Eleven Days on One Published Programme
The 35th Heartland Film Festival runs 8-18 October 2026 at venues across Indianapolis. The organiser publishes more than 100 independent films for the run. The online schedule lists 259 dated entries across the eleven days, read on 23 September 2026.
The load is uneven. Thursday 8 October carries one entry, the opening night. Saturday 17 October carries 38. Monday 12 October carries 19, Tuesday 13 October 23, Wednesday 14 October 19 and Thursday 15 October 23.
Weeknights Are the Rotation Window
135 of the 259 entries start at 5 p.m. or later. On the four weeknights that is 49 entries: 13 on Monday 12 October, 12 on Tuesday 13 October, 13 on Wednesday 14 October and 11 on Thursday 15 October.
An after-work block exists on every one of those days. The earliest published start is 1:30 p.m. on Monday, 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, 2 p.m. on Wednesday and noon on Thursday.
Give each person one weeknight and one weekend block. The team's coverage adds up across eleven days while each individual stays inside a normal week.
Passes, and the Rule That Shapes a Rota
Four passes are published: the VIP Fest Pass at $220 ($176 for members), the Duo Fest Pass at $430 ($344), the Theater 10-Pack at $120 ($96) and the Streaming 10-Pack at $140 ($112). Member pricing takes 20 per cent off.
Every pass must be redeemed for individual tickets to hold a seat. If a passholder is not scanned into a screening by the start time, the organiser states it may treat admission as forfeited and reissue the ticket. A rotating team claims each screening in advance, on the day the rota is set.
Fest Passes and Ticket Packs exclude Premium Events. The premium slate sells on its own tickets.
What a Rotating Group Costs
Six Theater 10-Packs cost $720 and cover 60 theatre screenings, or $576 at member pricing. Six VIP Fest Passes cost $1,320, or $1,056 at member pricing.
The Kick-Off Party runs Friday 9 October from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Living Room Theaters Bar & Lounge, 745 E. 9th Street, Suite 810. General admission is $15 and includes one drink ticket and complimentary appetisers. Six places cost $90.
The Awards Brunch runs Sunday 18 October from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Tinker House Events. General admission is $15, and six places cost $90. The organiser states that more than $60,000 in cash prizes is awarded across the festival, with $20,000 for each of the narrative and documentary grand prizes.
For a party travelling in, six visitors over three nights is three doubles for three nights, or nine room-nights. At a labelled example rate of $200 a room a night that is $1,800, or $1,530 at 15 per cent off, or $1,080 at 40 per cent off.
Dates the Team May Want First
Opening Night: JIMMY showed as sold out on 23 September. The Centerpiece Screening of Wild Horse Nine runs Wednesday 14 October at 7 p.m. at Newfields. The PitchDox Main Event runs Saturday 17 October at 4 p.m., where five documentary teams pitch for $40,000 in awards, including a $15,000 grand prize and a $10,000 audience choice award.
Will Poulter receives the Pioneering Spirit Award and attends the Union County screening on Saturday 17 October and the Awards Brunch.
Keeping the Trip Inside a Travel Policy
A local team needs no rooms and no flights. The programme runs through afternoons and evenings on every day of the run, so a rotating rota covers it.
An out-of-town team needs rooms only for the nights it attends, and many films stream in the United States through Monday 19 October. A mixed team can cut room nights without cutting films.
The six venues are Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at the Square, 3898 Lafayette Road; Indy Art Center, 820 E 67th Street; Kan-Kan Cinema, 1258 Windsor Street; Living Room Theaters, 745 E 9th Street, Suite 810; Newfields, 4000 N Michigan Road; and the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 650 N Meridian Street. All festival venues are cashless and take credit cards only. All are ADA-accessible, and accessibility questions go to boxoffice@heartlandfilm.org.
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