Local talent spotlight Heartland Film Festival

CORNING - With stories celebrating local artistry from across two states not usually seen in film, a local film festival is back for round two.

The Iowa Nebraska Heartland Film Festival in its second year will arrive in Corning this weekend, featuring 35 selections from local filmmakers and subjects. Combining the talent of two midwest states, these screenings will showcase history and culture from America’s heartland.

These selections range from full-length feature films to documentary shorts, music videos and student projects, to mark a diverse lineup of options for festival attendees. Festivities start the evening of Friday, March 6, and continue throughout the day on Saturday, March 7.

Two venues will screen the selections within the Corning Opera House. While the auditorium will be used for mainly narrative features, those interested in documentaries about local subjects can find them in the conference room.

Director De Heaton, who heads the festival every year, spends months preparing for the event. In this year’s edition, which expands the connection between audience and filmmakers with additional workshops and Q&A sessions for selected projects, the event keeps growing.

“For the filmmakers, they really like watching their films,” Heaton said. “They love seeing the reactions from people.”

The unique opportunity for these filmmakers makes an event like the Heartland Film Festival that much more valuable. In an area where local opportunity can be slim for artists, the festival becomes that chance for expression.

Each film at the festival is made with an Iowa or Nebraska connection. Some films draw from growing up in the Midwest, others cover the history of their state. In-depth looks of local art and culture, underground movements now receiving a spotlight and students making their first foray behind the camera are all worthy of celebration.

One film, simply titled “Greenfield,” is a documentary showing the devastating effects of a 2024 tornado in the local city of Greenfield, a story which will be familiar for those in the Corning area and across Southwest Iowa.

Another, “Midnight Metro: A Fashion Story,” documents the underground fashion scene and yearly show on the DMACC campus in Ankeny. Capturing the anxieties and emotions from participating in the event, the doc effectively captures multiple perspectives of the scene.

And another, “Anna: Omaha’s Queen of the Underworld,” tells the story of Anna Wilson, who, in the 19th century, owned a brothel in Omaha and later donated her life savings to the city. The brothel would later become the Omaha Emergency Hospital.

After-parties following the evening screenings continue the festivities and offers the greatest chance for networking, as filmmakers have the opportunity with converse to their local peers. Friday’s party will be in the Opera House, and the Saturday event at the Primrose Restaurant.

From all cultures of Iowa and Nebraska, these films represent pride in each other. Awards will be presented at the end of the festival Saturday, but the opportunity to screen these films in a theatrical environment is important in and of itself.

Registration for the Friday films begins at 5 p.m. at the Corning Opera House. On Saturday, registration start early at 8:30 a.m. A full schedule of events can be found here.

For both days of the festival, a pass can be purchased for $25. For those with other time commitments, the schedule can be split. For all day on Saturday, attendees can buy a $20 pass. For either Friday evening or Saturday evening only, $7. For the day screenings on Saturday, $12.