Will Poulter to Be Honoured at Heartland Film Festival with Union County
Will Poulter will be honoured at the 35th annual Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, where he will attend a special presentation of his drama Union County on Oct. 17. Variety revealed the honour as an exclusive titled ‘Will Poulter to Be Honored at Heartland Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)’ on Sept. 14 Variety. He will be recognised at the festival’s awards brunch following the screening.
Union County stars Poulter and Noah Centineo as brothers Cody and Jack Parsons. The pair are navigating a court-mandated drug rehabilitation programme in rural Ohio, in a community affected by the opioid epidemic. The film comes from Oscilloscope Laboratories, the independent distributor handling its release, according to Variety.
The film is written and directed by Adam Meeks. Poulter and Meeks recently appeared together at an advance Cleveland screening hosted by the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, which included an in-person Q&A Cleveland Institute of Art. That Ohio event put the film in front of a local audience before its festival date. It also linked the production to the region where its story is set.
The Heartland Film Festival runs Oct. 8-18 in Indianapolis. This year’s 35th edition will showcase more than 100 independent films. That term covers features made outside the major studio system, often with smaller budgets and smaller teams.
The scale is wide. The line-up includes 24 world or United States premieres, meaning first showings in those territories, alongside 36 regional premieres. It also features 24 Spotlight Screenings and eight Indiana Spotlight films with local ties, as detailed by Variety.
The festival has set its anchor titles. The opening night film is Jimmy, a biopic of screen star Jimmy Stewart, which will have its world premiere. Wild Horse Nine is the Centerpiece selection. The Debut is the Closing Night selection.
For fans, this means a chance to see Poulter introduce the brothers’ story and discuss the shoot in person. Festival crowds often shape that conversation. Expect questions about Ohio, family and recovery.
