The 9th Annual Academy Award-qualifying Indy Shorts Film Festival will feature films with Andy Serkis, Cameron Monaghan, Djimon Hounsou, Naomie Harris, Tatiana Maslany, Ben Mendelsohn and many more, the festival announced Thursday.

Films with Chrisopher Eccleston, Lamorne Morris, Ann Dowd, Janeane Garofalo and Tony Cavalero will also be featured.

Indy Shorts will also honor Oscar winner Sam Davis, whose film “The Singers” won at last year’s festival, with its Pioneering Spirit Award. The festival, one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee and 25 Coolest Film Festivals, will feature 266 short films across 40 programs from July 21-26 in Indianapolis.

The films will play at the Indy Art Center, Living Room Theaters and Newfields. Many of the short films will also be available to stream. 

The festival, which has a candy theme of Shorts & Sweets, will feature short films from 46 countries and include 36 World Premieres, 32 U.S. Premieres and 117 Midwest Premieres. Three Indiana Spotlight programs will feature 21 short films with Hoosier connections. In total, more than 250 filmmakers are expected to attend Indy Shorts to participate in filmmaker Q&As. 

Tickets and Fest Passes are now on sale at www.IndyShorts.org. 

“We’re incredibly proud of the momentum Indy Shorts continues to build year after year,” said Heartland Film Artistic Director Greg Sorvig. “Last year, our films went on to earn more Oscar nominations than those of any other festival organization — a testament to the caliber of storytellers who trust us with their work.

“This year’s lineup continues that tradition, bringing together bold, inventive voices from around the world. We’re especially thrilled to welcome back Sam Davis, whose film ‘The Singers’ was our Oscar-qualifying Narrative Grand Prize Winner last year, as our Pioneering Spirit Award honoree. It’s artists like Sam who embody the creativity, courage and innovation that define Indy Shorts. We can’t wait to share this year’s extraordinary slate with our community.”

Serkis appears in “Pigeons,” Honsou in “Calabash,” Harris in “Swim Sistas,” Maslany in “How Brief,” Monaghan in “Hello, Dad!,” Mendelsohn in “Falling Short,” Eccleston in “Signal,” Morris in “Scratch,” Dowd in “Undelivered,” Garofalo in “My Bird is Sick” and Cavalero starring in two U.S. Premiere films, “American Rampage” and “Please and Thank You”.

Indy Shorts is among just 47 film festivals worldwide to be recognized as an Academy Award qualifier in all three short film categories: Live Action, Documentary and Animated. Indy Shorts Grand Prize winners in each category earn Oscar qualification and a $5,000 Cash Prize.

More details can be found at Indy Shorts.

Main image: Sam Davis accepting the Narrative Grand Prize Award at last year’s Indy Shorts. Courtesy of Heartland Film.