Submit your feature film now for consideration to the 33rd Heartland International Film Festival, set for October 10-20, 2024 in Indianapolis! Known for hospitality, cash prizes, Awards season sneak peeks, and quality programming, HIFF32 will host a range of live events and screenings and bestow $60,000 in cash prizes.

Heartland Film is a nonprofit arts organization founded in 1991 with the mission to curate, promote and celebrate thoughtful and engaging films from diverse perspectives. Since the inaugural Heartland International Film Festival (HIFF) in 1992, the fest has grown from a 5-day event with less than 20 films to an 11-day celebration featuring 150+ visiting filmmakers and 250+ film screenings. HIFF has built a reputation on its impactful movies, the connections audiences make with visiting filmmakers, the overall hospitality and intimacy of the experience, and bringing big Hollywood names – like Robert Downey Jr., Brendan Fraser, Matthew Modine, Jessica Biel, Rob Reiner, and Oscar® winner Geoffrey Rush – to the Hoosier state.

Awarding a combined $90,000 in cash prizes for 2024 between HIFF and Indy Shorts, Heartland Film has bestowed more than $3.6 million to independent filmmakers since 1992 – the largest total amount awarded by any film festival in North America.

- Narrative Feature Grand Prize ($20,000 Grand Prize)
- Documentary Feature Grand Prize ($20,000 Grand Prize)
- Richard D. Propes Narrative Social Impact Award ($2,000 cash prize)
- Richard D. Propes Documentary Social Impact Award ($2,000 cash prize)
- Indiana Spotlight Narrative ($2,000 cash prize)
- Indiana Spotlight Documentary ($2,000 cash prize)
- Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award ($5,000 cash prize)
- Humor & Humanity Award ($2,000 cash prize)
- Best Narrative Premiere Award ($2,500 cash prize)
- Best Documentary Premiere Award ($2,500 cash prize)
- Audience Choice Winners (Overall, Narrative, Documentary, Indiana Spotlight, Horror - no cash prizes)
- Indiana Film Journalists Association Award for Best Special Presentation (no cash prize)

Films selected as Official Selections are eligible for Grand Prize Awards, the Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award, Humor & Humanity Award, and Audience Choice Awards. Special Presentations (primarily major studio sneak peeks/films with major distribution) are not eligible for Grand Prizes. Films making their US or World premiere are eligible for premiere awards.

SELECTION PROCESS
Each submitted film goes through an involved judging process and is screened by at least one member of the selection committee. Selected films could eventually be seen more than six times by members of the screening committees, programming staff, and juries. Heartland Film reserves the right to stop watching your film after 15 minutes if the reviewer determines that the film’s technical quality is not at a baseline level for Festival inclusion.

Films submitted to Heartland International Film Festival are judged on their overall artistic and technical quality and are story-driven films that do more than entertain, with the ability to shift perspectives, make an impact on audiences, or feature a fresh perspective.