PRESS RELEASES
Heartland Film Festival Seeks Inspiring Films for 2007 Competition
April 2, 2007
Indianapolis, IN –One film can change the world. Will it be yours? Heartland Film Festival is seeking submissions from filmmakers who believe movies have the power to make a positive difference. Heartland officially opened its 2007 Call for Entries and is now accepting independently produced feature length, short and student films for the 16th annual competition. Selected films will be screened at the 2007 Festival, October 18-26 in Indianapolis. Heartland will also present awards and $200,000 in cash prizes, including a $100,000 Grand Prize for Best Dramatic Feature, a $25,000 Award for Best Documentary Feature and a $10,000 Vision Award for Best Short Film. Selected student films will receive Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Awards and cash prizes. Entry forms are available at www.withoutabox.com or www.HeartlandFilmFestival.org.
|
“Our vision is to share the power of moving pictures from around the world with all audiences,” said Jeffrey L. Sparks, President and CEO of Heartland Film Festival. “We’re excited to kick off our Festival year as we look for new films that unlock the potential of the human spirit, that enrich and inspire lives and that exemplify excellence in filmmaking.”
Heartland invites all filmmakers to submit films in dramatic, documentary and animation categories for the 2007 competition. Submissions will be evaluated for their excellence in filmmaking and the promotion of Heartland’s mission. A committee of previous Crystal Heart Award recipients will review the submissions and select five dramatic features, five documentary features, and seven short films, including student films, as winners. Completed U.S. and international feature length and short films may be submitted by April 15, 2007 for early consideration and a reduced submission fee of $45 for features, $15 for shorts and $15 for student entries. Submission forms can be completed online at www.withoutabox.com. The regular deadline to submit films for the 2007 Heartland Film Festival is June 1 with deadline fees of $55 for features, $20 for shorts and $20 for student submissions.
Last year filmmakers from around the world submitted more than 647 films and 17 winners were screened to nearly 20,000 moviegoers. The highest film honors for the 2006 Festival went to: “Beyond the Gates,” $100,000 Grand Prize and Audience Choice Award winner for Best Dramatic Feature; “The Hip Hop Project,” $25,000 Award for Best Documentary Feature; “Shade,” $10,000 Vision Award for Best Short Film; “A Man Named Pearl,” Audience Choice Award winner for Best Documentary Feature and “I Want to Be a Pilot,” Audience Choice Award winner for Best Short Film.
2006 award-winning student filmmaker Joel Nassan, Producer/Director of “Wednesday,” had this to say about his Heartland Film Festival experience: "Heartland was incredible for me as a student filmmaker. The veteran filmmakers at the fest were more than willing to reach out and invest their time in conversation to young filmmakers such as myself, which caused me to leave inspired with a new passion to create films with a purpose. It was the amazing network of friends with other filmmakers that really struck a chord in my heart, and from them I was able to get my first feature film project out of college."
Call 317-464-9405 or visit www.HeartlandFilmFestival.org for eligibility requirements or more information on Heartland Film Festival’s 2007 Call for Entries.
Heartland Film Festival, a non-profit organization, was established in 1991 to recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life. Each October, Heartland screens independent films from around the world and presents $200,000 in cash prizes and Crystal Heart Awards to the Festival’s top entries. The remaining $65,000 is shared among the Crystal Heart and Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award winners. Heartland has awarded more than $1.6 million in 15 years to support filmmakers in their quest to create films that bring out the best of the human spirit.
Local/Regional Relations Lisa Dudeck |
National Public Relations Lynda Dorf / Alfred Hopton |