Home Ties: Five Movies Filmed in Indiana
With the Heartland Film Festival starting this weekend, you might be in a movie state of mind. Whether you’re excited for a flashy premiere at the IMA or binging on short art-house films at various locations around Indianapolis, or you’re enthusiastic but just not entirely sure what to do, there are tons of ways to join in this annual celebration of cinematic art.
This year, Heartland is celebrating local film in its own way by giving out the Indiana Spotlight Award, a $5,000 reward that goes to the best film by a Hoosier. To celebrate the small but proud history of movies filmed in Indiana, here are five films with local roots:
The Judge
This weekend, you get to be the judge and jury. Give our film a shot and tell me what you thought. XRDJ #TheJudge pic.twitter.com/xEwe6YO7zX
— Robert Downey Jr (@RobertDowneyJr) October 10, 2014
Filmed in:
Jackson County, Indiana
Though set in fictional Carlinville, Indiana, this award-winning movie was primarily filmed in Massachusetts. Only one location in Indiana was used in filming—Jackson County. We’ll forgive Robert Downey Jr. for his non-Hoosier trespasses and reminisce about the time we were pleasantly surprised by his appearance when the film was previewed at the Heartland Film Festival in 2014.
A League of Their Own
Filmed in:
Huntingburg
Evansville
New Harmony
“There’s no crying in baseball!”
Archived as a culturally significant film in the National Film Registry, this Tom Hanks classic from 1992 was filmed largely in southern Indiana. We dare you not to quote this movie.
Your Catfish Friend
Your Catfish Friend Preview from Kurt Lee Nettleton on Vimeo.
Filmed in:
iMOCA, Fountain Square, Indianapolis
If short documentaries are more your speed than features, check out this film by Kurt Lee Nettleton at the Heartland Film Festival this week. Featuring Fountain Square artist Philip Campbell, the short explores his journey as he spends more than a year creating a hand-carved catfish on a wall at iMOCA. Indianapolis heritage runs strong in this piece, which is one of the contestants for the Indiana Spotlight Award.
Nightmare on Elm Street
Filmed in:
Gary
If Halloween slashers suit you more than indie film, you’ll be happy to know that the 2011 Nightmare on Elm Street remake from Michael Bay did some shooting in Gary.
Considering the city’s run-down architecture, it’s not surprising that some of the locations in Gary are havens for films that feature mayhem, horror, and scenes where things explode. If you need any clue, Michael Bay also filmed parts of Pearl Harbor and Transformers: Dark of the Moon in Gary.
Hoosiers
Filmed in:
New Richmond
Indianapolis
Amo
Boone County
Elizaville
Hendricks County
Terhune
Montgomery County
Brownsburg
Danville
Knightstown
Lebanon
Nineveh
You didn’t think we’d leave out this Indiana classic, did you?
Filmed primarily in Hickory—oops, we mean New Richmond—this underdog sports story is a classic. After receiving two nominations for an Academy Award (for best score and best supporting actor) and being considered one of the greatest sports films of all time by the American Film Institute, we think it has earned that right.
Also, did you hear? The Pacers are going to be wearing Hickory-inspired jerseys for ten games this year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film. If you weren’t excited before, you should be now.
