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Documentary about Vietnam veteran Lt. Lee Alley premieres at Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis

Home From the Vietnam War, directed by Mat Hames and featuring Lt. Lee Alley, premiered at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis and has a second festival screening Sunday, Oct. 18 at 3:15 p.m.; organizers say the film will stream on YouTube and Alpheus Media channels beginning Nov. 12.

News BriefBy BusinessIndy News DeskCommentsPublished October 17, 2026 at 10:03 PM EDTLiving story · 2 sources

AI-generated illustration of the topic: Documentary about Vietnam veteran Lt. Lee Alley premieres at Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

Home From the Vietnam War, a 71-minute documentary directed by Mat Hames, premiered at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis and is listed on the festival’s Eventive schedule as the film’s world premiere. Eventive lists Mat Hames and Matt Hirst as screenwriters, a runtime of 71 minutes and production credits including producer Laura Utt.

WISH-TV reported the film made its premiere Friday night as part of Heartland; the festival listing shows a second screening Sunday, Oct. 18 at 3:15 p.m. The outlet also reports that following its festival run the film will stream on YouTube and Alpheus Media’s channels beginning Nov. 12. WISH-TV quotes director Mat Hames saying a Vietnamese crew located survivors of the battalion Alley fought against, and that the Vietnamese battalion “all showed up in uniform.” Eventive notes the screening is presented in partnership with Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP).

WHY IT MATTERS

A festival world premiere in Indianapolis gives a locally screened documentary visibility to critics, programmers and audiences who decide which films get wider distribution or follow-up screenings. In this case, the filmmakers have already scheduled streaming distribution: WISH-TV reports the film will be available on YouTube and on Alpheus Media’s channels beginning Nov. 12, so local viewers who can’t attend the festival still have a confirmed way to watch.

The film’s reported reunion scenes — described by director Mat Hames to WISH-TV as survivors and members of the Vietnamese battalion appearing in uniform — are central to the documentary’s subject: a decorated U.S. veteran, Lt. Lee Alley, returning to Vietnam. That framing helps explain why veterans’ groups and community arts partners such as the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP), which Eventive cites as a presenting partner, are involved in the local screenings.

What to watch next: the Heartland Film Festival listing for additional showtimes and the Nov. 12 streaming release on YouTube and Alpheus Media for broader access.

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Linked source published October 17, 2026 at 9:46 PM EDT. A sourced news brief; no independent staff reporting is implied. Prepared with AI assistance from the linked research; material claims remain attributed in the article.

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