.m. matinee screening cost $20 for adults and $15 for students with a valid ID. The 7:30 p.m. screening will feature a reception and question and answer session with the filmmakers at the Eiteljorg Museum. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. screening are $30 for adults and $25 for students with a valid ID. A special opening night dinner with a cocktail reception and fine food will take place at the Eiteljorg Museum at 5:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Lacy Foundation, dinner tickets cost $125 and include admission for the evening, screening and reception. A $5 service fee will be added to all Web site and phone orders. Limited seating is available.
Heartland Film Festival Announces Opening Night Screening Lineup
Indianapolis, IN – Heartland Film Festival, the premiere showcase for dramatically different films – invites filmgoers to be moved by stories of courage, integrity and hope during the 16th annual film festival, October 18-26 in Indianapolis.
Heartland will showcase nearly 50 films, featuring a wide variety of dramatic, animated and documentary films for all ages and interests. This includes 16 award-winning films selected from 619 international film submissions (representing 40 countries) for best meeting Heartland’s mission and demonstrating excellence in filmmaking. These films, which embody and celebrate the best of the human spirit, open on October 19 at three venues in Indianapolis and will screen through October 25. Audiences will have an exclusive chance to speak with filmmakers following the film screenings on opening night.
The 2007 Crystal Heart Award-winning films that will be screened include: “Bella,” “Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy,” “Doubletime,” “Hear and Now,” “Lars and the Real Girl,” “Man In the Chair,” “Mia Sarah,” “Nanking,” “New Year Baby,” “Owl and the Sparrow,” “Validation” and “War/Dance.” The Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award-winning student films are: “The Little Gorilla,” “Monsoon,” “Still Life” and “THE WINDFISHERMAN.”
“Opening Film Night is always one of the most exciting nights of the Festival,” said Jeffrey L. Sparks, president and CEO of Heartland Truly Moving PicturesTM. “This year we have something for all ages and tastes, ranging from powerful, inspiring documentaries to quirky comedies and romantic dramas. The lineup offers an opportunity for everyone to be moved. We’re especially excited to give audiences a unique chance to chat with filmmakers following the opening night screenings.”
Besides the 2007 Crystal Heart Award winners, the Festival will screen several Official Selections. These films embody the spirit of Heartland but are not in competition. This year’s Official Selections, which are eligible for the Audience Choice Awards, include: “A Senseless Act,” “All About Us,” “Bonneville,” “The Better Hour: The Legacy of William Wilberforce,” “CHRISTMAS IS HERE AGAIN!” “Compañeras,” “Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life,” “Heart to Heart,” ‘Home of the Giants,” “Life Is Not the Same,” “Midnight Clear,” “Moondance Alexander,” “Muse of Fire,” “Note by Note,” “Our Race,” “The Pact,” “Saving Angelo,” “TWISTED: A Balloonamentary” and “When I Grow Up.”
Additionally, the 16th annual Heartland Film Festival will feature a sidebar of films picked by six Indianapolis-based organizations.
These films are designed to inspire change in a community, society or even an individual’s life. The sidebar films include “A Hero for Daisy” selected by Women’s Fund of Central Indiana, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation; “Crash” selected by Indy Hub, “Desk Set” selected by Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library; “Innocent Voices” selected by La Plaza; “Pay It Forward” selected by Indiana Youth Institute; and “To Kill A Mockingbird” selected by Indiana Black Expo, Inc.