Greg Sorvig – Director of Marketing & PR
Greg is responsible for Heartland Film’s public relations, communications and marketing efforts, acting as Heartland Film’s media liaison with major studios, national and local outlets. Greg oversees the organization’s overall marketing strategy, writing, website, promotion, social media and graphic design.
Greg earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Culture (with Honors) at Indiana University and has previously worked for Fortune 100s, including The Walt Disney Company, and nonprofits. Active in the community, Greg is a “Big Brother” in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana program and has chaired nonprofit fundraising events for Foundation Fighting Blindness. And just to prove he doesn’t take himself too seriously, Greg has been both a finalist on “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and a stand-up comedy open mic champion.
How long have you been working at Heartland Film and what did you do before joining the staff?
I have been working with Heartland Film for more than three years and was initially involved as a volunteer, helping with marketing projects and reviewing narrative feature films. My career started with two internships at Walt Disney World, including a stint at The Great Movie Ride (foreshadowing, I would say!). Professionally, my experience spans Fortune 100s (The Walt Disney Company, The Home Depot corporate) to for- and nonprofits across the entertainment/film, retail and construction industries (Hunt Construction Group, National Precast Concrete Association and Shiel Sexton).
Complete the following sentence: I love my job because…
I love my job because it lets me live out my passion for movies and I get to partner with some amazing people in the industry, from indie filmmakers to Robert Downey Jr. Additionally, I love that my position and hard work makes a big impact on the organization.
What was one of your favorite films growing up?
The first movie I remember watching over and over was Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. I was four years old and my parents let me rent it on VHS every time we’d go to the grocery store in Des Moines, IA. I also watched Follow That Bird over and over and over.
Name three-five of your all-time favorite films.
Just three to five? No way! This list changes all the time, but these titles bubble up immediately: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dumb & Dumber, Kind Hearts & Coronets, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Sunset Boulevard, 12 Years a Slave, It’s a Wonderful Life and Sherlock, Jr.
Do you have any favorite filmmakers/directors? What do you like about their work?
Alfred Hitchcock, F.W. Murnau, Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson, Frank Kapra and Buster Keaton. All six were/are trailblazers who continuously make/made great movies.
What are your favorite feel-good movies, guilty pleasure movies or films that make you laugh?
Dumb & Dumber is the ultimate. Hands down the funniest, most-quotable comedy of all time.
Who are three of your favorite fictional characters (movies, TV, books, etc.)? What do you like about them?
Mike Wazowski (a true friend, optimistic and funny), Indiana Jones (the ultimate adventurer, plus I hate snakes) and Yoda (wise and small in stature, like myself).
What do you like to do when you are not working or watching movies?
Such a time does not exist! I’m usually spending time with my wife, family or friends. I’m a big movie nerd and collect autographs and Star Wars memorabilia. I listen to a fair share of old time music, with my favorite artists being Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael, Al Bowlly and Ella Fitzgerald.
What are your top three karaoke songs, or songs that you love to belt out when you are driving alone?
“Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield is the ultimate karaoke go-to, but “Stardust” by Hoagy Carmichael is my favorite song and its “melody haunts my reverie.” The set would be rounded out by “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister.
Is there a special talent and/or superpower that you wish you had?
Flying is the fanciful answer, but the practical side of me would want the ability to speak and understand every possible language.
You’re throwing a party and you can invite anyone in the world (dead or alive, famous, historical, etc.), who would you invite and would the party have a theme?
Lazy river float trip costume party followed by a “whodunnit” mystery dinner! First, I’d have to invite my favorite directors: Hitchcock, Spielberg, Kapra, Murnau, Anderson, Kubrick and Keaton. Then I’d have to invite all the classic historical figures from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure along with Stephen Bishop (Mammoth Cave guide), Solomon Northup, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr.. Then I’d invite more movie, music and artist friends, such as the entire cast of Star Wars, Charlie Chaplin, Gary Larson, Jessica Chastain, Eva Green, Walt Disney, Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Al Bowlly, Alec Guinness, Ralph McQuarrie, Edward Gorey, Ub Iwerks, Harrison Ford, Meryl Streep, John Malkovich and Conrad Veidt.
What advice would you give the younger version of yourself?
Buy Apple stock and don’t get too excited for those Star Wars prequels.
