The Film Pittsburgh Fall Festival begins online Wednesday and runs through Nov. 22, with 30 films in all genres and 137 shorts.
Presented by Film Pittsburgh, it features the Three Rivers Film Festival and Pittsburgh Shorts, with tracks of ReelAbilities Pittsburgh and JFilm Festival woven throughout.
The opening night film is the Pittsburgh premiere of “Freeland,” a thriller from Pittsburgh-based producer Laura Heberton about a legendary breeder of pot strains who has to fight for survival with the legalization of cannabis.
Among the other Pittsburgh premieres:
“Definition Please”: Greensburg native Sujata Day wrote, directed and starred in this locally shot comedy about a spelling bee champion who struggles to reconcile with her estranged brother when he returns home to help care for their ailing mother.
“MLK/FBI”: A documentary by Sam Pollard exploring the extent to which the U.S. government “surveilled and harassed” Martin Luther King Jr.
“Night of the Kings”: A fictional look at the notorious Maca correctional facility in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan, where the inmates run the prison. Available for viewing from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Nov. 21.
“9TO5: The Story of a Movement”: A documentary that addresses sexual harassment, pay equity and the importance of protest.
“Antigone”: A Canadian film loosely adapted from Sophocles’ Greek tragedy that deals with the refugee experience in North America through the eyes of an Algerian-born teenager.
“Beethoven in Beijing”: A documentary about the resurgence of classical music in China with the visit of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1973, co-directed by former Post-Gazette reporter Jennifer Lin.
“The Crossing”: A Norwegian film about four children fleeing during the Holocaust.
“Picture Character”: A fun look at the evolution of the emoji.
There will also be virtual Q&As with creators from more than 50 of the films that will run after some screenings.
The Pittsburgh Shorts Script Competition will screen virtual readings of the four finalist scripts and Best of the Fest is a live awards presentation at 7 p.m. Nov. 22 where they'll award jury prizes and audience awards voted on by viewers.
For ticket details and more info, go to filmpittsburgh.org.
First Published: November 10, 2020, 3:48 p.m.
