Lindsey Film Fest Spirit Award for Chicago Indie ‘Hekla’ and Star Elizabeth Stam

Chicago’s Elizabeth Stam, who not only starred in but co-wrote and co-produced Michael Glover Smith’s fifth feature, Hekla, has won the “Festival Spirit Award” at the 29th annual George Lindsey UNA Film Festival in Florence, Alabama, where the film had its world premiere last Friday night. The comedic feature, which was shot in Chicago in August and produced by Sweet Void Cinema, centers on a young actress navigating a hectic day full of auditions, headshots, heartbreak, and a climactic performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in a north side dive bar.

“Working with Liz on Hekla was the best experience I’ve ever had with an actor,” Smith shared with SCREEN. “We started working on this project together in earnest in 2023. She did a crazy amount of preparation for the film, and even designed one of Hekla’s costumes. Throughout the whole process, we completely trusted each other and always pushed each other to be better. There is no award this film could have won that makes me as pleased as this acknowledgement of Liz.”

In her acceptance speech in Florence on Saturday night, Stam acknowledged the fitting nature of premiering Hekla at the Lindsey Film Fest: “I met the director of this film, Mike, at this festival seven years ago, so it’s very cool to be able to be back here with him. That was in 2019, which feels like a lifetime ago. Wow, thank you so much!” In 2019, Stam attended the festival with her first film as an actor, Tre Manchester’s Bleed American, while Smith was attending with his third feature as director, Rendezvous in Chicago. The two first teamed up creatively on 2022’s Relative, of which Hekla is a spinoff.

A Chicago Film Through and Through

The Hekla crew consisted almost entirely of Chicagoans, including Producer Aaron Wertheimer (Skippers), Cinematographer Jose Perez (What Rhymes with Magdalena?), Editor Eric Marsh (Orders), Production/Costume Designer Heather M. Kuhlmann (Dark Matter), Executive Producers Jack McCoy (Tanka), Sandy Gulliver (Ghostlight) and Emily Lape (Mercy’s Girl), Sound Designer Alex Peek (Step Six), and Colorist Jon Anderson (Thank You for the Ride, Aileen). Additional sound work was done by the Post-Sound Technicians at Noisefloor Ltd. Joining Stam in the impressive ensemble cast are Wendy Robie (Twin Peaks), Mary Tilden (Rough River Lake), Brookelyn Hebert (Chicago Med), Sadieh Rifai (Shining Girls), and Sadie Rogers (Princess Cyd). 

Indie Outlook’s Matt Fagerholm recently said of Hekla: “Elizabeth Stam is a FORCE, and Michael Smith’s feature-length showcase for her is chock full of sublime moments, thanks in part to its dream ensemble.” Stam can next be seen in the upcoming feature by Jacob Gregor (End of History). In the meantime, Hekla’s festival run forges ahead in the next month with screenings at the Beloit International Film Festival in Wisconsin and the Covellite International Film Festival in Butte, Montana. Details of the Illinois Premiere will also be unveiled soon. For all of this info and more, check out Smith’s official website.

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