Hobnobben celebrates local & Indiana filmmaking for opening night

Kick off the Hobnobben Film Festival at Cinema Center on October 13th from 6:00 - 9:15 pm for a night celebrating Indiana and local filmmaking. The evening will feature a reception with catering from Banh Mi Pho Shop, a film block of Indiana Shorts, and an Indianapolis-based feature film, It Happened One Weekend. Filmmakers and film lovers are invited to celebrate the art of independent filmmaking and talent in the Hoosier state.  

About Indiana Shorts

The six films created by Indiana or Fort Wayne filmmakers in this block are The Water’s Edge, Encore, The Brewing, First Day Creeps, Two Soles, and The Colorful Mind of Jayce Dean Parker.

About It Happened One Weekend

Directed by Zac Cooper and shot mostly in Indianapolis, It Happened One Weekend is a feature-length romantic comedy about two friends who explore the boundaries of their relationship after getting dumped on the same weekend. The film was the winner of both the Best of Hoosier Lens Award and the Audience Award for Narrative Feature at the 2022 Indy Film Fest. 

Tickets for opening night are $15. You can book tickets for the in-person event at the Cinema Center Box Office or below. For the opportunity to watch this year’s films online, visit hobnobben.org to purchase virtual tickets. 

This year’s festival features a record number of 128 films, with more than 25% of the films having an Indiana connection. 

“Having my short directorial debut, The Water's Edge, make its world premiere at Hobnobben Film Festival is a special career milestone,” filmmaker Victoria Britton said. “The film is a reflection on anticipatory grief. I can't imagine a more supportive environment than my hometown film fest to showcase this deeply personal narrative for the first time. I'm excited to continue building up the network of unique creatives in Fort Wayne and participating in the growth of the local industry."

Now in its seventh year, the Hobnobben Film Festival showcases diverse stories and voices that are typically excluded from the mainstream film industry, offering a one-of-a-kind festival that invites participants to see themselves on screen — and be seen by others. Local sponsors and community members support the festival; Hobnobben also serves as an annual fundraiser for Fort Wayne Cinema Center, a not-for-profit arts organization founded in 1976.

This year, all festival films will be shown at Fort Wayne Cinema Center, 437 E. Berry St., following two years at the Embassy Theater during the pandemic. Cinema Center reopened its doors to the public in November 2021, following a 20-month closure during the pandemic.