A Real Pain, Small Things Like These and Emilia Pérez are among the highlights of the just-announced lineup of the 33rd 33rd Heartland International Film Festival, which will also feature tributes to actor Craig T. Nelson and director Greg Kwedar and carries the theme “Expand Your Universe.”
Powered by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, HIFF — one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee and 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World — takes October 10-20. The 11-day festival will include more than 110 feature films, including 28 World/North American/U.S. Premieres, 73 regional premieres, 20 Special Presentations from major distributorsm and 10 Indiana Spotlight films.
Tickets and the full schedule for the 33rd Heartland International Film Festival can be found at HeartlandFilmFestival.org.
Heartland International Film Festival Events
The October 10th Opening Night film, presented by The Klapper Family Foundation, is Searchlight Pictures’ A Real Pain, directed, written by and starring Jesse Eisenberg. The film follows mismatched cousins David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) as they travel through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother.
The October 16th Centerpiece Screening, presented by IndyStar/LOCALiQ, features Small Things Like These from Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, starring Oscar winner Cillian Murphy in his follow up performance to Oppenheimer. He plays a coal merchant who discovers disturbing secrets kept by a local convent. Director Tim Mielants is scheduled to attend and take part in a post-screening discussion.
The October 20th Closing Night film, presented by The Klapper Family Foundation, is Emilia Pérez, from Netflix, directed by Jacques Audiard. It stars Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz, who shared the Best Actress Award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
“MovieMaker Magazine named us one of the Coolest Festivals in the World last year, but with this year’s lineup of premieres, indies, and awards season contenders, our reputation will expand across the galaxy,” said Artistic Director Greg Sorvig. “I would like to congratulate all of our 2024 filmmakers and invite everyone—wherever you are across the universe—to celebrate cinema together here in Indianapolis.”
He added: “Year after year, Heartland International Film Festival is among the first film festivals in the world to showcase eventual Academy Award winners and nominees across Indianapolis screens. Oscar winners like The Whale and The Holdovers had major event screenings at HIFF and major titles like A Real Pain from Searchlight Pictures and Emilia Pérez from Netflix have strong buzz this year.
“These prestigious tentpoles help draw attention to our main slate of truly independent titles, many making their world and regional premieres at HIFF, and we’re excited to offer our community this stellar slate of feature films.”
Greg Kwedar, the director-writer of Sing Sing and an HIFF alumnus forRising from Ashes in 2012 and Jockey in 2021, will be honored with the 2024 Pioneering Spirit Award at the October 19th HIFF Awards Presentation. Kwedar is also scheduled to attend a special Awards Season Encore screening of Sing Sing and to participate in a post-screening Q&A.
Craig T. Nelson, star of world premiere feature Green and Gold, is scheduled to attend the film’s premiere screening on October 18th, and will be honored with the 2024 Pioneering Spirit: Lifetime Achievement Award at the HIFF Awards Celebration on October 19.
Screenings will be held at Emagine Noblesville, Kan-Kan Cinema and Restaurant, Landmark Glendale 12, Living Room Theaters and Newfields. All film selections will have in-person screenings, and many of the films will also be available to view virtually (US restricted).
The festival will award more than $60,000 in cash prizes at the Awards Celebration on Saturday, October 19th at The Jazz Kitchen. Since 1992, Heartland Film has presented $3.5 million in cash prizes – the largest total amount awarded by any film festival in North America. You can learn more about the Jury Members here.
Meanwhile, for the third year, the Kan-Kan Cinema will host four films that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last May. Cannes at the Kan-Kan will feature: All We Imagine as Light, from Janus Films and Sideshow, Armand from IFC Films, FLOW from Janus Films and Sideshow, and The Seed of a Sacred Fig, from NEON.
Heartland Film will also again partner with the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge to showcase the slate of 2024 Finalists and Winners. The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge gives filmmakers — with and without disabilities — the opportunity to collaborate to tell unique stories that showcase disability in its many forms, inviting aspiring storytellers to creatively write, produce and complete short films. Founder Nic Novicki will be attending the free screening on Monday, October 14th at the Landmark Glendale 12.
Main image: The Heartland International Film Festival.