Awards
Its awards include the Crystal Heart Award, for independent filmmakers, and the James Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award, for student filmmakers. Films winning either award (several of each are awarded each year) are screened during the festival, in addition to other films. The festival began awarding a Grand Prize for Best Dramatic Feature in 1999. In 2005, the festival instituted Audience Choice Awards: one each for dramatic feature, documentary feature, and short. Heartland also introduced the Vision Award for best short film that year. In 2006, the festival introduced "official selection" films in addition to the Crystal Heart Award winners. These films were considered, but did not win a Crystal Heart Award. They are considered worthy of screening at the festival and are eligible for the Audience Choice awards. An award for Best Documentary Feature was also introduced in 2006.
Heartland Truly Moving Pictures (the parent company of the Heartland Film Festival) also recognizes theatrically released films throughout the year through the Truly Moving Picture Award. program. This program is separate from the Heartland Film Festival and only considers films that receive a wide theatrical release in the United States. Truly Moving Picture award winners are often previewed at the Heartland Film Festival as a sidebar if they are available.
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