Heartland announces 2024 winners

"La Cocino" wins narrative feature grand prize, "Porcelain War" takes top documentary award and Craig T. Nelson was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 33rd Heartland International Film Festival (HIFF) announced the 2024 award winners and presented more than $60,000 in cash prizes to recipients at the Awards Presentation on Saturday, October 19 at The Jazz Kitchen. The 11-day festival concludes on Sunday, October 20, with in-person and virtual screenings. Encore screenings of the Grand Prize for Narrative Feature and Grand Prize for Documentary Feature, Humor & Humanity Award and Indiana Spotlight Award will play on Sunday at Living Room Theaters. HIFF's Closing Night presented by The Klapper Family Foundation will showcase "Emilia Pérez" from Netflix at The Tobias Theater at Newfields. 

Major cash prizes were awarded to "La Cocina," directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios ($20,000 Narrative Feature Grand Prize) and "Porcelain War," directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev ($20,000 Documentary Feature Grand Prize). 

"We're honored to recognize these incredible filmmakers' work at the Heartland International Film Festival Awards Presentation," said Artistic Director Greg Sorvig. "These films connected with the jury members and have expanded our audience's universes."

Craig T. Nelson attended the Awards Presentation to accept the Pioneering Spirit Award: Lifetime Achievement Award. Craig stars in "Green and Gold" which had its World Premiere at the Heartland International Film Festival and won the Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award with a $5,000 cash prize. HIFF is the only festival in the world to have an award in honor of beloved actor Jimmy Stewart with a cash prize underwritten by the Stewart Family. The Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award and $5,000 cash prize is awarded to one film in the HIFF lineup that best demonstrates the triumph of the human spirit through determination and the defiance of odds, humble vulnerability, and courage in the face of adversity.

"Sing Sing" Director/Writer and HIFF alumnus ("Rising from Ashes" 2012, "Jockey" 2021) Greg Kwedar attended the HIFF Awards Presentation and received the 2024 Pioneering Spirit Award given to an individual in the prime of their career. "Sing Sing" had a special Awards Season Encore screening during the festival. 

Earlier in the week, HIFF hosted the 2nd Annual PitchDox Main Event presented by Hoodox where five local documentary filmmakers presented their project idea to a live audience for a chance to receive $10,000 to complete their film. The $10,000 prize went to "Bloom" produced by Malakai Tyne Bisel, Victoria Britton, and Derek Hockemeyer. This film will tell the story of super gardener Alex Babich and his quest to grow America's tallest sunflower, all while balancing the needs of his family and the challenges of nature. Following the PitchDox Main Event, the recipient of the 2023 PitchDox prize money, "Justice4Three," had its World Premiere screening.

The 2024 Heartland International Film Festival's theme encouraged attendees to "Expand Your Universe" with 120+ independent films including 27 World/U.S. Premieres, 20 Special Presentations from major distributors and 11 Indiana Spotlight films. 

The day before the festival began, the Heartland International Film Festival was honored on MovieMaker Magazine's 2024 list of the Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World. This is the second year in a row the festival has been on this list. 

Audiences still have time to be a part of one of the coolest film festivals in the world. Screenings continue through Sunday, October 20 at Newfields, Living Room Theaters and Emagine Noblesville. Select award-winning titles will also be available to stream through Friday, October 25. 

Audience Choice Award Winners will be announced on Monday, October 21 in the categories of Overall, Narrative, Documentary, Special Presentation Narrative, Special Presentation Documentary and Indiana Spotlight. Voting for audience choice awards will close at 11:59 PM EDT on Sunday, October 20. ​

The full film lineup, schedule and tickets for the 33rd Heartland International Film Festival can be found at HeartlandFilmFestival.org.