Pittsburgh City Paper: Pittsburgh has built a reputation as a horror film locale, mostly through its association with late Night of the Living Dead director George A. Romero and special effects makeup artist Tom Savini. Rather than ignore it — and honestly, why would you? — Film Pittsburgh, a local nonprofit dedicated to the city’s cinema scene, has chosen to embrace it.
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Within this article, the author highlights multiple theaters that participate in the screening of horror shorts and other cinema created around the world, with a specific highlight of works by marginalized groups, groups that often are not given as many opportunities to bring their ideas to fruition. With that in mind, I find that it is very cool how the Film Pittsburgh organization specifically asks filmmakers what kind of functions and sessions would directly support them as artists, rather than running their own programs that may otherwise work against them systematically. An especially special part of this system, one of which the article specifically brings to light, is that the festival brings together different teams and creative artists within one event, and not only allows for wide-spread connections between different groups of people, but also between producers within the field and creatives to be able to produce new works.
I love the Three Rivers Film Festival, and the fact that Pittsburgh has enough of a film industry to have a whole festival for it! The added element of embracing the horror and thriller genres is a ton of fun. It always makes me laugh a little bit as a Pittsburgh native when I hear about the different kinds of films that are shooting in town. Like yep someone look at Pittsburgh and went "that looks depressing enough to be Gotham city". And so many other companies have done the same with horror movies. It will never fail to make me laugh when I see my beautiful city taken in and turned into a place or terror. But hey if it works then embrace it. There was even a horror movie that filmed in town over the summer. I love that the Film Festivals decided to embrace and even light focus on the genre that so frequently choses Pittsburgh as its home. I also love that they are reaching out to the film makers to see that sessions they would like to learn more about during the festival and conference. I will also be so interested to see what scripts and films come out of the Pittsburgh Shorts Competition this year.
It is often fascinating to me to know how close I could ever be so close to an area of space that is focus on movie and theater industry. Growing up in a town where there is a huge theater space near me, it has always been convenient and an essential part of my life where it is centered around theater and where I would participate in a lot of the activities. Coming into another area and city that also has a local theater scene but differently. In my hometown, the theater production focuses more on musicals and magic shows. The horror movie shown in different festivals in Pittsburgh is definitely a significant part of the Pittsburgh culture. The encouragement to small and indie film makers is also a significant part of these festivals where it supports and encourages movies and work from different people that all includes their different perspectives.
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