The Three Rivers Film Festival starts with a pinball wizard — not named Tommy — and ends with a George Romeo classic.
In all, it will screen 18 indie films from around the world, along with Q&A panels with cast and crew members.
The pinball feature is “Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game,” which digs back into the history of the arcade machines that launched during the Great Depression and got their flippers in 1947. It profiles professional pinballer and GQ writer Roger Sharpe, who, in 1976, appeared before members of the Manhattan City Council to argue that pinball was a game of skill, and therefore should not be banned as gambling.
“Like a cross between Babe Ruth and Moses, Roger set pinball free,” directors Austin and Meredith Bragg said in a statement. “But after talking with Roger for hours, we came to understand a deeper story that had yet to be told. Roger may have saved pinball, but the path he took to get there ultimately rescued him. At its core, this is a coming-of-age story about the value of taking chances and how commitment can be the most rewarding gamble of all.”
The Romero film is the five-part, Pittsburgh-shot horror anthology “Creepshow,” which came out in 1982 — thus, the 40th anniversary screening — and marked the screenwriting debut of Stephen King.
Variety said of the film, “George Romero, collaborating with writer Stephen King, again proves his adeptness at combining thrills with tongue-in-cheek humor.”
It has an impressive cast of stars that includes Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson and Ed Harris.
In between, there will be a documentary about the work of CNN political commentator Van Jones, a Stephen Frears film starring Sally Hawkins of “The Shape of Water,” the Cannes Film Festival grand prize winner, “Close,” and more.
It opens Thursday and runs through Wednesday at Pittsburgh Playhouse (Downtown), the Harris Theater (Downtown), and The Tull Family Theater in Sewickley.
The all-festival pass is $150; general admission is $15 per screening. Opening night is $20 and includes an after-party. You can also get passes for virtual combos. For more details, go to filmpittsburgh.org.
FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
THURSDAY
“Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game”: Debut feature from brothers Austin and Meredith Bragg chronicles the little-known history of pinball, which was illegal in most U.S. cities up until the mid ’70s. It profiles young GQ journalist and pinball-lover named Roger Sharpe, who worked toward overturning the ban. Followed by a Q&A with directors and an after-party with food, a complimentary cocktail ticket, and pinball machines set to free play in the Playhouse Lobby. 7 p.m. at Pittsburgh Playhouse.
FRIDAY
“The Lost King”: Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water”) stars in this Stephen Frears drama about a writer, facing a midlife crisis, who goes off to find the remains of Richard III. 7 p.m. at Harris Theater.
“Beautiful Minds”: Bernard Campan and Alexandre Jollien wrote, co-directed and star in this film about two men, with vastly different life stories and personalities, who find themselves on a road trip to the south of France — in a hearse. 7:30 pm at Tull Family Theater.
“Last Film Show”: Indian film about a 9-year-old boy, who, forbidden to watch films by his father, discovers the magic of cinema and shares it with his friends. 9:15 p.m. at the Harris.
SATURDAY
“Róise & Frank”: Irish comedy-drama about a widow who believes a shaggy stray dog is her reincarnated husband. Irish, with subtitles. 2 p.m. at the Harris.
“The First Step”: Documentary about political commentator Van Jones attempting to work across party lines on criminal justice reform and the addiction crisis. 4:30 p.m. at the Harris, with filmmaker Q&A.
“Refuge”: Documentary about two Georgia men — a former KKK leader and Kurdish refugee — who develop an unlikely friendship. 5 p.m. at the Tull.
“Close”: 2022 Cannes Film Festival grand prize winner is a coming-of-age story about two 13-year-old friends in Belgium. 7:30 p.m. at the Harris.
“Lonely Voices”: Modern-day tale about a long-married Italian couple who go viral during the pandemic by offering online cooking lessons. Italian, with subtitles. 7:30 p.m. at the Tull.
SUNDAY
“Butterfly in the Sky”: LeVar Burton stars in this nostalgic journey into the world of the beloved television show, “Reading Rainbow.” 1 p.m. at the Harris.
“Beautiful Minds”: 4 p.m. at the Harris.
“Sweet Disaster”: Quirky story of a fun-loving 40-year-old teacher who finds herself pregnant after a brief fling with a pilot. English/German/Finnish with subtitles. 5 p.m. at the Tull.
“My Sister Liv”: Alan Hicks, Oscar winner for the music documentary “Quincy” (about Quincy Jones), directs this film about a woman helping her younger sister through depression, body dysmorphia, and suicidal thoughts, leading to the creation of their nonprofit organization, The Liv Project. 7 p.m. at the Harris.
MONDAY
“Sweet Disaster”: 5:30 p.m. at the Harris.
“Oliver & The Pool”: Coming-of-age story from director Arcadi Palerm-Artis about 13-year-old who loses his father and then “takes up residence on a poolside lounge chair where he decides there’s no reason to move any further – ever!” 7:30 p.m. at the Harris.
TUESDAY
“Ludi”: Haitian American actor Shein Mompremier plays a Haitian immigrant nurse who takes on the private care of an uncooperative patient with whom she finds common ground. 5:30 p.m. at the Harris, with filmmaker Q&A. 5:30 p.m. at the Harris.
“The Unknown Country”: Pittsburgher own Laura Heberton produced this meditative journey about a grieving woman, played by Lily Gladstone, who sets out on a solitary road trip through the American Midwest. 7:40 p.m. at Harris.
WEDNESDAY
“Creepshow”: 40th anniversary screening of George Romero’s classic anthology of five tales inspired by the E.C. horror comic books of the 1950s. It features the screenwriting debut of Stephen King and an ensemble cast that includes Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson and Ed Harris. 7 p.m. at the Harris.
First Published: November 7, 2022, 11:00 a.m.
