Sunday, July 26, 2020
After 10,000 streams equaling 4 months and 11 days of film watching, 850 in attendance at the five Tibbs Drive-In Theatre screenings, and 180 filmmakers virtually join 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.
More than 3,000 short films were submitted from all over the world, but only 128 were selected to run in the 18 programs that streamed on-demand and played select screenings at the Tibbs Drive-In Theatre between July 21-26. All of the winning short films are available to view virtually in an Award Winners Program until midnight EST on Sunday, July 26.
“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.”
The festival is wrapping up its in-person events with a Tibbs Drive-In Theatre screening of the Comedy Program on Sunday, July 26, at 9:25 p.m. People can access the Virtual Festival until Sunday, July 26, at midnight EST. The full film lineup, drive-in schedule, and tickets can be found at IndyShorts.org.
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
$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
$5,000 Cash Prize/Academy Award®-Qualified
Directors: Kristen Lappas, Tom Rinaldi
Grand Prize for Best Animated Short Film – TRACES
$5,000 Cash Prize
$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
$2,000 Cash Prize Underwritten by Gary D. & Marlene Cohen
Directors: Raymond Mo, Minju Hong
Indiana Spotlight Award – 20 OVER
$1,500 Cash Prize
$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
$1,800 Cash Prize
Directors: Camrus Johnson & Pedro Piccinini
Heartland Horror Award – WHO GOES THERE?
$1,000 Cash Prize
$1,000 Cash Prize
Director: Astrid Thorvaldsen
Comedy Award – A PIECE OF CAKE
$1,000 Cash Prize
$1,000 Cash Prize
Director: The Bragg Brothers
Directorial Debut – BROKEN BIRD
$1,000 Cash Prize
$1,000 Cash Prize
Director: Rachel Harrison Gordon
Best Narrative Student Film – YELLOW GIRL AND ME
$1,000 Cash Prize
$1,000 Cash Prize
Director: Isabella Issa
AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles
AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles
Best Documentary Student Film – NO CRYING AT THE DINNER TABLE
$1,000 Cash Prize
$1,000 Cash Prize
Director: Carol Nguyen
Concordia University in Canada
Concordia University in Canada
Best Animated Student Film – o28
$1,000 Cash Prize
$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
$1,000 Cash Prize
Directors: Chad Veal
Taylor University, Upland, Indiana
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
About Heartland Film, Inc.
Heartland Film is a nonprofit arts organization founded in 1991 with the mission to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Heartland Film presents the annual Heartland International Film Festival, Academy Award®-qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival, the Heartland Film Best of Fest, Heartland Film Marquee Series and bestows the Truly Moving Picture Award industry honor to major film releases throughout the year. In response to COVID, Heartland Film launched Heartland Film at Home as a safe option to watch the latest and best in independent cinema, including HIFF films from the past from your home. For more information, visit Heartlandfilm.org.
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