2009 Festival Events
OPENING NIGHT
Tickets for Opening Night are $15 which includes the opening night film of your choice, and a gala reception at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, 477 Melwood Avenue, afterwards. In addition, a Pre-opening Festival Cocktail Party ticket is $75 at Concept Art Gallery at 5:30 pm and includes an opening night film of your choice. Opening Night is made possible by the generous support of Pair Networks.
Makiko Miyamoto Reception & Talk
As part of the Opening Night festivities there will also be an artist's reception at Filmmakers Galleries at 8:30pm with New York-based artist Makiko Miyamoto for her work zoo of (in)animate. An opening night ticket is needed for this reception.
Miyamoto's zoo of (in)animate will be on exhibit in Filmmakers Galleries through January 3, 2010. Her artist's talk about the work is on November 7 at 1:00pm in the gallery. Admission to her presentation is free.
THREE RIVERS FILM SYMPOSIUM: Is Film Dead?
As part of the Three Rivers Film Festival, the second annual Film Symposium will look at the changing ways moving pictures are made and displayed. Film’s demise has been predicted for decades, with video advancing in picture quality, sound, portability, and affordability. Will high-definition (HD) finally eclipse film? Anyone who has been to a movie theater, watched TV, or viewed video on the Web has something to contribute to these open discussions. Attendees will gain an understanding of the tools used in making motion picture art with hands-on demonstrations, and presentations by Panasonic, Kodak, and a filmmaker who has worked in both film and video.
For more information, visit the Symposium page
Fri., Nov. 13, 10:00am – 5:00 pm
Pittsburgh Filmmakers, 477 Melwood Ave, Pgh 15213.
Admission $30; $15 for students and members.
Presented in collaboration with Arts+Technology Initiative of the Pittsburgh Technology Council.
His People with Dr. Philip Carli
The Festival welcomes back Dr. Philip Carli, world-renowned pianist and silent film composer on Sun., Nov. 8, 7:30 at Regent Square Theater. Presented in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Jewish-Israeli Film Festival. See full description on the Films page.
Polish sidebar, visiting artist
As a sidebar again this year, we are partnering with the Polish Cultural Council, which has helped bring five exceptional Polish films to Pittsburgh. The titles are Case Unknown, General Nil, How Much Does a Trojan Horse Weigh?, Little Moscow and Scratch.
On November 10 and 11, director Waldemar Krzystek will be here to present his film, Little Moscow at the Regent Square Theater. We are grateful to the PCC members, staff and film committee. Founded 75 years ago to foster coordination among the Polish fraternal, social and religious organizations, part of the Polish Cultural Council's mission is to showcase Polish arts and sciences in Western PA.
Competitive Shorts Program We received over 130 entries in this year's competition. Prizes donated by Kodak and Pittsburgh Filmmakers will be awarded at the screening Thu., Nov. 19, 7:30 at Melwood. The 13 accepted films will also be shown Fri., Nov. 20, 9:15 at Melwood. See full description on the Films page.
Dominic Angerame visit
Angerame, Canyon Cinema's executive director for the past 20 years, will travel to Pittsburgh to present a selection of experimental works from the Canyon archive on Fri., Nov. 13, 7:00 at Melwood. He will be part of the 3RFF Symposium (see above) earlier on Fri., Nov. 13.
Abina Manning visit
Manning, director of Video Data Bank (VDB) since 2007, will present highlights of new releases from the media art center, Wed., Nov. 11, 7:30 at Melwood. After spending Thursday running crits and a screening on CMU campus, she will be part of the 3RFF Symposium (see above) on Fri., Nov. 13. Presented in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University's College of Fine Arts.
Ben Russell and Joe Grimm present Mazes
Chicago-based media artist/curator/filmmaker Ben Russell performs Mazes with musician Joe Grimm on Fri., Nov. 13, 9:30 at Melwood. Full description on the Films page. Russell will also be presenting his feature length film Let Each One Go Where He May on Sat., Nov. 14.
Support for Local Films
In this year's Film Festival, three local films used Pittsburgh Filmmakers as a fiscal conduit – Freedom House, In Service and Rachel Is. Pittsburgh Filmmakers makes many services available to its members: equipment access being primary, but another important service is fiscal conduiting. If a grant-maker can only donate to non-profit organizations, a filmmaker or photographer's project can be greatly aided by channeling those grants to their project through the membership program. These films are presented with the generous support of UPMC.
Steeltown Film Factory
The Steeltown Entertainment Project will launch the Steeltown Film Factory on November 7th in conjunction with the Three Rivers Film Festival. The Film Factory invites students and aspiring artists (16- years-old and older) to compete in a one-year long filmmaking competition. During the competition, the most promising screenplays will be nurtured and developed through open-to-the-public writing workshops, staged readings, panel discussions, and networking events. In May 2010, the Film Factory will announce the competition’s finalists, help produce their screenplay, and premiere their film at the 2010 Three Rivers Film Festival. For further information, visit steeltownfilmfactory.org online.
Steeltown hosts a brunch at 477 Melwood Avenue on Saturday, Nov. 7, 10:30am – 12:30pm. For details call Kahmeela at: 412-681-5449 x210.
FESTIVAL CLOSING
On Sat., Nov. 21, two shows by Boston-based Alloy Orchestra. Family matinee, regular price at 4:00pm at Regent Square: The Black Pirate. (Albert Parker; USA; 1926: 73 min) Presented in collaboration with the Edgewood Foundation. Full description on the Films page.
Closing event, $15 at 8:00pm at Regent Square: Man With A Movie Camera. (Dziga Vertov; USSR; 1929; 68 min) Presented in collaboration with Simpson & McCrady. Full description on the Films page.