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

Eleanore, a naive American woman, journeys to an artist farm commune in the south of France seeking solace from her loneliness. But without the ability to speak French, Eleanore struggles to connect with her new community. She is taken under the wing of Sophie, a choreographer and lead gardener at the castle. Eleanore grows romantic feelings for Sophie, whose confidence and charisma are what Eleanore longs for. When those feelings aren't reciprocated, Eleanore must face the ultimate purpose of her trip and come to terms with being alone. PLAISIR is a tender comedy of errors and a queer story of finding yourself in unrequited love.


Student Film: New York University, New York


In English, French, with English subtitles.


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


Film Contact:

Molly Gillis

mollyg1121@gmail.com

  • Year
    2020
  • Runtime
    19 minutes
  • Language
    English, French
  • Country
    United States
  • Rating
    Nudity
  • Note
    Narrative Short
  • Director
    Molly Gillis
  • Screenwriter
    Molly Gillis
  • Producer
    Tara Sheffer
  • Executive Producer
    Ashley Deckman
  • Cast
    Eleanore Pienta, Sophie Amieva, Alexandra Hollander
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