Film Group Launches Brand
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAn Indianapolis-based film organization says new branding and funding will help propel future growth. Heartland Truly Moving Pictures, which runs the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, has changed its name to Heartland Film Inc. President Stuart Lowry says the new name will allow the group to deliver a simpler and more impactful message. The organization has also announced more than $1 million in funding to support efforts ranging from theater operations to a high school film competition.
May 16, 2014
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — Heartland Film, Inc. President Stuart Lowry has been on the job for five months, and his vision for the organization’s future is already becoming a reality. Under Lowry’s leadership, the 23-year-old Indianapolis-based nonprofit has been revitalized with a new name (previously Heartland Truly Moving Pictures, Inc.) and logo, staff, board members, high-impact events, and funders.
“As a founding board member, I vividly remember 23 years ago when the Heartland Film Festival was just an idea,” said Heartland Film Chairman of the Board Dan Johnson. “Seeing where we have gone, and where we continue to go, the board of directors is proud and excited to work with President Stuart Lowry to usher in the new era of Heartland Film.”
“As an arts organization that has been around for more than two decades, it is extremely important for Heartland Film to stay relevant, purposeful and forward-thinking,” explained Lowry. “Over the past few years — thanks in part to relocating our headquarters to Fountain Square and the expansion of the Heartland Film Roadshow screening series — our fan base has grown and diversified at an amazing rate. In 2013 our team organized the most successful and highest-attended Heartland Film Festival in the event’s 22-year history, and we have channeled that momentum into new strategic initiatives and branding. Heartland Film fans, volunteers, sponsors and funders — both old and new – can be proud of what the organization has become and where it’s heading.”
From Eight Syllables to Three: The New Heartland Film Brand
To represent the shift in the organization’s growth and expanded appeal, the new Heartland Film name and visual identity was created. While the mission to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film remains the same, the new brand allows for a simpler introduction to the organization and all its moving parts.
“People know about the Heartland Film Festival, but not so much about our parent organization or the extent of what we do all year round,” said Heartland Film Director of Marketing & PR Greg Sorvig. “Ever since we brought marketing and design in-house, we have been able to tell our story in a much more purposeful and impactful way. Our new brand is all about keeping it simple and accessible; the Heartland Film brand defines the organization that we have become, and puts us in a great position to grow our audience base and support for decades to come.”
More than $1.1 Million in Funding for 2014 and Beyond
Heartland Film, Inc. is proud to announce the following gifts for use starting in 2014 (as of May 16, 2014):
• $450,000 gift from the David and Betty Klapper Family Foundation to underwrite Heartland Film Festival special events
• $300,000 gift from Lilly Endowment to underwrite Heartland Film, Inc. operations
• $175,000 gift from Frank and Katrina Basile to underwrite the Heartland Basile Theatre and operations
• $90,000 gift from The Margot L. and Robert S. Eccles Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, to underwrite initiatives including the Summer Rewind mini-festival in Fountain Square
• $40,000 gift from Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Inc. to underwrite Heartland Film, Inc. operations
• $25,000 gift from The Boren Foundation, Inc. to underwrite the Heartland High School Film Competition
• $19,000 gift from the Indiana Arts Commission to underwrite Heartland Film, Inc. operations
• $15,000 gift from Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Inc. to underwrite Heartland Film Festival operations
• $10,000 gift from the Lacy Foundation to underwrite a film premiere event
• $10,000 gift from Bob and Alison Spoonmore to underwrite the Heartland High School Film Competition
• $7,000 gift from the Arts Council of Indianapolis to underwrite Heartland Film, Inc. operations
Summer Rewind: A Fountain Square Mini-Fest
The Heartland Film Roadshow travels all across Indiana to offer year-round screenings of select films that are entertaining but do much more than just entertain. Heartland Film is proud to announce an all-new annual mini-festival event: Summer Rewind, made possible by The Margot L. and Robert S. Eccles Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation.
Summer Rewind (June 26-28, 2014) will showcase some of the best Heartland Film Festival movies of the past in an abbreviated, three-day mini-festival format, giving moviegoers an opportunity to see an enlightening slate of independent films and to meet the filmmakers who crafted them. As an Academy Award-qualifying festival in the Narrative Short Films category, the Heartland Film Festival will open Summer Rewind with a program of short films that were Festival Award Winners at the Heartland Film Festival before they went on to receive Oscar® nominations and/or wins in their respective categories. The event will be followed by an after-party at The Hi-Fi, Fountain Square’s newest music venue.
WHAT: Heartland Film Festival Summer Rewind: A Fountain Square Mini-Fest, featuring 17 screenings of past Heartland Film Festival films over three days
WHEN: June 26-28, 2014
WHERE: Screening and event locations include the Heartland Basile Theatre (with all screenings presented by Frank and Katrina Basile), The Theatre at the Wheeler Arts Community and The Hi-Fi
WHO: Nine independent filmmakers from past Heartland Film Festivals will return to Indianapolis to discuss their films and the filmmaking process
Full schedule and tickets, along with other Heartland Film Roadshow programming, available at heartlandfilm.org.
Board Member and Staff Additions
Heartland Film, Inc. is proud to announce the addition of new/promoted staff members and board members:
• Board Member Christina Hale – Hale is a global communication strategist and community leader based in Indianapolis. Prior to her election to the Indiana House of Representatives, Hale served as an executive at Kiwanis International, where she led a team that focused on strengthening communities and improving the lives of children all over the world.
• Board Member Seth Maxwell – Founder & CEO of The Thirst Project, a nonprofit that has raised the funds for the construction of over 829 water projects in 11 countries, Maxwell has spoken internationally at over 300 schools, countless churches, and numerous conferences, including the TEDx Hollywood Youth Conference, the Nexus Global Youth Summit, and addressing the United Nations General Assembly. Maxwell was named to Forbes' “30 Under 30” in 2014, and has been honored with the Vh1 Do Something Award, and the Charles Jellinger Humanitarian in Entertainment Award from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
• Board Member David A. W. Wong – Wong is a partner with Barnes & Thornburg LLP where he is a member of the Intellectual Property Department and Chairman of the Internet and Technology Law Group. Wong’s practice focuses on Internet law, technology, media, intellectual property counseling, risk management, prosecution, policing, and enforcement. He regularly advises clients on commercial and intellectual property matters, such as trademark, copyright, defamation, trade dress, advertising, right of publicity, trade secret, and unfair competition issues.
• Development Director Kristi Barber, M.B.A. – Barber has previously held leadership positions with