Film Festivals
Pittsburgh's rich film history has resulted in an abundance of international, independent and family film festivals within the city each year.
Plan your visit around one of these Annual Film Festivals:
Three Rivers Film Festival
Nov. 12-23, 2025
One of the largest film festivals in the region, the Three Rivers Film Festival will celebrate its 44th year this November. The event showcases a curated slate of 25–30 independent feature films in a variety of genres, including dramas, comedies and documentaries. In addition to film screenings, there are Q&As with cast and crew, receptions and more.
2025 Carnegie Museum of Art Film Series: Here or There
The Carnegie Museum of Art Film Series is an annual program that builds on the rich, dynamic film history and expansive time-based media collection at the museum.
Pittsburgh EU Film Festival
January 2026
The Harris Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh is the host for the yearly Pittsburgh EU Film Festival. This year's theme was Europe's Moving Images and featured the filmsSomewhere Over the Chemtrails,France,Lonely Oaks,R.M.N.and other important EU films.
Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival
March 2026
ThePittsburgh Japanese Film Festival is a two-week celebration of the unique and exciting films coming out of Japan. Hosted at Row House Cinema, the festival features an amazing lineup Pittsburgh-exclusive premieres, anime, a look at Japanese gameshows as well as themed activities and tea tastings.
JFilm Festival
April 30-May 10, 2026
The annual JFilm Festival presents international Jewish-themed films that deepen audiences' understanding of the stories, history and commonalities that connect us all. The eleven-day festival is complemented by visiting filmmakers, guest speakers and collaborative events with other local organizations. JFilm is a program of Film Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival
June 26-28, 2026
Held at The Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks, the Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival prides itself on screening a huge variety of films across three days and keeping the focus on micro- and no-budget films created outside of the Hollywood system. The event features also features an awards ceremony and in-depth discussions between filmmakers.
CatVideoFest
August 2026
This beloved, nationally touring fest features a fur-tastic 73-minute reel of the year's wildest and cutest cat videos put together from thousands of submissions.
ReelAbilities
TBD 2026
The ReelAbilities Film Festival presents award-winning films through the lens of individuals living with disabilities. In addition to impactful films, the festival also features artwork and special guests to bring the themes of community and shared human experience to the forefront. ReelAbilities is a program of Film Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Silent Film Festival
Sept. 27-Oct. 4, 2026
ThePittsburgh Silent Film Society will host the first Pittsburgh Silent Film Festival in Sept. 2023 with nine films screening at eight venues around the Pittsburgh area. The festival aims to honor Pittsburgh'slegacy in the silent film genre, and has a unique twist of having live musicians playing the accompaniment as festival goers watch!
Reel Q Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ Film Festival
October 2026
The annual Reel Q film festival in October is the sixth oldest LGBTQ+ film festival in the world and the longest-running film festival in Pittsburgh. Reel Q spans 10 days with a variety of programs, panels, parties and community activities. The festival screens approximately 20 locally first-run feature films and 50+ short films spanning multiple genres.
Did we miss your film festival? Shoot us anemail and we'll add you to the list!
Pittsburgh Film Organizations
The Pittsburgh region has always been at the center of the film industry. On June 19, 1905, some 450 people attend the opening day of the world's first nickelodeon, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and developed by the showman Harry Davis. The storefront theater boasted 96 seats and charged each patron five cents. In addition, many modern film production studios have their roots in Pittsburgh, including Warner Brothers and MGM.
The modern horror film “Night of the Living Dead” was created and filmed in Pittsburgh, and dozens of famous actors, directors and film professionals are from the region.
Pittsburgh Film Office
ThePittsburgh Film Office (PFO) was founded in 1990 to promote the greater southwestern Pennsylvania region as a great location for movie, television and commercial productions. Since its inception, the PFO has assisted in bringing more than 200 feature films and television productions to southwestern Pennsylvania: creating thousands of jobs and countless business opportunities with film industry projects and generating nearly $2 billion in economic impact to our region.
Some of the most notable productions filmed in the Pittsburgh region include: The Silence of the Lambs, The Deer Hunter, The Dark Knight Rises, Jack Reacher, Fences, The Fault in Our Stars, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Flashdance, Wonder Boys, Mindhunter, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Next Three Days, Love and Other Drugs, Unstoppable, and Out of the Furnace. View an extensive list of films shot in the Pittsburgh region.
Film Pittsburgh
Film Pittsburgh presents independent films from around the world, deepening audiences’ understanding of various cultures, expanding acceptance and recognizing our common humanity. Film Pittsburgh presents four film festivals: Three Rivers Film Festival, JFilm, ReelAbilities Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Shorts, and Teen Screen, a free education program for middle and high school students.
WQED
WQED has two unique programs for filmmakers.WQED Filmmakers offers enrichment opportunities for filmmakers in the region, providing networking and project promotion within Pittsburgh's independent film community.WQED Film Academy is student-focused, offering middle and high school students classroom experience using the latest technology, where each class produces their own short film by the end of the classes.
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