Indiana nonprofits partner to offer local filmmaking grants

Hoodox, Indiana Humanities, Heartland Film, and Free Press Indiana announced a new film program to support Indiana filmmakers in producing short, uplifting stories of Hoosiers working to connect, strengthen, and celebrate their communities.

LIFT will offer $5,000 grants to five filmmakers to create high-quality short films that feature stories of Hoosiers who have a vision for how to strengthen their communities.

“It’s $5,000 each for five films under five minutes each,” said Rocky Walls, co-founder and executive director of Hoodox. “We believe stories have the power to transform our lives and communities, and we hope this program will help elevate Hoosier stories and raise the spirit of Indiana.”

If selected, filmmakers or filmmaking teams have two months (April 15-June 15) to complete their films. In addition to financial support, LIFT partner organizations will provide mentorship opportunities throughout the process.

“The goal of LIFT is to provide a strong foundation for filmmakers as they undertake the important job of telling Hoosiers’ stories,” said Megan Telligman, director of programs at Indiana Humanities. “It’s meant to be an all-encompassing program that supports the ideation, production, distribution, and amplification of each film from the ground up.”

LIFT invites stories that center on a single Hoosier or small group whose actions, perspective, or presence meaningfully contribute to their community. The story does not have to be dramatic or heroic; it could simply reveal something genuine and illuminating about how people strengthen, support, or uplift one another in Indiana.

The final films will premiere at Heartland Film’s Indy Shorts Film Festival in July 2026 and will be shared online via a media partnership with Free Press Indiana.

Applications are due on March 15 at 11:59pm EST. Visit the LIFT website at LIFTIndiana.com for in-depth guidelines, application instructions, and more. For more information, email rocky@watchhoodox.com.