'Ignite the Fire' Makes Splashy Debut at Heartland International Film Festival
MLV Indy Ignite

'Ignite the Fire' Makes Splashy Debut at Heartland International Film Festival

Published on October 11, 2025 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Indy Ignite News Release


INDIANAPOLIS - An epic story deserves an epic retelling. That's exactly what the Indy Ignite have with "Ignite the Fire," the documentary recapturing the pivotal moments of a magical year that saw the team reach the championship match of Major League Volleyball in the franchise's first year of operation.

"Ignite the Fire" premiered Friday with three screenings at the Living Room Theaters as part of the prestigious Heartland International Film Festival. Tickets remain available for a final showing at 5:30 p.m. ET Thursday, October 16 at the Indianapolis Art Center. At-home streaming is also available at Heartlandfilmfestival.org.

Friday's audiences saw the first-ever screenings of the 79-minute documentary that follows the trajectory of the Ignite, from the early days building the franchise, through the ups and downs of a roller coaster regular season, right up through the dramatic postseason run. Interviews with players, coaches and staff members help tell the story, along with behind-the-scenes material featuring players and coaches mic'd up at practices and matches.

It all works to weave the tapestry of an unforgettable season. Carly Klanac had a front-row seat for the ride as the Ignite's vice president of marketing and game day experience. She also served as producer of "Ignite the Fire," which was co-directed by Brian Hensen and Juan Guillen.

Klanac was admittedly nervous ahead of the public debut, though that anxiety subsided somewhat following a private screening earlier this week for the Ignite staff.

"It was so nice to have others watch it," Klanac said, "and have them laugh when they needed to laugh, feel stressed when they needed to feel stressed and excited when they needed to feel excited. To get that reaction out of them was really special and kind of gave me the confidence that, yeah, we really did do this right."

The Ignite staff, Klanac added, is overjoyed at the opportunity to showcase the documentary at the renowned Heartland film festival, which is in its 34th year. Including "Ignite the Fire" in the festival allows the film to be seen by a wider audience- not just those within the volleyball community.

"We approached Heartland because they're so prestigious. Their audiences are faithful and excited to see new films every year," Klanac explained. "They've been so supportive and excited about the fact that Indy Ignite is something here in Indiana, and I think that resonates with Heartland as well as with us.

"I can't wait for those who don't know what Indy Ignite is to watch the film and see what their reactions are, and just kind of get them to feel and understand what professional volleyball is and what it's doing for the community here."

Indy Ignite Outside Hitter Leketor Member-Meneh and Middle Blocker Lydia Martyn saw the documentary for the first time Friday in the theater with the audience.

It brought back memories of all the work the team put in to make it to the MLV Championship match, said Member-Meneh, who was sidelined last season with an injury that is depicted in the documentary.

"My immediate thought was 'work doesn't lie.' People were doubting. Even our team was doubting. But as I watched the film, I remembered all that took place. It's like, at the end of the day, we put in the work and we had the talent. There's not much that can beat work and talent. So when I look at us making our semi-final run and going to the Championship, I'm like that didn't happen by chance. We put in the work. We executed, and despite that five-game losing streak we absolutely deserved to be there. That was my thought watching the film."

Martyn said she was excited to see how the team evolved over the course of the season.

"Watching some of the scenes, you'll see how the team evolved together and when we hit our lulls," she said. "You can also see how we bounce back."

In the end, watching the Ignite's inaugural season documentary got a lot of people talking about the upcoming 2026 season, which begins in January at Fishers Event Center.

"I heard a lot of people saying, 'we expect more for 2026,'" said Member-Meneh. "My mindset is not even there. My mindset is 'we're going to have to put the work in again.' At the end of the day, work breeds results. So I'm excited to put in the work again and I'm excited to dig in deep and I'm excited to see what it produces."

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Volleyball Stories from October 11, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central