“The Tenderness Tour,” a compelling documentary following beloved Indianapolis activist Richard Propes on his mission to eliminate medical debt across Indiana, has won the Indiana Spotlight Audience Choice Award at the 34th Heartland International Film Festival. #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos has the recap.
The film, which had its world premiere at the festival on October 11, also received the Hoodox Indiana Spotlight Award earlier in the week.
The documentary captures Propes’s ambitious goal to raise one million dollars to help offset $155 million in Indiana medical debt—despite never raising more than $20,000 in a single effort. For more than 30 years, Propes has embodied courage and compassion through his annual “Tenderness Tour,” a wheelchair journey across Indiana that has raised awareness and financial support for vulnerable communities.
During the film festival, The Tenderness Tour raised significant awareness about the medical debt crisis, resulting in over $3 million in medical debt being erased and over $30,000 raised to benefit the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt.
“During his tour, Richard very organically met people who illustrated the problem. Insurance companies and large hospital systems are making record profits while hardworking Americans are drowning in bills – and that ought not be,” said director Andie Redwine. “As a director, it was important to me to shine a light on these stories and put folks we would never hear from on camera. This is not a partisan concern; this is an American tragedy. It’s time to talk sensibly together about this crisis. Every American has a medical debt story. We all have a moral obligation to fix this problem.”
Directed by Andie Redwine and produced by Edward Paul Fry, Denis Henry Hennelly, and Mike Manning, along with executive producers Seth Maxwell and Jeffrey L. Sparks, the film was shot extensively in Indianapolis and communities throughout Central and Northern Indiana. The documentary weaves together candid footage of Propes’ journey with powerful stories from hardworking Hoosiers suffering under the weight of medical debt.
Richard Propes is a paraplegic/double amputee with spina bifida who has traveled over 5,000 miles by wheelchair since 1989, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities worldwide. He is the founder and publisher of TheIndependentCritic.com, a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association, and the recipient of numerous honors, including the Sagamore of the Wabash. He is also the namesake to two Heartland International Film Festival social impact awards.
The 34th Heartland International Film Festival ran October 9-19, 2025, and presented more than $60,000 in cash prizes to recipients. Select award-winning titles are available to stream through Sunday, October 26 at HeartlandFilmFestival.org.
For more information about The Tenderness Tour, visit its Facebook page and Instagram page.
About Heartland Film, Inc. Heartland Film is a nonprofit arts organization that runs the 11-day Heartland International Film Festival in October, the Academy Award®-Qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival in July, and other year-round programs. Based in Indianapolis, Heartland Film was founded in 1991 with the mission to curate, promote and celebrate thoughtful and engaging films.
For more information, visit the Heartland Film Festival website.
