Heartland to honor Ann Dowd and Woody Norman

The actors will be feted with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Rising Star Award, respectively.

The 30th Anniversary of the Heartland International Film Festival is running in-person and virtually, October 7-17. The Festival will be honoring “Mass” Actress Ann Dowd with the Pioneering Spirit: Lifetime Achievement Award and “C’mon C’mon” Actor Woody Norman with the Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star Award.  

Over the years, the HIFF Pioneering Spirit Awards have honored individuals who have embodied Heartland Film's mission; those whose work has inspired conversation, ignited imagination, and shifted perspectives. The Pioneering Spirit Award honors individuals in the prime of their career, (recent past honorees include Jessica Biel and Geoffrey Rush), and the Pioneering Spirit: Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates the full career contributions of an individual (recent honorees include Cloris Leachman, Michael Apted, Brian Dennehy, and Rob Reiner). The Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star Award is reserved for young and up-and-coming talent, and Vanessa Hudgens received the Award back in 2014.