Indy Shorts Film Festival, Presented by Heartland Film

About Indy Shorts Film Festival

The Indy Shorts Film Festival (presented by nonprofit arts organization Heartland Film, Inc.) is the largest shorts festival in the Midwest and exclusively showcases short films running 40 minutes or less. Originally starting as an expansion of the Heartland Film Festival in 1992, Indy Shorts launched as its own dedicated six-day summer event in 2018. The ninth annual edition runs July 20–25, 2027, featuring both in-person screenings in Indianapolis and virtual presentations on-demand via Eventive (geofenced to the US, capped at 250 views per program). All winning films also receive encore screenings at the Heartland International Film Festival the following October.

Festival Accreditations & Recognitions

• Academy Award®-Qualifying: Qualifying festival in all three Short Film categories (Live Action, Documentary, and Animation). The Narrative, Documentary, and Animated Grand Prize winners qualify for Oscar® consideration without the standard theatrical run (provided they meet Academy rules).
• BAFTA®-Qualifying: Listed on the BAFTA Qualifying Festival List for British short film entries (when paired with one other qualifying festival).
• Goya Awards-Qualifying: Official qualifying event for the Goya Awards.
• Industry Acclaim: Named among MovieMaker Magazine’s “Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World,” “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,” and “Top Short Film Festivals in the World.”
• Proven Track Record: 48 programmed shorts have gone on to earn Academy Award® nominations with 13 Oscar® wins. Most recently, 9 Heartland-celebrated shorts earned Oscar® nominations with 3 winning—including a historic tie for Best Live Action Short between 2025 Indy Shorts alumni “The Singers” (which launched its Oscar run by winning the $5,000 Indy Shorts Narrative Grand Prize) and “Two People Exchanging Saliva.”

Awards & Cash Prizes ($35,000+ Total)

• Academy Award®-Qualifying Grand Prizes:
  • Narrative Short Grand Prize: $5,000 Cash Prize (2028 Academy Award® qualifier)
  • Documentary Short Grand Prize: $5,000 Cash Prize (2028 Academy Award® qualifier)
  • Animated Short Grand Prize: $5,000 Cash Prize (2028 Academy Award® qualifier)
• Special Competition & Impact Awards:
  • High School Film Competition (HSFC) Summer White Lynch Memorial Grand Prize: $2,000 (Underwritten by Gary D. and Marlene Cohen)
  • HSFC Indiana Spotlight Winner: $1,000 (Open to Indiana resident high school filmmakers)
  • Lens of Hope Award: $5,000 total ($2,500 to the film team, $2,500 to affiliated nonprofit; presented by TDB Family Foundation)
  • The Children’s Resilience in Short Film Prize: $2,500 (Presented by Shine Global)
  • Jenni Berebitsky Legacy Award: $1,800 Cash Prize
  • Indiana Spotlight Narrative Award: $1,000 Cash Prize
  • Hoodox Indiana Spotlight Documentary Award: $1,000 Cash Prize
  • Richard D. Propes Social Impact Award: $1,000 Cash Prize
  • Episodic Award: $1,000 Cash Prize
  • Horror Award: $1,000 Cash Prize
  • Comedy Award: $1,000 Cash Prize
  • Directorial Debut Award: $1,000 Cash Prize
  • Overall Audience Choice Award: $1,000 Cash Prize
  • Category Audience Choice Awards ($250 each): Narrative, Documentary, Animated, Indiana Spotlight Narrative, Indiana Spotlight Documentary, Comedy, Horror, Episodic, High School.

Key Submission Categories

(All films must be 40 minutes or less. Feature films 41 minutes or longer must submit separately to the Heartland International Film Festival at filmfreeway.com/HeartlandFilmFestival.)

• Narrative Short: Live-action dramatic or comedic narratives.
• Documentary Short: Live-action nonfiction films.
• Animated Short: Animated films across dramatic or nonfiction formats.
• Category Submission Rule: Submit to ONE CATEGORY ONLY—choose the most specific category applicable (e.g., submit horror shorts directly to the Horror category). Category submissions (like Indiana Spotlight or genre sections) remain fully eligible for Grand Prizes in their parent format. Heartland Film reserves the right to reassign a film’s category if deemed a better fit.

Eligibility Requirements

• Completion Date: Must be completed on or after January 1, 2026. Films finished in 2025 or earlier will be disqualified without refunds.
• Screening Availability: Must be available for up to 2 in-person screenings (July 20–25, 2027) and virtual on-demand via Eventive.
• No Screening Fees: Heartland Film will not pay any screening fees.
• Technical Formats: Exhibition copies must be delivered as high-quality H.264 or ProRes by requested deadlines. No dual projection (interlock) or separate audio tracks supported. Non-English dialogue must have English subtitles.
• Premiere & Exclusivity Policy: Prior online availability (free or paid) does not disqualify entry. However, no public/in-person exhibition in the state of Indiana is permitted between confirmation and festival dates. Once a premiere status is locked in the contract, it cannot change without risking disqualification.
• Previous Oscar Submissions: Films that have already applied for Academy Award® consideration in 2026 or prior cannot compete for the qualifying Grand Prizes, though they remain eligible for official selection and other awards.
• Indiana Spotlight Eligibility: Projects must have principal production (director/producer), key cast (lead actor/actress) residing in Indiana, or have been filmed within Indiana.

Submission Rules & Selection Process

• Submitter Authorization: Entries must be submitted exclusively via FilmFreeway by the film’s producer or director.
• Work-In-Progress: WIP entries are accepted; label the entry as “WORK IN PROGRESS” with bullet points detailing remaining elements.
• Screening Materials: Submissions require high-definition (720p/1080p) streaming screeners (Vimeo, YouTube) with working access passwords.
• Curatorial Standard: Every film is reviewed in full by 1–3 screeners (selected titles up to 6+ times) and scored on a 1–5 scale evaluating storytelling, technical artistry, purpose, and Heartland’s mission of impactful cinema. Feedback/scores are kept internal.
• Notification Date: Filmmakers will be notified by email on or before June 2, 2027.
• Submissions FAQ & Contact: heartlandfilm.org/faqs | Email: submissions@heartlandfilm.org.

Waiver Policy

• Alumni Only: Fee waivers are strictly reserved for alumni directors of Indy Shorts or Heartland Film Festival (request by emailing submissions@heartlandfilm.org with film title and screening year).
• No General Waivers: As a nonprofit, no student or general waiver requests are accepted. Discounted student pricing tiers are available across all categories.

Terms & Conditions

• AI Disclosure: Any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) must be explicitly disclosed upon submission and re-verified if selected.
• Commitment & Non-Withdrawal: Confirmed films cannot pull from the lineup once the agreement is signed. Breaches are subject to venue and lost box office penalty fees.
• Future Exhibition & Laurels: Selected films grant Heartland Film permission for at least one encore screening in 2027/2028. Grand Prize winners agree to use official Grand Prize laurels on all future promotional and distribution assets.
• Rights & Indemnity: Submitters certify full legal ownership and clearance of all visual, music, and literary elements, holding Heartland Film, Inc. harmless against any copyright, credit, trademark, or damage claims.