Heartland International Film Festival’s Cinemania is a box office hit.
The 650 tickets for the April 19 fundraiser at the Crane Bay Event Center in Indianapolis sold out quickly. The inaugural theme for the signature fundraiser is “A Tribute to The Beatles in Film”
“It really shows the support behind our events,” said Jessica Chapman, director of marketing and communications for Heartland Film. “Every year, this event is going to have a different theme. Cinemania is a one-night celebration of iconic films.”
This year’s event will include an appearance by BritBeat, a Beatles tribute band.
Chapman said there was room for more than 650 people, but officials wanted to make sure there was room for visitors to enjoy interactive experiences.
“One of the themes is ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,’ and we’re going to have an aerialist pouring champagne,” Chapman said. “All the different areas are based on classic Beatles songs.”
Other themed areas include “Strawberry Fields Forever”, featuring strawberry margaritas, and “Yellow Submarine.”
“BritBeat will take us through the different years of The Beatles with costume changes,” Chapman said.
There also will be performances by DJ Lockstar, jazz singer Rebecca Rafla, soul singer Bashiri Asad and the DysFUNKtion Brass Band.
Chapman said BritBeat will be on the main stage and the other performers will be in the Jimmy Stewart VIP Lounge.
“This is a higher ticket price than a lot of events we do because we are trying to raise money for Heartland Film and the programs we run,” Chapman said. “It’s amazing to see this event has taken off in its first year. We hope to continue the momentum and have another successful event next year. We are looking for a little bigger space for next year because we did sell out early.”
F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. is the main sponsor of Cinemania, where guests are encouraged to wear 1960s attire.
This year is the 60th anniversary of both The Beatles’ film, “A Hard Day’s Night” and The Beatles appearing at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. Cinemania’s honorary chair is screenwriter Angelo Pizzo, who has fond memories of seeing the band perform in Indianapolis.
For more, visit heartlandfilm.org.
