PitchDox 2026: $40,000 Awarded to Indiana Documentary Filmmakers!
Five Indiana documentary projects. A sold-out theater. $40,000 in financial support for Hoosier filmmakers.
The fourth annual PitchDox Main Event brought filmmakers, supporters, and documentary lovers together at Kan-Kan Cinema on October 17, 2026, during the Heartland International Film Festival.
Following a record-breaking year that included 31 submissions and nearly 4,000 votes during the virtual voting round, five finalist teams took the stage to pitch their short documentary projects live.
By the end of the evening, every finalist had earned financial support to help bring their film to life.
The expanded 2026 PitchDox awards were made possible in part through generous support from the Herbert Simon Family Foundation.
Meet the 2026 PitchDox Winners!
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
$15,000
IN MY YARD
Directed by Jess Dunn
Blending macro cinematography, archival footage, and hand-crafted animation, this short documentary reveals the extraordinary world that emerges when native plants reclaim an ordinary urban backyard.
Selected by our panel of three jurors, In My Yard received the $15,000 Grand Prize to support the production of the film.
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD $10,000
ANGIE'S
Directed by Austin Keough
For 40 years, a legendary Indianapolis barber has anchored her mid-northside community through crime, change, and the passage of time itself. "Angie's" asks not what changed, but what a place means to a community that refused to let it disappear.
Selected by audience members attending the sold-out Main Event, Angie's received the $10,000 Audience Choice Award in an incredibly close vote.
FINALIST AWARDS
$5,000 EACH
The Sound of Progress
Directed by Samuel Pigott
When a hyperscale data center threatens rural Decatur Township, unlikely leaders unite a politically divided community to fight back. As organizing stretches into months, they realize real change means new leadership — and four members of Protect Decatur Township, from across the political spectrum, launch campaigns for office.
Trailblazer
Directed by Sha Collier
At 28, Thomas Adams became Indiana’s first Black conservation officer, fulfilling a childhood dream inspired by a chance encounter while fishing with his father. As he navigates the responsibility of breaking a historic barrier, he reflects on family, belonging, and the lasting impact of becoming the representation he once needed to see.
The Moth Keeper
Directed by Aaron Winneroski
The Moth Keeper is a documentary that explores an Indiana woman’s passion for moths or “mothing”. The film follows Jeanette Jaskula, a self-proclaimed moth expert, as she shares her passion for these often-overlooked insects. Jeanette’s fascination with moths has led to more than 10,000 observations and an extraordinary discovery, a species that hasn’t been recorded in the United States in over a century.
What Is PitchDox?
Big stories deserve a chance to be told.
PitchDox is Hoodox's annual documentary pitch competition, created to discover, support, and celebrate Indiana filmmakers and the stories they want to share.
Each year, filmmakers submit their documentary projects for consideration, with selected teams advancing through a process that includes public engagement, feedback, and opportunities to strengthen their pitches.
The competition culminates in the PitchDox Main Event, where finalists present their projects to a live audience and a panel of jurors for a chance to receive meaningful production funding.
But PitchDox is about more than awards. It's about helping filmmakers develop their ideas, build relationships, connect with audiences, and take meaningful steps toward bringing their stories to life.
A Record-Breaking Year
31 documentary projects submitted
12 semifinalists selected
Nearly 4,000 votes cast during virtual voting
5 finalist projects presented live
140-seat theater sold out for the Main Event
$40,000 awarded to Indiana filmmakers
The expanded 2026 PitchDox awards were made possible in part through generous support from the Herbert Simon Family Foundation.
We're grateful to every filmmaker who shared a project, every supporter who participated, and every partner who helped make this extraordinary year possible.
Help Us Make More Stories Possible
PitchDox is one of the ways Hoodox fulfills its mission to support and share storytelling that connects Hoosiers, sparks conversation, and inspires positive change in Indiana.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and funding partners, we're able to invest directly in filmmakers whose stories deserve to be told.
Your support helps us discover new voices, nurture emerging projects, and bring more Indiana stories to audiences everywhere.
Interested in PitchDox 2027?
We're already looking forward to discovering the next Indiana documentary projects.
Details about the 2027 competition, including eligibility, submission dates, and award opportunities, will be announced in the months ahead.
Subscribe to Hoodox updates below to be among the first to know when applications open.