The past year has been a tumultuous one for the entire world. Organizers of the yearly Best of the Fest film event wanted to reflect that.
Moviegoers will have a chance to see the COVID-19 pandemic from its epicenter in Wuhan, China, in the acclaimed documentary “76 Days.” They’ll celebrate Black culture in “River City Drumbeat,” about the members of a drum corps based in Louisville, Kentucky.
Soar with the fearless talents behind some of our favorite action movies in “Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story” and explore creativity in “Molto Bella.”
Best of the Fest — a showcase of some of the Heartland International Film Festival’s most dramatic, humorous and moving pieces from 2020 — is back again in partnership with the Historic Artcraft Theatre.
Like most big events over the past year, the showcase has moved to an all-digital format. But even though people won’t physically be sitting in the Artcraft’s retro-cool theater, the Franklin institution has worked together with Heartland Film to give participants access to special features, live question-and-answer sessions and prerecorded messages to make it the most unique Best of the Fest ever.
“It’s such a big thing for us to have that partnership, and I think our audience has grown to expect it — some form of their festival at our theater,” said Dave Windisch, marketing director for Franklin Heritage, which operates and owns the Artcraft. “To at least have some way of making this happen, it’s a really big sigh of relief. Sure, it’s a little bit different, but it’s also that normalcy that we’ve been looking for, too.”
The Artcraft has been teaming up with Heartland Film for the past eight years to host Best of the Fest. The event was born out of Heartland Film’s desire to be more visible throughout the year all over the state of Indiana. While their Heartland International Film Festival is the centerpiece of their efforts, the event only enters the spotlight once a year. So organizers started planning more year-round activities.
That included hosting individual film events at theaters throughout Indiana. Since they started that program, the Artcraft has been one of the organization’s favorite stops, and has become one of the popular events on the Franklin theater’s yearly schedule, Windisch said.
Even in the face of the pandemic, both sides wanted to be sure the event carried on in some way.
“This year, we had to reevaluate everything. I think the Artcraft has been very resilient in changing to the different safety protocols, the community has supported them, they’ve done some amazing things with their sponsorship event and selling concessions,” said Greg Sorvig, artistic director for Heartland Film. “Being dear friends and doing this for seven years prior to this year, we really wanted to figure out things.”
Artcraft leaders worked with the staff of Heartland Film to choose a variety of films for Best of the Fest. They typically include documentaries, as well as narrative features, both comedies and dramas. Past selections have had Indiana ties, such as documentaries on Eva Kor and the USS Indianapolis, and a feature shot at Broad Ripple High School.
This year’s slate features a diverse grouping of films that organizers felt would entertain while generating thoughtful discussion as well.
“We like a variety of subjects, films that played well, films that people asked about after the fact. All of these fit that bill in a different way,” Sorvig said.
“76 Days” is set in the early days of COVID-19 outbreak, with the documentary captures the struggles and human resilience in the battle to survive the pandemic in Wuhan, China. The film was on the shortlist for best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards.
In “Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story,” the heroic and talented women behind the scenes of the best action movies share their experience in the male-dominated field. Director April Wright also created a film called “Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie,” and attended a screening of the film at the Artcraft during the 2019 Heartland International Film Festival.
“She’s an alumni of Heartland events at the Artcraft,” Sorvig said. “When we asked her if she wanted to a part of this, April loved this initiative and wanted to do it.”
“Molto Bella” is the lone feature film, which tells the story of an aspiring poet in search of inspiration who meets an established folk singer trying to write a follow-up to her breakout hit. The movie was filmed and set in the Sicilian town of Taormina, with breathtaking views and scenery.
Finally, “River City Drumbeat” is an immersive story of music, love and legacies, told by the members of a Black drum corps community in Louisville, Kentucky.
“It’s another inspiring story about a program that really helps kids in the Louisville area focus on something positive,” Sorvig said.
In addition, Heartland Film staff filmed a behind-the-scenes video with Rob Shilts, executive director of Franklin Heritage. That allowed Shilts to take viewers through the history of the theater, some of its beloved traditions and why it’s such an important part of downtown Franklin.
“The Artcraft, being almost 100 years old, is a national treasure. It’s an experience all in itself. We thought, let’s still support this organization and try to give people a sneak peek into the Artcraft and learn more about it through this event,” Sorvig said.
Each film screening is $12, and includes a live Q&A with the filmmakers that created them. The digital screenings can be watched any time from midnight Friday through March 28. Proceeds from Best of the Fest will be split between Heartland Film, the Artcraft and the participating filmmakers.
With the event being virtual, organizers hope that it pulls in an audience from around the country, not just in central Indiana.
“Since anyone from around the country can view the films, we might have greater awareness of the Artcraft Theatre,” Sorvig said. “We’re really excited about that.”
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Best of the Fest
What: A virtual mini-film event including four of the best films during the 2019 Heartland International Film Festival
When: Friday through March 28
Who: Heartland Film and the Historic Artcraft Theatre
Films:
"76 Days" — Set in the early days of COVID-19 outbreak. This raw intimate documentary captures the struggles and human resilience in the battle to survive the pandemic in Wuhan, China.
"Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story" — The inspiring untold story of the heroic and talented women behind the scenes of our favorite movies.
"Molto Bella" — An aspiring poet in search of inspiration meets an established folk singer trying to write a follow-up to her breakout hit. Filmed and set in the Sicilian town of Taormina.
"River City Drumbeat" — A powerful, immersive story of music, love and legacies, told by the members of a Black drum corps community in Louisville, Kentucky.
Films can be watched any time between Friday and March 28, and live filmmaker Q&As are also featured. A bonus video with Franklin Heritage executive director Rob Shilts is also available.
Tickets: Each screening is $12
How to buy tickets: Go to https://watch.eventive.org/heartlandfilm
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