Heartland Film President to Retire

Craig Prater (photo courtesy of Heartland Film)

Heartland Film President Craig Prater has announced plans to retire. The Indianapolis-based nonprofit credits Prater, who joined the organization in 2016, with a variety of accomplishments, including founding the Indy Shorts International Film Festival, one of only a few to have Academy Award qualifications in all three short film categories.

The organization says Prater is responsible for creating Heartland Film’s Cultural Journey and establishing Heartland International Film Festival’s partnership with the International Federation of Film Critics.

Prater began his international film festival career as executive director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival in California, where he co-founded the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films and the Film Noir Festival. Prater was later recruited by the Royal Thai government to lead its Bangkok International Film Festival as executive director.

Heartland did not say precisely when Prater will step down or detail plans to find a successor.