Indianapolis’s Heartland Film Festival has found a growing niche in films that appeal to middle America. “Heartland’s rising profile hints that Tinseltown might be outgrowing its tin ear for middle America, a culture that’s both savvier and more proactive than the “Peoria” of old – and a bloc whose consumer clout keeps growing. Some 580 films were submitted to Heartland this year, up from 330 in 2004.”