Eleven Days, Six Venues
The 35th Heartland Film Festival runs October 8 to 18, 2026 with 100 films, presented by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at The Square. Heartland Film marked 35 years and took first place in the 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice poll for best film festival.
The festival release lists six screening venues with their addresses. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at the Square is at 3898 Lafayette Rd and runs October 9 to 19. The Basile Theater at Indy Art Center is at 820 E 67th St and runs October 12 to 18. Kan-Kan Cinema is at 1258 Windsor St and runs October 15 to 19. Living Room Theaters is at 745 E 9th St Ste 810 and runs October 10 to 19. The Tobias Theater at Newfields is at 4000 N Michigan Rd and runs October 9, 11, 12, 15 and 19. The Scottish Rite Cathedral is at 650 N Meridian St and runs October 7 and 8.
Count the Nights First
The festival calendar is eleven days. A stay covering all of it is eleven nights: check in October 8 and check out October 19. A stay ending on the closing day is ten nights, October 8 to October 18. The difference is one paid night after the closing screenings.
October 10 is the middle Saturday and race day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indianapolis 8 Hour runs 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. behind gates open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Two audiences draw on the same Saturday night inventory. Book that night before the others and hold a cancellable rate while the rest of the dates move.
The Streaming Window Is the Split-Stay Lever
Heartland’s festival page states that many, but not all, festival films stream in the United States through October 19. The festival release lists the virtual window as October 8 at 12 p.m. EST to October 18 at 11:59 p.m. EST, restricted to the United States, with not all films included.
Build the film list first, mark the titles that need an audience in the room, and let those nights set the arrival and the departure. The streaming window covers the gaps.
Opening Night Runs a Waitlist
The 35th festival opens with the world premiere of “JIMMY,” the Jimmy Stewart biopic, at the Scottish Rite Cathedral on Thursday, October 8 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $25, and the opening-night page serves a waitlist form.
The festival preview screening of “First Five” runs Wednesday, October 7 at 7 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Cathedral at $25. A stay built around the opening weekend is the part of the eleven days to lock first.
What the Passes Cost
Single theater tickets read $13, virtual screenings $15, and premium events $10 to $20. The Theater 10-Pack is $120 and the Streaming 10-Pack is $140. The VIP Fest Pass is $220, or $176 for members, and carries one theater ticket plus streaming access to every available film. The Duo VIP Fest Pass is $430, or $344 for members, and carries two theater tickets plus streaming access. Heartland Film members receive an additional 20 percent off tickets and fest passes.
Fest passes and ticket packs exclude five premium events: opening night, the centerpiece screening, closing night, the kick-off party and the awards brunch.
The Published Lodging Benefit
The filmmaker toolkit states that filmmakers receive one complimentary hotel night, dependent on availability, arranged by email to sopsahl@heartlandfilm.org. Every other guest books through the properties themselves.
Base the Stay on the Downtown Cluster
The hotelhuddle directory carries 273 Indianapolis properties. Its downtown cluster, with published addresses, includes Marriott Indianapolis Downtown at 350 West Maryland Street, The Westin Indianapolis at 241 West Washington Street, Hyatt Place Indianapolis Downtown and Hyatt House Indianapolis / Downtown at 130 South Pennsylvania Street, Homewood Suites by Hilton Indianapolis-Downtown at 201 South Meridian Street, Hampton Inn Indianapolis Dwtn across from Circle Centre at 105 S. Meridian Street, Embassy Suites by Hilton Indianapolis - Downtown at 110 West Washington Street, Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown at 108 North Pennsylvania Street, Courtyard Indianapolis Downtown and SpringHill Suites Indianapolis Downtown at 601 West Washington Street, Residence Inn by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown on the Canal at 350 W New York Street, Omni Severin Hotel at 40 West Jackson Place, and Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel at 31 West Ohio Street.
Six venues across the city mean one base leaves part of the line-up a drive away. Confirm each venue address in the festival guidebook before the base is chosen.
How to Ask for the Rooms
hotelhuddle.com sends one request to 50 or more hotels in a destination at no charge. The platform states that hotels reply within 24 to 72 hours, that its network covers 103,857 hotels across 46 states, and that hotels pay the platform a commission while the rate carries no markup.
Give each property the exact nights. Name the arrival, the departure and the room count, ask for the cancellation deadline in writing, and ask what a shortened stay would cost if the film list changes. All festival venues are ADA-accessible and accessibility questions go to the boxoffice@heartlandfilm.org.