Heartland Film Festival 2010

The Closing Night Event, held Saturday evening at the IMA, featured the screening of The Presence and the announcement of the Audience Choice Award winners.

Audience Choice Awards during the Closing Night Event at the Indianapolis Museum of Art winners are:

Audience Choice Award for Best Dramatic Feature: Ways to Live Forever, by director Gustavo Ron

Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature: For Once in My Life, by directors Jim Bigham and Mark Moormann

Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film: The Butterfly Circus, by director/producer/writer Joshua Weigel

Chosen from ballots cast by audience members, the Audience Choice Awards were given to those films that were most enjoyed by Festival attendees. All 17 Award-winning and 69 Official Selection films were eligible for the award in their respective category.

Heartland also honored 17 feature-length and short films. Three student films received Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Awards and 14 films were honored with Crystal Heart Awards. These films were selected from a record 832 independent film submissions for best meeting Heartland’s mission and demonstrating excellence in filmmaking.
 
The filmmakers honored with Crystal Heart Awards were: Bilal's Stand – Producer/Director/Writer Sultan Sharrief; The Butterfly Circus – Producer/Director/Writer Joshua Weigel and Producer/Writer Rebekah Weigel; Café – Producer Chris Wyatt; Freedom Riders – Director Stanley Earl Nelson, Jr.; Frog in the Well – Producer/Director/Writer Ken Ochiai; Jamaa – Producer Brian Bird; Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good – Producer/Director Jonathan Flora and Producer Deborah Flora; Mister Rogers & Me – Producer/Director/Writer Benjamin Wagner and Director Christofer Wagner; The Space Between – Producer/Director/Writer Travis Fine and Producer Kristine Fine; Sun Come Up – Producer/Director Jennifer Redfearn; Thunder Soul – Producer/Director Mark Landsman; Waste Land – Producer Hank Levine; Ways to Live Forever – Director/Writer Gustavo Ron; The Yankles – Producer/Director/Writer David R. Brooks. The filmmakers honored with the Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award were: God of Love – Producer Stefanie Walmsley; The Road Home – Producer/Director Rahul Gandotra; Waiting for a Train: The Toshio Hirano Story – Producer/Director Oscar Bucher.
 
Additional special guests at this year’s Heartland Film Festival Awards Ceremony included: Bilal’s Stand – Executive Producer Terri Sarris, Associate Producer Micah Bartelme and star Sabrina Quinn; The Butterfly Circus – Producer Angie Alvarez, Editor Chris Witt and star Bob Yerkes; Freedom Riders – featured individual Genevieve Hughes Houghton; Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good – featured individual Jason Hale; Mister Rogers & Me – author and featured individual Amy Hollingsworth and Executive Producer David Wagner; Sun Come Up – Producer Tim Metzger; Thunder Soul – featured individual Gaila Mitchell; Ways to Live Forever – star Alex Ettel and composer Cesar Benito and The Yankles – star Don Most.  

Photo left: Special guest Quinton Aaron (The Blind Side) shared his experiences with attendees at the Filmmakers' Brunch. © Heartland Truly Moving Pictures. Photo credit: Banayote Photography.

Heartland's 2010 Sponsors

Heartland Truly Moving Pictures would like to thank its 60 sponsors for helping to make the 19th annual Heartland Film Festival possible.

The Festival’s sponsors are vital in allowing Heartland to continue to celebrate and honor beautifully made films that emphasize the best of the human spirit and to recognize the filmmakers that made them.
 
Among the 48 returning sponsors are Innovative, Printing Partners and WTHR. This year’s 12 new sponsors are: A Classic Party Rental Company; ARTBOX Gallery; Coby Palmer Designs; Finish Line; IHETS; Indianapolis Volkswagen Dealers; MacExperience; May Communications Group, LLC; Outside Source Design; Panera Bread; Republic Services; and Teachers Credit Union.
 
“It is only with the support of our devoted sponsors that we’re able to organize and execute such an enormous event, which spans 10 days,” said Grace Crowell, Director of Advancement for Heartland Truly Moving Pictures. “Over the past 19 years, the Heartland Film Festival has grown in size and stature, this year bringing a record 102 films to Indianapolis. We’re thankful that as we have grown our sponsors have grown with us, allowing Heartland to continue to honor independent filmmakers and connect the people of Central Indiana with their inspiring films.”

As a non-profit organization, Heartland receives support from corporate sponsors as well as from private foundations, non-profit associations, government agencies and individual donors.

These contributions help underwrite screenings of films during the annual film festival, as well as the annual Heartland Film Festival Awards Ceremony, where Heartland presents more than $100,000 in cash prizes to winning filmmakers. Through sponsor generosity, Heartland is able to provide essential programs and services such as distributing films not yet commercially viable and creating educational opportunities for filmmakers and the community.

The 2010 Heartland Film Festival sponsors

Festival Sponsors: AMC Theatresâ; ExactTarget, Inc.; Indianapolis Volkswagen Dealers; Innovative; Printing Partners; three-sixty group; WTHR
 
Premier Sponsors: Aronstam Fine Jewelers; Baker & Daniels; The Canterbury Hotel Indianapolis; Lacy Foundation; LDI, Ltd; Outside Source Design; Starbucks Coffee Company
 
Producing Sponsors: 92.3 WTTS; Borders; Carey Indiana Limousines; Covenant Productions; DCG: Digital Color Graphics; Earshot Audio-Post; Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP; Moving Pictures magazine; NUVO; Omni Severin Hotel; Teachers Credit Union; WFYI Public Broadcasting
 
Feature Sponsors: Bright Ideas in Broad Ripple; Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Inc.; Fifth Third Bank, Central Indiana; Finish Line; Indianapolis Power & Light Company; IUPUI Campus Center; KeyBank; MacExperience; Marsh Supermarkets; OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc.; Sweet & Savory Catering; WQME
 
Supporting Sponsors: Coby Palmer Designs; Current in Carmel; IHETS; Indianapolis Monthly; Jim’s Formal Wear; Markey’s Rental & Staging; Mavris Arts and Event Center; Republic Services; THE GREAT FRAME UP of Central Indiana; The Jazz Kitchen; The Southside Times; Withoutabox, a division of IMDb.com
 
Contributing Sponsors: Christel DeHaan Family Foundation; MBP Distinctive Catering; Panera Bread
 
Participating Sponsors: A Classic Party Rental Company, ARTBOX Gallery; Aveda Fredric’s Institute; Film Indiana; Heartland Distillers; Just Pop In!; May Communications Group, LLC

The actors and filmmakers of Snowmen participated in a Q&A after the Opening Night Event screening. © Heartland Truly Moving Pictures. Photo credit: Banayote Photography.