heartland film festival awards

Crystal Heart Awards
The Crystal Heart Award is given every year to a selected group of independent filmmakers for demonstrating excellence in filmmaking and for best meeting Heartland's mission. Dramatic, documentary and animated films of any length are eligible for the Crystal Heart Award. The Crystal Heart Awards and cash prizes are presented at the annual Crystal Heart Awards Gala.

Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Awards
The Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award is given every year to a selected group of student filmmakers for demonstrating excellence in filmmaking and for best meeting Heartland's mission. Dramatic, documentary and animated films of any length made by a student of any age are eligible for the Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award. The Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Awards and cash prizes will be presented at the annual Crystal Heart Awards Gala. The Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Awards are underwritten by The Stewart Foundation.

$100,000 Grand Prize Award for Best Dramatic Feature
Introduced in 1999, the $100,000 Grand Prize Award for Best Dramatic Feature recognizes the most outstanding dramatic feature entry as determined by the judging panel. All award-winning dramatic feature films are eligible to win. The $100,000 Grand Prize Award for Best Dramatic Feature is announced and presented at the annual Crystal Heart Awards Gala. The Grand Prize Awardís cash prize is underwritten by The Joshua Max Simon Charitable Foundation.

$25,000 Award for Best Documentary Feature
Introduced in 2006, the $25,000 Award for Best Documentary Feature recognizes the most outstanding documentary feature entry as determined by the judging panel. All award-winning documentary feature films are eligible to win. The $25,000 Award for Best Documentary Feature is announced and presented at the annual Crystal Heart Awards Gala. This award is underwritten by Godby Family of Services.

$10,000 Vision Award for Best Short Film
Introduced in 2005, the $10,000 Vision Award for Best Short Film is given to one film each year. Underwritten by KeyBank, the award is designed to recognize an emerging filmmaker who shows vision in filmmaking. All Crystal Heart Award-winning dramatic, documentary and animated short films are eligible to win. The Vision Award is announced and presented at the annual Crystal Heart Awards Gala.

Audience Choice Awards
Introduced in 2005, the Audience Choice Awards are given every year to three films ñ one dramatic feature, one documentary feature and one short ñ that screening audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. All dramatic, documentary and short films are eligible for the Audience Choice Awards. The Audience Choice Awards are announced at the Closing Night Event during the annual Festival.

Pioneering Spirit Award
The Pioneering Spirit Award is given each year to an individual(s) for their creative spirit in filmmaking and his or her contribution to Heartland Film Festivalís mission. This award is presented at the annual Crystal Heart Awards Gala.