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Films showing Black experiences will play at Indy Shorts

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Indy Shorts International Film Festival has earned praise as the largest short film festival in the Midwest, and it’s back July 25-28. The festival, which expanded into its own event from the Heartland International Film Festival, showcases storytelling from around the world and includes many different categories of films and documentaries.

One genre showing at the festival is Black Experiences, a collection of films that examine the experiences of Black Americans and others around the world.

“Yirga” is the shortest of those films. With a running time of eight minutes, “Yirga” is about a girl who’s plagued by one problem the night before her “big move,” according to the film description, which forces her to “take matters into her own hands.”

Tamar Price, one of the producers, said a theme of the film is about empowering a Black female character.

“This goes back to the idea of not waiting,” she said in an email. “Taking things into your own hands and claiming full responsibility for the outcome of that, whether it’s good or bad.”

Price said people came from all over — Los Angeles, Dallas, Denver — for a weekend in Austin, Texas, to make the film, which is set in Dallas. The whole process took about seven months, ending in September 2018.

Major Hollywood movies have seen some high-profile examples of Black identities getting stronger play on the big screen. That includes Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” and Marvel’s “Black Panther.” Price said independent films have proven to be a more inclusive space, though, which she estimated is “likely due to the lack of gatekeepers.”

“We’ve been fortunate in our independent endeavors because we’re not waiting on anyone to let us tell our stories,” she said.

“Yirga” and other films showing at the festival will be eligible for a share of more than $30,000 in prizes.

The second annual Indy Shorts International Film Festival will take place at Newfields, 4000 Michigan Road, and the Jewish Community Center, 6701 Hoover Road. To learn more about the festival and buy tickets, visit heartlandfilm.org.

There is also an Indy Shorts Pride Stride, in partnership with Indy’s LGBT Film Festival, 6 p.m. July 24 at Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St. The event will include film screenings and end with an after-party and drag show at Metro, 707 Massachusetts Ave. Visit heartlandfilm.org to buy tickets and learn more about the film festival and Pride Stride.

The seven Black Experiences films will play 12:30 p.m. July 25 at The Toby at Newfields and 7:45 p.m. July 28 at DeBoest Lecture Hall at Newfields.

Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.

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