Indy Shorts Will Showcase Andy Serkis, Djimon Hounsou, and Others

      The 9th Annual Academy Award-qualifying Indy Shorts Film Festival will showcase films featuring Andy Serkis, Cameron Monaghan, Djimon Hounsou, Naomie Harris, Tatiana Maslany, Ben Mendelsohn, and many others, as announced on Thursday.

      Films starring Christopher Eccleston, Lamorne Morris, Ann Dowd, Janeane Garofalo, and Tony Cavalero will also be included.

      Indy Shorts will recognize Oscar winner Sam Davis with its Pioneering Spirit Award for his film “The Singers,” which won at last year's festival. This festival, deemed one of the 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee and among the 25 Coolest Film Festivals, will present 266 short films across 40 programs from July 21-26 in Indianapolis.

      Screenings will take place at the Indy Art Center, Living Room Theaters, and Newfields. Additionally, many short films will be available for online streaming.

      The festival, following the candy theme of Shorts & Sweets, will feature short films from 46 countries, including 36 World Premieres, 32 U.S. Premieres, and 117 Midwest Premieres. There will also be three Indiana Spotlight programs showcasing 21 short films connected to Indiana. In total, over 250 filmmakers are expected to attend Indy Shorts for filmmaker Q&A sessions.

      Tickets and Festival Passes are currently available for purchase at www.IndyShorts.org.

      “We're extremely proud of the momentum Indy Shorts continues to generate each year,” remarked Heartland Film Artistic Director Greg Sorvig. “Last year, our films received more Oscar nominations than any other festival organization — a testament to the exceptional storytellers who entrust us with their work.

      “This year's lineup upholds that tradition, presenting bold and innovative voices from around the globe. We are particularly excited to welcome back Sam Davis, whose film ‘The Singers’ was our Oscar-qualifying Narrative Grand Prize Winner last year, as this year’s Pioneering Spirit Award honoree. It's artists like Sam who exemplify the creativity, courage, and innovation that characterize Indy Shorts. We are eager to share this year's remarkable selection with our community.”

      Serkis is featured in “Pigeons,” Hounsou in “Calabash,” Harris in “Swim Sistas,” Maslany in “How Brief,” Monaghan in “Hello, Dad!,” Mendelsohn in “Falling Short,” Eccleston in “Signal,” Morris in “Scratch,” Dowd in “Undelivered,” Garofalo in “My Bird is Sick,” and Cavalero stars in two U.S. Premiere films, “American Rampage” and “Please and Thank You.”

      Indy Shorts is one of only 47 film festivals globally recognized as an Academy Award qualifier for all three short film categories: Live Action, Documentary, and Animated. Grand Prize winners at Indy Shorts in each category receive Oscar qualification and a $5,000 cash prize.

      Further information is available at Indy Shorts.

      Main image: Sam Davis receiving the Narrative Grand Prize Award at last year's Indy Shorts. Courtesy of Heartland Film.