Media Contacts:
Heartland Film | Jessica Chapman, Director of Marketing jchapman@heartlandfilm.org | 317.750.3902
Heartland Film | Jessica Chapman, Director of Marketing jchapman@heartlandfilm.org | 317.750.3902
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(Wednesday, June 17) - Heartland Film is honored to announce that the Opening Night film for the 35th Heartland Film Festival will be the Festival World Premiere of "JIMMY," the untold true story of Jimmy Stewart starring KJ Apa.
The Heartland Film Festival, presented by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at The Square, is scheduled to run from October 8-18, 2026, with screenings at venues around Indianapolis, Indiana. The Festival World Premiere of "JIMMY" will take place on Thursday, October 8, at the Scottish Rite Cathedral (650 N Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN). Many of the "JIMMY" film team are scheduled to attend the Festival World Premiere screening, including:
- Director/Producer Aaron Burns
- Actors KJ Apa (Jimmy Stewart), Max Casella (Frank Capra), Kara Killmer (Lady Julia), Marc Malkin (Glenn Miller), Karolyn Grimes (Actress)
- Producer and Casting Director Angela Sullivan
- Producers Jack McClintock & David Cook
- Executive Producer Kelly Stewart Harcourt
- Screenwriter Justin Strawhand
The festival will also partner with the Jimmy Stewart Museum to display original pieces from their collection.
The Heartland Film Festival has a long-standing relationship with The Stewart Family Foundation. Every year, the festival presents the Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award along with a $5,000 cash prize to one film in the lineup that best embodies the on- and off-screen legacy of Stewart; a film that demonstrates the triumph of the human spirit through determination and the defiance of odds, humble vulnerability and courage in the face of adversity .
“No performance has moved me more than Jimmy Stewart’s portrayal of George Bailey in 'It’s a Wonderful Life',” said Heartland Film's Artistic Director, Greg Sorvig. “Stewart remains an enduring American icon, hero and screen legend. We’re honored to open the Heartland Film Festival with 'JIMMY', the story behind the role that defined his legacy.”
"JIMMY" is the untold true story of America’s most beloved actor and the iconic role that saved him, focusing on the most transformative season in Jimmy Stewart’s life—from winning the Academy Award® for Best Actor in "The Philadelphia Story" to enlisting and becoming a combat pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps at the beginning of World War II. He flew twenty missions over Europe, rising to the rank of colonel by the end of the war, only to return home broken and disheartened. Then George Bailey and "It’s a Wonderful Life" came calling. Burns & Co. Entertainment, in partnership with Fathom Entertainment, will release "JIMMY" nationwide on November 6 with a traditional theatrical release.
We’re thrilled to have the Festival World Premiere of JIMMY at the Heartland Film Festival ahead of its nationwide release,” said producer Angela Galgani Sullivan. “Jimmy Stewart’s spirit has long been celebrated at Heartland, and for good reason. He was a Hollywood legend, but at his core, he remained a small-town Pennsylvania kid shaped by service, humility, faith, and community. There’s no more fitting place to introduce his story to the world.”
Tickets for the Opening Night of the Heartland Film Festival will be available starting on Thursday, August 27, at HeartlandFilm.org. The full festival schedule and tickets will be available on Thursday, September 17.
About Heartland Film, Inc.
Heartland Film is a nonprofit arts organization that runs the 11-day Heartland Film Festival in October, the Academy Award®-Qualifying Indy Shorts Film Festival in July, the Truly Moving Picture Award and other year-round programs. Based in Indianapolis, Heartland Film was founded in 1991 with the mission to curate, promote and celebrate thoughtful and engaging films from diverse perspectives. Over the years, Heartland Film has presented $4 million in cash prizes – the largest total amount awarded by any film festival in North America – presented 200+ studio films with the Truly Moving Picture Award, and showcased more than 2,000 feature and short films, including 13 Oscar®-winning short film titles. MovieMaker Magazine named both the Indy Shorts and Heartland Film Festival on the top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World list for 2023, 2024 and 2025. The Heartland Film Festival was ranked the #1 Best Film Festival by the USA TODAY 2026 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards. The 9th Annual Indy Shorts Film Festival is scheduled for July 21-26, 2026 and the 35th Heartland Film Festival will run October 8-18, 2026. For more information, visit www.HeartlandFilm.org.
About Burns & Co Entertainment
Burns & Co Entertainment tells timeless stories that uplift, entertain, and inspire audiences worldwide. They are the producers of JIMMY, a theatrical film focused on the most transformative years of Jimmy Stewart’s life. Burns & Co. is in pre-production on their first animated feature THE MYTHMAKERS, based on the best-selling graphic novel about legendary storytellers C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien.
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