17 films showcased by Heartland Film receive 52 Oscar nominations

The 97th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 2, and the nominations were announced Thursday. Heartland Film was one of the first to showcase Oscar-nominated films through the Indy Shorts International Film Festival (Indy Shorts) in July, the Heartland International Film Festival (HIFF) in October, and by presenting the Truly Moving Picture Award (TMPA) to select studio titles.

This year, 17 films celebrated by Heartland Film received 52 total Academy Award nominations, including 10 films from HIFF, three shorts from Indy Shorts, and four recipients of the TMPA.

Both Opening and Closing Night films of the 33rd Heartland International Film Festival received nominations. The HIFF Closing Night film, Emilia Pérez from Netflix, received the most Oscar nominations at 13, including Best Picture. The HIFF Opening Night film and Humor & Humanity Award Winner, A Real Pain from Searchlight Pictures, received two nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay.

“It’s exciting to see how many Oscar nominated films were showcased at Indy Shorts and the Heartland International Film Festival this past year,” Heartland Film’s Artistic Director Greg Sorvig said. “Both festivals have made ‘The 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World’ list in 2023 and 2024, and I believe one of the ‘coolest’ parts about attending our festivals is being among the first in the world to see these award-contending films.”

The festival audience shouldn’t be surprised that September 5 from Paramount Pictures is nominated for Best Original Screenplay, as they voted it the Narrative Special Presentation Audience Choice Award Winner. This was the first award the film received on its journey to the Oscars.

The Academy Members also shared similar views as the Heartland International Film Festival jury members. The $20,000 Documentary Grand Prize HIFF Award-Winning film Porcelain War received a nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

HIFF audiences had the opportunity to meet the director of A24’s Sing Sing, which received three Oscar nominations. Greg Kwedar attended the Special Presentation screening at the Heartland International Film Festival and was the recipient of the Pioneering Spirit Award.

The 2024 Indy Shorts International Film Festival also showcased Academy Award nominees. The Indy Shorts Narrative Audience Choice Award Winner, The Last Ranger, and Indy Shorts Official Selection, Anuja, were both nominated for Best Live Action Short Film. The Indy Shorts Official Selection, Instruments of a Beating Heart, was nominated for Best Documentary Short Film.

“Heartland Film received thousands of film submissions across both of our festivals,” Sorvig said. “From those, we carefully curate a film lineup to bring meaningful stories to Hoosier audiences. It’s rewarding to see these films earn Oscar nominations and be recognized at the highest level in our industry. Congratulations and best of luck on March 2!”

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Below are the Academy Award-nominated films that Heartland Film honored in 2025. The full list of nominees can be found here.

• A Complete Unknown | Eight nominations, including Best Picture | Truly Moving Picture Award Winner 2024
• A Real Pain | Two nominations | Heartland International Film Festival 2024, Opening Night and Humor & Humanity Award Winner
• Anuja | Best Live Action Short Film | Indy Shorts International Film Festival 2024
• Emilia Pérez | 13 nominations, including Best Picture | Heartland International Film Festival 2024, Closing Night
• Flow | Two nominations | Heartland International Film Festival 2024, Special Presentation
• Gladiator II | Best Costume Design | Truly Moving Picture Award Winner 2024
• Instruments of a Beating Heart | Best Documentary Short Film | Indy Shorts International Film Festival 2024
• The Last Ranger | Best Live Action Short Film | Indy Shorts International Film Festival 2024, Narrative Audience Choice Award Winner
• Memoir of a Snail | Best Animated Feature Film | Heartland International Film Festival 2024, Special Presentation
• Nickel Boys | Two nominations, including Best Picture | Heartland International Film Festival 2024, Special Presentation
• Porcelain War | Documentary Feature Film | Heartland International Film Festival 2024, Documentary Grand Prize Winner
• The Seed of the Sacred Fig | International Feature Film | Heartland International Film Festival 2024, Special Presentation
• September 5 | Original Screenplay | Heartland International Film Festival 2024, Narrative Special Presentation Audience Choice Award Winner
• Sing Sing | Three nominations | Heartland International Film Festival 2024, Special Presentation and Director Greg K. Kwedar received the Pioneering Spirit Award
• Sugarcane | Documentary Feature Film | Heartland International Film Festival 2024, Special Presentation
• Wicked | 10 nominations, including Best Picture | Truly Moving Picture Award Winner 2024
• The Wild Robot | Three nominations | Truly Moving Picture Award Winner 2024

About Heartland Film, Inc.

Heartland Film is a nonprofit arts organization that runs the 11-day Heartland International Film Festival in October, the Academy Award-Qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival in July, the Truly Moving Picture Award and other year-round programs.

Based in Indianapolis, Heartland Film was founded in 1991 with the mission to curate, promote and celebrate thoughtful and engaging films from diverse perspectives. Over the years, Heartland Film has presented $3.5 million in cash prizes – the largest total amount awarded by any film festival in North America – presented more than 200 studio films with the Truly Moving Picture Award, and showcased more than 2,000 feature and short films, including 10 Oscar-winning short film titles.

MovieMaker Magazine named both the Indy Shorts and Heartland International Film Festival on the top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World list for 2023 and 2024. The eighth annual Indy Shorts International Film Festival is scheduled for July 22 to 27, 2025, and the 34th Heartland International Film Festival will run Oct. 9 to 19, 2025. For more information, visit HeartlandFilm.org.