Media Contacts:
Heartland Film | Jessica Chapman, Director of Marketing jchapman@heartlandfilm.org
Heartland Film | Jessica Chapman, Director of Marketing jchapman@heartlandfilm.org
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(Tuesday, August 18) - Heartland Film is honored to announce that the documentary, “First Five,” about Coach Bob Knight's first recruiting class at Indiana University, will have its World Premiere at the 35th Heartland Film Festival.
The Heartland Film Festival, presented by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at The Square, is scheduled to run from October 8-18, 2026. “First Five” will play as a Festival Preview Screening on Wednesday, October 7, at the Scottish Rite Cathedral (650 N Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN). Team Green Law and Craig Culver are the presenting sponsors of this special screening, and all five IU seniors from the 1975 team will participate in a Q&A following the screening.
They put everything on the line to revive a struggling dynasty."
Indiana University, 1971
This Indiana Spotlight documentary offers an intimate look at the five Midwestern young men who served as Coach Bob Knight's first recruiting class at IU. Molded by Knight's legendary "iron will," this core group of players put everything on the line to revive a struggling Hoosier basketball program, ultimately laying the cornerstone for one of the most dominant dynasties in college basketball history.
Featuring rare footage and deeply personal insights, the film chronicles how these five athletes embraced a grueling standard of excellence to cement a lasting basketball empire.
IU Basketball players expected to attend screening on October 7:
- Steve Ahlfeld, IU: 1971-1975 #24
- Doug Allen, IU: 1971-1975 #25
- Steve Green, IU: 1971-1975 #34
- John Kamstra, IU: 1971-1975, #30
- John Laskowski, IU: 1971-1975, #31
"The historic success of Indiana University Basketball is filled with incredible stories. We are thrilled to share another chapter celebrating remarkable Hoosiers and their lasting legacy in Indiana sports,” said Heartland Film's Vice President, Adam Howell. “A story about Hoosier Basketball is the perfect way to commemorate the festival’s 35th anniversary.”
Tickets for this “First Five” screening and the Opening Night screening of the Jimmy Stewart biopic, “JIMMY,” will go on sale next 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 ran July 21-26, 2026 and the 35th Heartland Film Festival is scheduled for October 8-18, 2026. For more information visit, www.HeartlandFilm.org.
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