Lead by Brian Owens, our very first festival took place from March 5-7, 2004 at the United Artists Theatres in downtown Indianapolis.  We kicked it off in style, with half of the 26 films that made up the inaugural Indianapolis International Film Festival being either world or midwestern premieres.

Films

Between the opening film A Slipping-Down Life and Lars von Trier’s Dogville which closed out the festival:

Awards

Audience Award – Outstanding Feature Film
THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL
directed by Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni, distributed by THINKfilm
runner-up Dogville

Audience Award – Outstanding Short Film (tie)
THE CLIMACTIC DEATH OF DARK NINJA
directed by Peter Craig
HAIRLESS
directed by Sarah Johnson
runner-up Drive, directed by Patrick Sisam

Grand Jury Prize – Outstanding Feature Film in Competition
BETWEEN THE WHITE LINES
directed by Lynn d’Angona

Grand Jury Prize – Outstanding Short Film in Competition
THE CLIMACTIC DEATH OF DARK NINJA
directed by Peter Craig

Special Jury Prize – Performance
The ensemble of DOGVILLE
Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, James Caan, Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Davies, Ben Gazzarra,
Philip Baker Hall, John Hurt, Chloe Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgaard
directed by Lars Von Trier, distributed by Lions Gate

Special Jury Prize – Performance
The ensemble of DISCONCERTING SYMPHONY
Carmen Elias, Lola Herrera, Maria Isasi-Isasmendi
directed by Belen Santos

Special Jury Prize – Performance
Lili Taylor & Sara Rue in A SLIPPING DOWN LIFE
directed by Toni Kalem, distributed by Lions Gate

Special Jury Prize – Cinematography
Oleg Mutu for Stuff that Bear!
directed by Bruno Coppola

Special Jury Prize – Screenwriting
Lontih Khatami for Everybody and Their Mother Wants to Write and Direct
directed by Lontih Khatami