2024

Greg Sorvig | Artistic Director, Heartland Film

Windrider is excited to present the 2024 Spirit of Windrider Award to Greg Sorvig: an exceptional film programmer with an eye for deeply resonant content.

Greg leads the artistic vision and film programming department for Heartland Film and its Academy Award®-qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival and Heartland International Film Festival events in Indianapolis where he serves as the organization’s liaison with major studios, industry, and filmmakers. 

“I want to be Greg Sorvig when I grow up!," said Ryann Heim, Windrider Director of Programming. "In this field, it is often assumed the ultimate goal is to become a filmmaker. Really, what I love most is getting to cheer on filmmakers by sharing their work with our audience. Greg embodies this completely in his work. He is paving the way for the next generation of programmers like myself.”

Greg and his team at Heartland have generously shared connections and communities with Windrider as our missions and events deeply align. His work with The Heartland Film Festival has been invaluable to Windrider as our communities have crossed. All thanks to Greg’s generosity, our programming efforts have become a true partnership. 

“Over the years I have seen films and storytellers showcased at our festivals deeply resonate with Windrider staff and then attendees of the Windrider Summit months later. John Priddy and his staff share that same spirit of empathy, connectedness, trust, and inspiration through film and programming, and I am honored to have this shared feeling manifested in the prestigious Spirit of Windrider Award honor,” Sorvig said.

In addition to his lead role at Heartland, Greg is also Senior Associate Programmer on the Tribeca Festival shorts team and recently served as a 2021 International Documentary Association IDA+XRM Media Incubator Grant Reviewer and 2022 National Endowment for the Arts American Rescue Plan Media Arts Reader.

“I am incredibly fortunate to have a career where I bridge the work of dynamic cinematic storytellers with empathetic audiences. That place in between filmmaker and audience is a sacred space, and earning a reputation of being a trusted curator, cheerleader, and friend keeps me inspired to do it again and again,” Sorvig said.

Greg is married to Rachel, and they have two beautiful daughters, Leona (eight) and Elise (four), and a dachshund, Tootsie. Greg is an enthusiastic and extremely humble talent who has dedicated so much of his life to uplifting others, so we are so excited to have the opportunity to honor him in this way. To explore more about his innumerable talents, visit gregsorvig.com.

Note from Heartland Film:

 Greg is a positive and energetic festival force. As soon as a filmmaker arrives, Greg makes them feel welcome and known. There's nothing he loves more than meeting and connecting with filmmakers and that doesn't stop after the festival. Once you meet Greg, you have a friend and supporter for life! He stays close with many filmmakers and cheers on their careers while helping them make industry connections for years to come.  Filmmakers and attendees have referred to Greg as "The Spirit of Heartland." 

We're so proud to see Greg receive such an honor [as The Spirit of Windrider]. He has brought so much value to Heartland Film and our community as the Heartland Film Artistic Director. He has elevated our organization to a world-renowned level with his endless dedication to showcasing the best in independent film and connecting us to the film industry. He is incredibly deserving of this recognition, and we couldn't be happier to have him represented Heartland Film for the last eleven years.