Waco Independent Film Festival (formerly known as Deep in the Heart Film Festival (DitHFF)) brings our Central Texas community together through independent film. Established in 2017, we engage audiences with films from major festivals and Texas talent. We build networks and careers through our industry education and promotion. Add in some chips & salsa with our own DitHFF magic, and we create one of the most unique experiences on the festival circuit.
Waco Independent Film Festival (formerly known as Deep in the Heart Film Festival) started in 2017 and takes place in Waco, Texas, USA
The Waco Independent Film Festival (Waco Indie) concluded its 9th edition with an emotional Awards Brunch where Chris Beier’s The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia walked away with Best Narrative Feature and Patrick Creadon’s The Pantone Guy won Best Documentary Feature.
The 2025 Waco Independent Film Festival unveiled the film lineup and events schedule for the festival’s in-theater screenings taking place July 17-20, 2025 followed by an online encore July 20-26, 2025.
The Waco Indie Film Festival announced the award winners for the 8th edition of the film festival (It’s first as Waco Indie following 7 years as the Deep in the Heart FF) and H. Nelson Tracey’s Breakup Season won Best Narrative Feature and Be Judkins’ The Cigarette Surfboard won Best Documentary Feature. Breakup Season’s Chandler Riggs also took home Best Performance, and Vivian Kerr won Best Director for her film Scrap.
Previously known as the Deep in the Heart FF for the past 7 years, The Waco Independent Film Festival reveals its first lineup under the new name. The festival will combine offline in-theatre screenings at July 18-21, followed by an online encore at July 21-27.
Anna Baumgarten’s Disfluency won Best Narrative Feature and Thaddeus D. Matula’s Into The Spotlight won Best Documentary Feature at Waco’s Deep in the Heart Film Festival 7th edition.
The Deep in the Heart Film Festival will host a special 30th Anniversary screening of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused on Saturday, July 22.
The Deep in the Heart Film Festival in Waco, Texas returns for its 7th edition with 127 films (9 features, 106 shorts, 12 music videos), and 1 multi-media project), in-theaters from July 20-23, followed by an online encore July 24-30.
Waco’s Deep in the Heart Film Festival announced the award winners for the 6th edition of the film festival led by Aaron Hosé’s One Pint at a Time, which took three awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, and the Audience Award for Best Feature. Individual awards were led by The Sisters Karras’ Micah Stathis (Best Feature Film Director), and A Place Among the Dead’s’ Juliet Landau (Best Performance – Feature Film).
The Waco-based Deep in the Heart Film Festival announced the film lineup of 123 films (5 features, 109 shorts and 9 music videos) for its 6th edition, which will combine in-theater screenings July 21-24, followed by an online encore July 24-30.
The Waco-based Deep in the Heart Film Festival returns for its 5th edition with a film lineup of 133 films (5 features, 128 shorts and music videos), including a celebratory return to theaters as part of its hybrid presentation July 22-31, 2021.
Deep in the Heart Film Festival in Waco, Texas, announced the award winners for the 4th edition of the film festival with the top awards going to Chauncey Crail’s July Rising winning Best Narrative Feature, Aaron and Amanda Kopp’s Liyana took Best Documentary Feature, and Chris Hansen’s Seven Short Films About (Our) Marriage receiving the Audience Award.