Heartland Film International Film Festival Artistic Director Greg Sorvig always keeps a close eye on the Academy Awards.
This year, he will be watching the March 12 telecast even closer.
Sorvig said 12 films screened and honored by Heartland Film in 2022 earned a combined 39 Oscar nominations, the most ever for Heartland.
Sorvig, a Carmel resident, will be keeping a special watch as he touted Brendan Fraser as Best Actor candidate before “The Whale” was shown on Heartland Film’s closing night. Fraser, who was born in Indianapolis but moved as an infant, visited Heartland Festival in 2019 on the 20th anniversary of “The Mummy.” Fraser played adventurer Rick O’Connell in three “Mummy” films.
“When we first saw Brendan Fraser in ‘The Whale,’ we saw a career-best Oscar-worthy performance,” Sorvig said. “We were lucky to have the Midwest premiere for the closing night of the Heartland Film Festival and are thrilled that he could take home the Oscar.”
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” has been nominated for 11 Oscars.
“It came out in spring of last year, outside of our festival season, but we hosted a major sneak peek Indiana premiere at Newfields,” Sorvig said.
Sorvig said “The Fabelmans” only played Toronto and AFI Fest before being released in theaters and was honored with Heartland Film’s rolling honor, the Truly Moving Picture Award.
Here are Sorvig’s picks for the major categories:
Best Picture: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Actor: Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”
Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Supporting Actress: Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Nominees from films Heartland Film showcased in 2022
HIFF: Heartland International Film Festival; IS: Indy Shorts; SAS = Special Advance Screening TMPA: Truly Moving Picture Award Winner
“A House Made of Splinters” (HIFF); “Aftersun” (HIFF); “An Irish Goodbye “(Floodlight Pictures, Indy Shorts Comedy and Comedy Audience Choice Award Winner); “The Banshees of Inisherin “(HIFF)
“Close” HIFF); “Empire of Light” (HIFF); “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (SAS); “The Fabelmans” (TMPA); “Marcel The Shell with Shoes On” (TMPA):
“Stranger At The Gate” (Oscar qualified at Indy Shorts); “The Whale” (HIFF closing night) and “Women Talking” (HIFF).
