Point Park Film and Animation

🎤 Meet Our Guest Speaker! We're excited to welcome Shanna Carrick to this year's festival! She will be joining us on September 12th to kick off the day with a talkback! Shanna Carrick is a life-long Pittsburgher with over a decade of non-profit arts management experience, an MBA from Point Park University's Sports, Arts and Entertainment Management program, and a BA from the University of Pittsburgh in Theatre Arts with a certificate in Film. She joined Film Pittsburgh in summer 2025, which presents the Three Rivers Film Festival, Reel Abilities Pittsburgh, and JFilm, Pittsburgh Jewish Film Festival.

Visit https://filmfreeway.com/SteelCityEmergingFilmFestival to learn more about the festival!

🎉We are excited to announce that we have partnered with Film Pittsburgh for the 2026 Steel City Emerging Film Festival. 🎉

Their support helps us create meaningful opportunities for young filmmakers through education, networking, and showcasing emerging talent. We're grateful to have them as part of this year's festival and can't wait to share what's ahead.Be sure to join us on September 12th for Executive Director Shanna Carrick’s talkback to kick off the day!

Visit https://filmfreeway.com/SteelCityEmergingFilmFestival to learn more about the festival!

👕 Preorder Your Festival T-Shirt Today! Don't miss your chance to grab this year's official festival T-shirt 🎬These shirts are available by preorder ONLY to pick up at the event, so be sure to place your order before the August 21st deadline to secure yours. Once preorders close, they won't be available for purchase. Show your festival spirit, support the event, and get yours before it's too late! ✨ All proceeds support the SCEFF!

Get your shirt at www.compressmerch.com/products/point-park-steel-city-emerging-film-festival-tshirt?_pos=1&_sid=7c62db74d&_ss=r or the link in our bio

Visit https://filmfreeway.com/SteelCityEmergingFilmFestival to learn more about the festival!

The wait is almost over. ⏳Our review process is wrapping up, and filmmakers will soon receive notification about their submissions! Thank you again to everyone who entered this year's festival. We can't wait to see the incredible lineup for Steel City Emerging Film Festival 2026 in September. Stay tuned!

Visit https://filmfreeway.com/SteelCityEmergingFilmFestival to learn more about the festival!

🎬Meet our Judges… We're excited to announce our 4th judge, Caroline Collins.

Caroline Collins is an actor, writer, producer, and director. She has appeared in film and television roles for NBC Universal, Showtime, Apple TV+, and others. Caroline has written, directed, and produced award-winning short films and television pilots. She is vice president of the board of Carnegie Screenwriters, a member of the board of the Pittsburgh Shot Initiative, and a member of Women in Film and Media Pittsburgh. Caroline also previously served as Associate Director of Film Pittsburgh, a film-presenting nonprofit.

Visit https://filmfreeway.com/SteelCityEmergingFilmFestival to learn more about the festival!

🎬Meet our Judges… We're excited to announce our 3rd judge, PJ Gaynard.

PJ Gaynard is a multi-talented, award-winning filmmaker with over thirty years of experience. He runs Goat Milk Fudge Productions and the Nonprofit Pittsburgh Shot which includes The Pittsburgh Crew Connect, the Pittsburgh 48 Hour Film Project, and the Filmmaker Flea Market. He has a BFA in Film, Video, and Animation from RIT and an MA in Humanities/Humanistic Studies from CalState Northridge. He co-created the CCAC Film Technician Program and taught courses there from 2016-2020.

Visit https://filmfreeway.com/SteelCityEmergingFilmFestival to learn more about the festival!

🎬Meet our Judges… We're excited to announce our 2nd judge, Minette Seate.

Minette Seate is an Executive Producer at WQED Pittsburgh. Throughout her career, Minette has produced, written, and hosted dozens of television talk shows and documentaries, including Black Horizons, the country’s longest-running minority affairs talk show. Minette is a multiple Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award winner and was the host and producer of the independent film series “Filmmakers Corner” for fifteen seasons. Her numerous short and long-form documentaries have focused on arts, culture, and community with an emphasis on Pittsburgh’s African American history. She is a proud product and supporter of Pittsburgh’s arts and media community and a member of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation.

Visit https://filmfreeway.com/SteelCityEmergingFilmFestival to learn more about the festival!