Indy Shorts Film Festival 2021

Award Winners

Expired July 26, 2021 3:59 AM
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16 films in package
Like the Ones I Used to Know
Christmas 1983. Julie and her cousins ate too much sugar, Santa is late. Denis is anxious at the idea of picking up his children at his ex-in-law’s.
Your Street
How do we commemorate the victims of history whose stories trigger pain and guilt?
Homebird
Struggling to make it in a big city, a young artist finds herself retreating into the rose-tinted memories of the village she left behind.
Cutters
The Cutters Cycling Team has one of the greatest legacies in intramural sports. Inspired by an 1970s film and sponsored by national brands, the IU students who compete with the team show the utmost dedication and passion for their craft.
Close Ties to Home Country
Millennial immigrant Akanksha waits for her sister’s visit from India (they haven’t seen each other in nine years!) Meanwhile, she’s dogsitting the fancy Frenchie of Instagram influencers India and Harry, who themselves are on a trip to India’s namesake.
A Concerto is a Conversation
A virtuoso jazz pianist and film composer tracks his family's lineage through his 91-year-old grandfather from Jim Crow Florida to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Sophie and Jacob
Inspired by the true story of how my great-grandparents met and fell in love as refugees from the holocaust, Sophie and Jacob is a personal testimony of the bonds of love found in a time of unimaginable suffering.
The Thing That Ate The Birds
On the North Yorkshire Moors, Abel, Head Gamekeeper, discovers the thing that is eating his grouse.
Closed captions available
Bruiser
After his father gets into a fight at a bowling alley, Darious begins to investigate the limitations of his own manhood.
Closed captions available
Plaisir
A lonely American faces unrequited love on a farm commune in the south of France.
Seahorse
Against the prosaic background of a swimming course, a young Yezidi wrestles quietly with her fearsome memories of the Mediterranean Sea.
Closed captions available
Love Is Just A Death Away
A tender story about finding love even amid utter decay.
MTXE: Mental Toughness Xtra Effort
A portrait of two Indianapolis High School wrestlers, who face incredible challenges beyond the mat.
Beth
The true story of an escapee from a Victorian Asylum who returns home to find the family she meets isn’t who she hoped for.
Closed captions available
5 Years from Water
Upon retirement, Mike Danesi's dream was to build a boat to sail across the ocean. 19 years later he's still working on it, though he believes he's only 5 years away from fulfilling his dream.
Closed captions available
No Human Being is Illegal
Juan Constantino is a Dreamer who witnessed the struggles of achieving the American dream. Now he gives back to a new generation of immigrants in the revitalized Indiana city of South Bend.

Experience all of the Indy Shorts 2021 Award Winners as chosen by the juries!


*Note: There are no Audience Choice ballots for this program. Audience Choice winners will be announced after the festival concludes.


The Winners


Grand Prize for Narrative Short / Oscar Qualification ($5,000)

  • Like the Ones I Used to Know


Grand Prize for Documentary Short / Oscar Qualification ($5,000)

  • Your Street


Grand Prize for Animated Short / Oscar Qualification ($5,000)

  • Homebird


Indiana Spotlight Award ($1,500)

  • Cutters


Comedy Award ($1,000)

  • Close Ties to Home Country


Jenni Berebitsky Legacy Award ($1,800)

  • A Concerto is a Conversation


Summer White Lynch Memorial Award (High School Film Competition Grand Prize, $2,000)

  • Sophie and Jacob


Heartland Horror Award ($1,000)

  • The Thing That Ate the Birds


Directorial Debut Award ($1,000)

  • Bruiser


Narrative Student Short Award ($1,000)

  • Plaisir


Documentary Student Short Award ($1,000)

  • Seahorse


Animated Student Short Award ($1,000)

  • Love is Just a Death Away


Indiana Spotlight Student Short Award ($1,000)

  • MTXE: Mental Toughness Xtra Effort


High School Film Competition Narrative Winner ($500)

  • Beth


High School Film Competition Documentary Winner ($500)

  • 5 Years from Water


High School Film Competition Animated Winner ($500)

  • Sophie and Jacob


High School Film Competition Indiana Winner ($500)

  • No Human Being Is Illegal

Akanksha, a young immigrant (“originally from India but actually grew up in Saudi Arabia”) is dogsitting Timothee, the baby Frenchie of Instagram influencers India and Harry while they’re on a trip to India. Akanksha’s sister is scheduled to visit her soon—they haven’t seen each other in nine years. While she waits, Akanksha bonds with Timothee, enjoys the spoils of white money, has her friend Sophia over to engage in judgy hijinks, and muses over why she stays away from her home country.


Student Film: Columbia College Chicago, Illinois


Programming descriptions are generated by participants and are edited for length and clarity, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Heartland Film.

  • Year
    2021
  • Runtime
    15 minutes
  • Language
    English, Hindi
  • Country
    United States
  • Rating
    Strong Language
  • Note
    Narrative Short
  • Director
    Akanksha Cruczynski
  • Screenwriter
    Akanksha Cruczynski
  • Producer
    Felicia Ferrara
  • Executive Producer
    Akanksha Cruczynski, Felicia Ferrara
  • Cast
    Akanksha Cruczynski, Bisou, Sophia Rafiqi, Cassie Kramer, Simon Hedger
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