Heartland Film has announced the lineup for the eighth annual Academy Award-Qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival (Indy Shorts) presented by F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co., running July 22 to 27.
The festival will showcase 253 short films with screenings at Living Room Theaters, Newfields (The Tobias Theater, The Amphitheater, and The Beer Garden), and streaming.
The festival will feature short films are from 36 countries and include 42 World Premieres, 18 U.S. Premieres, and 112 Midwest Premieres. With more than 200 filmmakers expected to attend, nearly every program will have a filmmaker Q&A following the screening.
The 2025 festival is embracing a building/construction theme that encourages attendees to dig into 253 groundbreaking short films that are curated into 39 themed programs. From comedy to horror, there’s a shorts program for everyone. This year, there are also three Indiana Spotlight Programs made up of 19 films by filmmakers with Hoosier ties.
“Indy Shorts has built an internationally-renowned grassroots reputation for strong thematic programming, top tier hospitality and creating a summer camp atmosphere where filmmakers become fast friends and long-lasting collaborators,” Heartland Film Artistic Director Greg Sorvig said. “Special thank you to our premiere titles who have entrusted us to launch their festival runs, many featuring familiar faces in audacious new roles.”
Indy Shorts is honored to have a total of 172 film premieres. Many of the premiering films have notable names including Lena Headey (Game of Thrones, 300, The Purge) in “Long Pork,” André Holland (Moonlight, Passing, Exhibiting Forgiveness, The Big Cigar) in “A Love Letter to M,” Sophia Di Martino (Loki, Flowers, Yesterday) in “Undeletable,” and Poppy (Grammy-nominated musician/Internet personality) in “The Most Perfect Perfect Person.”
Indy Shorts is an Academy Award-Qualifying Film Festival in all three short film categories (Live Action, Documentary and Animated); fewer than 60 film festivals in the world hold this designation. The three grand prize-winning films will receive their Oscar Qualification in their designated category. With a track record of 39 nominations and 10 Oscar-winning shorts in recent years, there’s a good chance attendees will see the next Academy Award-contending films first in Indianapolis. Indy Shorts is also a qualifying film festival for the BAFTA and Goya Awards.
Filmmakers are competing for more than $35,000 in cash prizes that will be awarded on Saturday, July 26. Selected award-winning films will be showcased at The Amphitheater (Newfields) for the Summer Nights: Award Winners Program. Before the films, attendees can enjoy free HotBox Pizza and summer activities.
Fest Pass and tickets are now on sale at IndyShorts.org.