Heartland Film announces Indy Shorts winners

Indy Shorts had five screenings at the Tibbs Drive-In in Indianapolis.

Heartland Film’s Indy Shorts festival was a success! Here’s their press release and list of winners:

After 10,000 streams equaling four months and 11 days of film watching, 850 in attendance at the five Tibbs Drive-In Theatre screenings, and 180 filmmakers virtually joining us from all over the world for 18 live Q&A sessions, the third annual Academy Award®-Qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival has proven to be a crowd favorite despite the new safe format.

Heartland Film awarded more than $30,000 in cash prizes at the virtual awards presentation in 13 categories. Grand Prize winners “Da Yie” for Best Narrative Short Film and “Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible” for Best Documentary are now qualified for consideration in the Short Films category of the Academy Awards®. Since 2009, shorts programmed by Heartland Film have gone on to earn 23 Academy Award® nominations and seven Oscar wins.

Kids enjoyed the Heartland Film offerings at the drive-in.

More than 3,000 short films were submitted from all over the world, but only 128 were selected to run in the festival.

“With changes happening due to the pandemic, I want to extend a special thanks to our viewing audience worldwide for joining us, albeit via on-line,” said Heartland Film President Craig Prater. “I offer my congratulations to the winning filmmakers. It continues to impress me how a creative storyline, artistic cinematography and effective acting can happen in such a short period of time. With our winning films on their way to be considered for Academy nominations, I’m wishing the winning filmmakers the best of luck with your film and your career.”

Heartland Film continues to soar above industry standards in female representation with 50% of the shorts in the 2020 Indy Shorts International Film Festival being directed or co-directed by women. Heartland Film has reached its goal in achieving parity in its programming after signing the 5050x2020 Parity Pledge, first proposed at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival to bring equal representation to male and female directors. Additionally, 10 of the 2020 Indy Shorts cash prize winners are projects directed or co-directed by women, including two of the three grand prizes.

Full List of 2020 Indy Short International Film Festival Award Winners

Grand Prize for Best Narrative Short Film – DA YIE $5,000 Cash Prize/Academy Award®-Qualified

Director: Anthony Nti

Grand Prize for Best Documentary Short Film – BLACKFEET BOXING: NOT INVISIBLE $5,000 Cash Prize/Academy Award®-Qualified

Directors: Kristen Lappas, Tom Rinaldi

Grand Prize for Best Animated Short Film – TRACES $5,000 Cash Prize

Directors: Hugo Frassetto, Sophie Tavert Macian

High School Film Competition Summer White Lynch Memorial Award – WHIPPED CREAM CAKE $2,000 Cash Prize Underwritten by Gary D. & Marlene Cohen Directors: Raymond Mo, Minju Hong

Indiana Spotlight Award – 20 OVER $1,500 Cash Prize

Director: Chad Veal

Jenni Berebitsky Legacy Award – GRAB MY HAND: A LETTER TO MY DAD $1,800 Cash Prize Directors: Camrus Johnson & Pedro Piccinini

Heartland Horror Award – WHO GOES THERE? $1,000 Cash Prize

Director: Astrid Thorvaldsen

Comedy Award – A PIECE OF CAKE $1,000 Cash Prize

Director: The Bragg Brothers

Directorial Debut – BROKEN BIRD $1,000 Cash Prize

Director: Rachel Harrison Gordon

Best Narrative Student Film – YELLOW GIRL AND ME $1,000 Cash Prize

Director: Isabella Issa AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles

Best Documentary Student Film – NO CRYING AT THE DINNER TABLE $1,000 Cash Prize

Director: Carol Nguyen Concordia University in Canada

Best Animated Student Film – o28 $1,000 Cash Prize

Directors: Otalia Caussé, Geoffroy Collin, Louise Grardel, Antoine Marchand, Robin Merle, Fabien Meyran

Supinfocom Rubika in France

Best Indiana Student Film – 20 OVER $1,000 Cash Prize

Directors: Chad Veal Taylor University, Upland, Indiana

High School Film Competition: Narrative Category Winner - Cat

$500 Cash Prize

Director: Madeleine White

Viewpoint School, Los Angeles, CA

High School Film Competition: Documentary Category Winner – Last Chance Dance

$500 Cash Prize

Directors: Steven Yao, Molly Stanfield - Baylor School, Chattanooga, TN.

High School Film Competition: Animated Category Winner – Instinct

$500 Cash Prize

Director: Yinuo Wei

Tarbut V. Torah Community Day School, Irvine, CA

Hight School Film Competition: Indiana Category Winner – Whipped Cream Cake

$500 Cash Prize

Directors: Raymond Mo, Minju Hong

Carmel High School, Carmel, IN

Audience Choice Awards

$250 will be awarded after July 26 to each Audience Choice Award winner in the categories of Narrative, Documentary, Animated, Indiana Spotlight, Comedy, Heartland Horror, and High School

For more about Heartland Film, visit www.heartlandfilm.org