2025 HEARTLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

2025 HEARTLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

Grand Prize for Narrative Feature ($20,000 Grand Prize)

"Happy Birthday," directed by Sarah Goher (Egypt)

Eight-year-old maid Toha goes to great lengths to ensure that her best friend Nelly, the daughter of her wealthy employer, has a successful birthday party in this poignant debut feature exploring classism in modern-day Cairo. Egypt's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards®.

Jury statement: This debut feature is a beautifully crafted film that grips you from the very first frame and leaves you breathless by the end. The sorrow achieved in the final shot lingered with the jury long after the credits rolled. The jury would like to also give special recognition to Doha Ramadan, whose breakout performance as young Toha was truly remarkable, and we look forward to seeing her future work.

Grand Prize for Documentary Feature ($20,000 Grand Prize)

"Jimmy & The Demons," directed by Cindy Meehl (USA) 

"Jimmy & The Demons" follows 79-year-old artist Jimmy Grashow as he pours four years into his magnum opus, a towering sculpture of Jesus and demons that is an epic reflection of faith, mortality and his own lifelong fears. A portrait of creative genius, family and a career deserving of celebration.

Jury statement: As filmmakers ourselves, we were particularly captivated by a story that beautifully illuminates the process of creating art and the profound ways dedication to one’s craft shapes a lifetime. The remarkable skill, relationships and love portrayed in this film felt transcendent and infused with courage, challenges and hope—messages that resonate deeply within our community and inspire all of us to be the best versions of ourselves.

Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award ($5,000 Cash Prize)

"The Eyes of Ghana," directed by Ben Proudfoot (USA)

From Oscar®-winning director Ben Proudfoot, "The Eyes of Ghana" is a stunning feature documentary following 93-year-old documentarian Chris Hesse—personal cinematographer to forgotten African icon Kwame Nkrumah—as he races against blindness and time to rescue and repatriate a secret trove of over 1,300 films that captured the birth of African independence in the fifties and sixties. Yet unseen by the public, these films may not only rewrite Ghanaian and African history—but world history itself.

Humor & Humanity Award ($2,000 Cash Prize)

"Tight & Nerdy," directed by Jeff Nucera & Jonathan Ruane (USA)

This award honors a film that best combines comedy and empathy to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of cinema. 

"Tight & Nerdy" is a hilarious and unexpectedly moving portrait of the fearless women behind the world’s first (and only) burlesque tribute to “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Richard D. Propes Narrative Social Impact Award ($2,000 Cash Prize)

"Shakti" directed by Nani Sahra Walker (USA & Nepal)

A single mother enrolls her nine-year-old daughter in painting lessons in Kathmandu until her child suddenly catches a mysterious illness. When doctors are unable to pin down a diagnosis, her strong-willed mother turns to a local shaman who reveals shared trauma that leads mother and daughter down a path of redemption.

Richard D. Propes Documentary Social Impact Award ($2,000 Cash Prize)

"Comparsa," directed by Vickie Curtis & Doug Anderson (Guatemala, USA)

"Comparsa" immerses audiences in the intensity of Ciudad Peronia, Guatemala, where sisters Lesli and Lupe use art to heal deep wounds. They face extreme rates of femicide, and after 41 girls are killed in a State-run facility, they decide to act. They overcome histories of abuse with a joyful festival.

Best Narrative Premiere Award ($2,500 Cash Prize)

"Shakti," directed by Nani Sahara Walker (USA & Nepal)

A single mother enrolls her nine-year-old daughter in painting lessons in Kathmandu until her child suddenly catches a mysterious illness. When doctors are unable to pin down a diagnosis, her strong-willed mother turns to a local shaman who reveals shared trauma that leads mother and daughter down a path of redemption.

Best Documentary Premiere Award ($2,500 Cash Prize)

"À demain sur la Lune" directed by Thomas Balmès (France) 

Amandine is 39 when she is diagnosed with incurable cancer and given just a few months left to live. She is admitted to the palliative care unit of Calais Hospital, in northern France, where she meets an unexpected companion: Peyo, a horse with the unique ability to sense when death is near. With his trainer Hassen, he visits the most fragile patients to soothe them in their final days.

Hoodox Indiana Spotlight Documentary Award ($2,000 Cash Prize)

"The Tenderness Tour," directed by Andie Redwine (USA)

In his hardest physical challenge to date, the complex, dedicated and irreverent activist Richard Propes fights for the very tour that saved his own life. Can Richard raise a million dollars to offset $155 million in medical debt when he's never raised more than $20,000?

Overall Narrative Audience Choice Award Winner

"Nuremberg," directed by James Vanderbilt (USA)

The Allies, led by the unyielding chief prosecutor Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon), have the task of ensuring the Nazi regime answers for the unveiled horrors of the Holocaust while a U.S. Army psychiatrist (Rami Malek) is locked in a dramatic psychological duel with former Reichsmarschall Herman Göring (Russell Crowe).

Special presentation of Sony Pictures Classics.

Overall Documentary Audience Choice Award Winner

"Best Day Ever," directed by Ben Knight and Berne Broudy (USA)

"Best Day Ever" follows the stories of adaptive mountain bikers Greg Durso and Allie Bianchi as they navigate the relentless challenges of their disabilities and embrace the tremendous support, friendship and joy they find in their rural Vermont riding community. Allie and Greg navigate disability and regain independence with humor, attitude, and grit on mountain bike trails that dismantle ableism, build community, and become a blueprint for trails anywhere.

Narrative Special Presentation Audience Choice Award

"Rental Family," directed by HIKARI (Japan, USA)

Set against modern-day Tokyo, "Rental Family" follows an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.

Special presentation of Searchlight Pictures.

Documentary Special Presentation Audience Choice Award

"John Candy: I Like Me," directed by Colin Hanks (USA)

The film explores the life and legacy of the iconic funnyman Candy, who died of a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 43.

Special presentation of Prime Video.

Narrative Official Selection Audience Choice Award

"A Simple Machine," directed by Mark Alan Hoffman (USA)

"A Simple Machine" is a story of self-reliance, the ingenuity of simple tech, and the conflict between individual freedom and consumer culture. It was shot in Portland, Oregon, by the award-winning cinematographer Kevin Fletcher and scored by Mark Orton ("The Holdovers", "Nebraska") and stars Richard Blackmon in a breakout lead role.
 

Documentary Official Selection Audience Choice Award

"Tight & Nerdy," directed by Jeff Nucera and Jonathan Ruane (USA)

"Tight & Nerdy" is a hilarious and unexpectedly moving portrait of the fearless women behind the world’s first (and only) burlesque tribute to “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Indiana Spotlight Audience Choice Award

"The Tenderness Tour," directed by Andie Redwine (USA)

In his hardest physical challenge to date, the complex, dedicated, and irreverent activist Richard Propes fights for the very tour that saved his own life. Can Richard raise a million dollars to offset $155 million in medical debt when he's never raised more than $20,000?

HORROR AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD

"Queens of the Dead," directed by Tina Romero (USA)

Drag queens and club kids battle zombies craving brains during a zombie outbreak at their drag show in Brooklyn, putting personal conflicts aside to utilize their distinct abilities against the undead threat.

INDIANA FILM JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION AWARD

"Blue Moon," directed by Richard Linklater (USA, Ireland)

On the evening of March 31, 1943, legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) confronts his shattered self-confidence in Sardi’s bar as his former collaborator Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) celebrates the opening night of his ground-breaking hit musical “Oklahoma!”.

Special presentation of Sony Pictures Classics.

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. 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 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 8th Annual Indy Shorts International Film Festival ran July 22-27, 2025 and the 34th Heartland International Film Festival ran October 9-19, 2025. For more information, www.HeartlandFilm.org.