MOVIES & TV

Indy Shorts film festival will be presented both online and at the drive-in

David Lindquist
Indianapolis Star

The third annual Indy Shorts film festival will be different than the first two.

Because of health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, festival organizer Heartland Film is skipping indoor theater screenings to adopt a hybrid format of online streaming and outdoor drive-in shows.

More than 120 films will be presented July 21-26 as part of Indy Shorts, including at least 30 films headed to Tibbs Drive-In Theatre.

“This is a really nice way for us to have more of that cinematic experience that you want out of a film festival," Jessica Chapman, Heartland's marketing manager, said of the Tibbs screenings. "People are coming together and the films are on a big screen, and we’re still keeping it safe and fun.”

Single father and weightlifting competitor Deon "Sonnie" Casey, left, is the subject of "Sonnie," an Indiana Spotlight film that will screen during the upcoming Indy Shorts festival.

Under the stars

Indy Shorts packages its films, each with a running time less than 40 minutes, into themed compilations or programs. At Tibbs, two "Indiana Spotlight" programs, a horror program, a comedy program and a festival winners program will be seen on the big screen.

To qualify as an "Indiana Spotlight" film, a project must either have a director or producer with former or current Indiana residency or Indiana must serve as a shooting site for the majority of the film.

The list of Hoosier films includes "Sonnie," a documentary based on single father and weightlifting competitor Deon "Sonnie" Casey; "Crafting a Community," a doc focused on the craft beer industry; and "50 Little Birds," which profiles folk artist Geoff Davis.

The festival's first horror program is scheduled 11:15 p.m. on Friday, July 24, a late start to underscore the spooky content in films titled "Who Goes There?", "Deep End" and "Eject."

The online experience

Chapman said the festival has made international ticket sales to film fans in Turkey and Jamaica, indicative of the event's increased scope thanks to online streaming.

“It’s really expanding people’s opportunities to see more films," she said. "Instead of having to go to a program at a particular time in person, now people can binge watch all the programs they want from their house.”

The "virtual fest" includes a real-time component in 18 filmmaker Q&A sessions scheduled on all six days of Indy Shorts. If a ticketholder misses a Q&A session, the conversations are saved and made accessible on demand.

Names you may know

The roster of Indy Shorts films boasts high-profile actors, including:

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Indy Shorts film festival

  • WHEN: July 21-26.
  • HOW TO WATCH: All festival films are available for online streaming, and five compilations of Indy Shorts films will be screened at Tibbs Drive-In Theatre, 480 S. Tibbs Ave.
  • TICKETS: Compilations of streaming films are priced $7 each or $5 for Heartland members; drive-in screenings are priced $11 each or $9 for Heartland members; festival passes are priced $50 to $69 (with discounts for Heartland members).
  • INFO: Visit heartlandfilm.org.

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Contact IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at dave.lindquist@indystar.com or 317-444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.