Bobby and Kevin Downes, producers of the Official Selection Dramatic Feature Like Dandelion Dust, first heard about author Karen Kingsbury’s work through their wives, who heard Karen speak at a women’s retreat.

Their wives pushed them to make a movie based on one of Karen’s novels and they eventually decided on Like Dandelion Dust. Karen has written 40 novels and has sold around 15 million copies of her books!

Bobby and Kevin, introducing the film at one of the screenings earlier in the week, said they are hoping to release the film nationally in either March or September of 2010 and are hoping to adapt more of Karen’s novels for the big screen in the future!

Did you know that Mark St. Germain, director of My Dog, asked people he knew to be in his film about celebrities and their dogs? The film features segments with stars like Richard Gere, Glenn Close and Greg Louganis talking about their relationships with their dogs.

Mark St. Germain, in a Q&A session conducted by cell phone with Jeff Sparks after yesterday’s screening, said that he was also a contributing writer for this year’s Opening Night Event film Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (which just happened to feature Richard Gere!)

My Name is Jerry is one of the only feature length films to be entirely funded by a university. It took director Morgan Mead two years to convince Ball State University to fund the film, but once it got going they shot the film in only 21 days!

They bought in only a couple of professionals from the movie industry for the filming. A crew of about 60 students filled out the rest of the production staff. They had to go through a two week boot camp prior to filming!

Morgan, alongside story-creator Andrew Janoch, created the film as a showcase for actor Doug Jones. They wanted to develop a role and a film to showcase his actual face (Doug has appeared in most of his films under heavy plastic makeup, such as when he played The Silver Surfer in F4: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Abe Sapien in Hellboy and Hellyboy 2: The Golden Army.) Doug has stated that he is eternally grateful to Morgan for the opportunity!

At the Heartland Film Institute Seminar on Monday Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza spoke about the difficulties and advantages of co-directing a film. The pair co-wrote and co-directed the Crystal Heart Award-winning Dramatic Feature Entre Nos.

According to Paola, co-directing a film takes more time than directing one on your own.  The key is to keep communication open between the co-directors to ensure that they aren’t giving contradictory information to the actors and crew.

Gloria stressed how important it is to make certain that both co-directors are focused on the project and not let the difficulties become personal. This is especially important during disagreements regarding the film; it is paramount to think “what’s best for the project” and not let one’s ego interfere.

Did you know?

Gregg Helvey, the producer/director/writer of Kavi, discovered while researching his film that there is more slavery today than there was during the 400 years of the slave trade. He hopes his film will shed light on such a troubling topic.

You might not have realized it, but Side by Side, director Christian Sønderby Jepsen Crystal Heart Award-winning short film, actually is a documentary. Christian’s father and their neighbor had really not spoken to each other for fifteen years!

Both of these shorts, as well as Small Collection and Vision Award for Best Short Film winner Bicycle (Jitensha) are playing in CHA Shorts Collection #2 throughout the week! Be sure to catch them and the rest of the short film programs!

Gabriel Noble, director of Best Documentary Feature Award-winner P-Star Rising, followed Priscilla (P-Star) Diaz and her father Jesse for four years as she rose to stardom. Did he get a chance to have a personal life at the same time, or even work on other projects?

As Gabriel mentioned at the Filmmakers’ Brunch on Sunday morning, not only did he manage to complete the film, he also got married, had a baby, and even made another documentary, Autumn’s Eyes, which he co-directed with Paola Mendoza, herself a Crystal Heart Award-winning for this year’s Entre Nos!

Awards and $200,000 in cash prizes were presented to 17 films. Heartland announced Welcome by Director Philippe Lioret as the $100,000 Grand Prize Award Winner for Best Dramatic Feature; P-Star Rising by Director Gabriel Noble as the winner of the $25,000 Award for Best Documentary Feature and Bicycle (Jitensha) by Director Dean Yamada as the winner of the $10,000 Vision Award for Best Short Film.

Award-winning Extra correspondent and Indianapolis-native Carlos Diaz emceed the glamorous awards ceremony. Special guests Greg Paul (Trustee of The Stewart Foundation and President of Castle Rock Entertainment) and Don Hahn (Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Waking Sleeping Beauty) presented awards. Co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios and president of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, Dr. Ed Catmull, was honored with the Pioneering Spirit Award for his creative spirit in filmmaking and his contribution to Heartland’s mission.

During the program, Heartland honored 17 dramatic and documentary short and feature-length films. Two student films received Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Awards and 15 films were honored with Crystal Heart Awards. These films were selected from more than 600 international film submissions for best meeting Heartland’s mission and demonstrating excellence in filmmaking.

Additional highlights included Heartland recognizing recipients of the prestigious Truly Moving Picture Award, which is bestowed upon theatrically released films that uphold the values of Heartland. Also, three-time GRAMMY® Award-winner and producer of the Official Selection documentary feature, Kabul 24, Michael W. Smith was in attendance and performed a song from his instrumental album.

Also, filmmakers and stars from the following Official Selection films were in attendance: A Shine of Rainbows, Americana, Another Harvest Moon, Beauty, Being Bucky, Facing Extinction: Christians in Iraq, Fifty Cents, JesusFreaks, Kabul 24, Like Dandelion Dust, Mandie and the Secret Tunnel, The Mighty Macs, My Name is Jerry, Pearl, Quest for Honor and She’s a Fox.

All of the Crystal Heart Award-winning films and Official Selections will be playing all week at AMC Castleton Square 14 and AMC Greenwood Park 14. For full listings check out the Festival guide online.

Fans and filmmakers alike are arriving at The Murat Centre dressed to the gills.  The black tie event will commence with a reception and dinner, and then move on to the awarding of the Crystal Heart Awards for the Short Films.  Then, at 8:00 p.m., the Awards Ceremony will continue with the presentation of the Crystal Heart Awards for the Dramatic Features and Documentary Features, followed by the Best Dramatic Feature  and Best Documentary Feature awards!

Tune in to our live webcast starting at 7:00 p.m. for the Short Film awards. We will take a thirty minute break from 7:30 to 8:00 before continuing the live stream. Join us live by clicking here!

Follow us on Twitter for live updates from the Awards Ceremony!

We’re about halfway through the first full day of screenings! Many of the screenings are being followed by question and answer sessions with the filmmakers.  The collections of Short Films are always popular, considering that you can talk to three or four filmmakers afterward, instead of one! So far Shorts Collection #2 has screened, and was followed by a thorough Q&A session with Dean Yamada (director, Bicycle (Jitensha)), Christian Sonderby Jepsen (director, Side by Side), Jeremiah Crowell (director, Small Collection), and Chris Witt (editor, Kavi.)

The Shorts Collection #1 will screen shortly, with appearances by Melody George (director, Marbles With Thoreau), Irene Taylor Brodsky (The Final Inch), and Daniel Harrich (producer, Acholiland). Irene is no stranger to Heartland; her Crystal Heart Award-winning Documentary Feature Hear and Now won the Best Documentary Feature award and will be on DVD starting next week! There’s still time to make it; come and join us for the Crystal Heart Award-winning shorts!

Filmmakers from the Dramatic Features scheduled to attend include:
- Renè Bo Hansen (director) of The Eagle Hunter’s Son
- Gloria La Morte (co-director and co-writer) and Paola Mendoza (co-director, co-writer, and star) of Entre Nos
- Zvi Spielmann (producer) of For My Father
- Omri Givon (director and writer) and Eldad Prives (star) of Seven Minutes in Heaven
- Philippe Lioret (director) of Welcome

Filmmakers from the Documentary Features scheduled to attend include:
- Hilla Medalia (director) and James Lecesne (producer and featured individual) of After the Storm
- Dag Hoel (producer), Håvard Bustnes (director) and Ole Klemetsen (featured individual) of Big John
- Gabriel Noble (director), Priscilla (P-Star) Diaz and Jesse Diaz (featured individuals) of P-Star Rising
- Eureka and Sdudla Sibiya (featured individuals) of Rough Aunties
- Greg Barker (producer/director) of Sergio

Last night the Omni Severin Hotel played host to a variety of Heartland Film Festival staff and board members, sponsors, volunteers, producers, directors, writers, and stars of this year’s films. Tomorrow is the first day of screenings at AMC Castleton Square 14 and all of the Crystal Heart Award-winning filmmakers will be on hand for Q&A sessions after their films.

Jeremiah Crowell

Some of the filmmakers in attendance last night included Jeremiah Crowell, producer, director and writer of the Crystal Heart Award-winning short film Small Collection. Jeremiah will be involved in the Crystal Heart Awards Ceremony on Saturday, October 17 as well as the Filmmakers’ Brunch on Sunday morning.

Melody George

Melody George, producer, director and writer of the Crystal Heart Award-winning short Marbles With Thoreau is at the Festival for the World Premiere of her film. You will be able to talk to her at the Filmmakers’ Brunch, and she will be on the panel for the Heartland Film Institute Seminar on Monday, October 19. In addition, she will be at the Crystal Heart Awards Ceremony.

Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza

Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza were also in attendance last night. They are at the Festival supporting their Crystal Heart Award-winning Dramatic Feature Entre Nos. Paola and Gloria co-directed and co-wrote the film, while Paola also starred in it. Both of them will be in attendance for the Filmmakers’ Brunch and the Heartland Film Institute Seminar, as well as the Crystal Heart Awards Ceremony.

Omri Givon

Fresh from Tel Aviv, Israel, Eldad Prives and Omri Givon were at the reception. Omri directed and wrote the Crystal Heart Award-winning Dramatic Feature Seven Minutes in Heaven, in which Eldad starred. They will also be at the Filmmakers’ Brunch, the Heartland Film Institute Seminar, and the Crystal Heart Awards Ceremony.

Hilla Medalia

Hilla Medalia, also from Tel Aviv and New York City, was present. She is the producer, director and writer of the Crystal Heart Award-winning Documentary Feature After the Storm, about a group of Broadway actors staging a musical in post-Katrina New Orleans. She will be at the Crystal Heart Awards Ceremony, and you will get a chance to talk to her at the Filmmakers’ Brunch.

Acholiland

Daniel Harrich, producer of the Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award-winning Student Dramatic Short Acholiland which is about a small band of U.N. aid workers delivering food in Ugandan villages, was also in attendance.  He will also be here for the Crystal Heart Awards Ceremony.

Vicki Shigekuni Wong

This evening’s Opening Night Event feature film and recent Truly Moving Picture Award winner, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, was represented by producer Vicki Shigekuni Wong. Starring Richard Gere, Joan Allen and Jason Alexander, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale is based on a true story about a college professor’s bond with an abandoned dog.

We hope that the Festival will be a great experience for all of the filmmakers, and hope that it will change their lives in positive ways. Another filmmaker, Frank Kelly, a 2006 Crystal Heart Award-winner for his short film Emily’s Song, found that his life was dramatically changed by the Heartland Film Festival. Click here to read what he has to say about his wonderful experience with the Festival.