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By Hermes Devin
The KJ Apa-led biopic JIMMY will make its world premiere at the 35th Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis this fall — and according to co-star Neal McDonough, audiences are about to witness something they won’t forget.
“He fearlessly jumped into the skin of Jimmy Stewart,” McDonough said of Apa during an episode of Movieguide®’s “We Who Dad” podcast. “For him to nail it the way that he did and the emotional river that runs through everything that he was doing, he’s going to be winning one of those awards next season, that’s for sure.”
Heartland Film announced Wednesday that the Festival World Premiere of JIMMY will open the festival on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis (650 N Meridian St.). The 35th Heartland Film Festival runs October 8-18, 2026, with screenings at venues across the city.
JIMMY tells the untold true story of Jimmy Stewart, America’s most beloved actor — from winning the Academy Award® for Best Actor in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY to enlisting as a combat pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps at the start of World War II. Stewart flew 20 missions over Europe, rose to the rank of colonel and returned home broken — only for George Bailey and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE to come calling.
“No performance has moved me more than Jimmy Stewart’s portrayal of George Bailey in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE,” said Heartland Film Artistic Director Greg Sorvig in a press release. “Stewart remains an enduring American icon, hero and screen legend. We’re honored to open the Heartland Film Festival with JIMMY, the story behind the role that defined his legacy.”
Apa, who plays the title role, described Stewart’s story in vivid terms when the first look at the movie dropped in December 2025.
Related: Jimmy Stewart Biopic Adds These Stars to Cast
“His story is one of strength and purpose, love and honor, fame and war,” Apa said in a previous press release. “His story is one that begs us to think of the greater good and to be willing to fight for it.”
Many of the JIMMY team are scheduled to attend the Festival World Premiere, including director and producer Aaron Burns, actors Apa, Max Casella (Frank Capra), Kara Killmer (Lady Julia), Marc Malkin (Glenn Miller) and Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu in the original IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Executive Producer Kelly Stewart Harcourt — Stewart’s own daughter — is also expected to attend.
McDonough, who plays Stewart’s father Alexander in the movie, spoke to Movieguide® about the moment Alexander presents his son with the 91st Psalm before Stewart ships out to war — a scene he called “phenomenal.”
Producer Angela Galgani Sullivan said Indianapolis is the right place to introduce Stewart’s story to the world.
“Jimmy Stewart’s spirit has long been celebrated at Heartland, and for good reason,” Sullivan said in the press release. “He was a Hollywood legend, but at his core, he remained a small-town Pennsylvania kid shaped by service, humility, faith, and community. There’s no more fitting place to introduce his story to the world.”
The festival will also partner with the Jimmy Stewart Museum to display original pieces from their collection. The Heartland Film Festival has a long-standing relationship with The Stewart Family Foundation and presents the Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award — a $5,000 cash prize — each year to a film that best embodies Stewart’s legacy.
Tickets for Opening Night go on sale Aug. 27 at HeartlandFilm.org, with the full festival schedule and tickets available Sept. 17. Burns & Co. Entertainment, in partnership with Fathom Entertainment, will release JIMMY nationwide on Nov. 6, 2026.
Read Next: Jimmy Stewart Embraced Hometown Values of Faith, Family Throughout Career
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