Film Pittsburgh announced that the 44th annual Three Rivers Film Festival will run from November 4 through November 15, bringing a robust lineup of independent cinema to venues across the city and surrounding neighborhoods. The festival will feature 28 feature‑length films and more than 120 short works, presented both in person and via online streaming.
Opening night and special screenings
The festival kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 4, with the world premiere of Louder Than Odds: The Mr. Smalls Story, a documentary chronicling the survival of the family‑owned music venue in Millvale founded by Liz Berlin of Rusted Root and pro‑skater Mike Speranzo. The film will screen at the historic Mr. Smalls Theatre and be followed by an after‑party at The Sanctuary across the street.
As part of Film Pittsburgh’s America 250 celebration, the opening weekend also includes a screening of All American Girls, a documentary by Christy Wegener that explores the cultural impact and controversies surrounding American Girl dolls. Attendees are invited to bring their own dolls as “plus‑ones” for a photo opportunity at Row House Hollywood.
Short‑film programming and local partnerships
The second half of the festival highlights short‑form storytelling. The beloved “Chiller Theater” program returns, hosted by Sean Collier, and will showcase new independent horror shorts at the Hollywood Theater in honor of Chilly Billy Cardille.
In partnership with WQED‑TV, the festival will feature a series called “Shorts N’At,” spotlighting short documentaries made by Pittsburgh filmmakers. These screenings will take place at The Lindsay Theater in Sewickley and will be hosted by WQED’s Ryan Rust.
High‑profile films and talent
Among the feature films slated for the festival are several titles that have already attracted distribution interest ahead of awards season. Sylvester Stallone’s biopic I Play Rocky, directed by Peter Farrelly and starring Anthony Ippolito, is expected to draw strong crowds. The lineup also includes Clarissa, a modern re‑imagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway set in Nigeria, and Killing Castro, the feature‑film debut of music‑video director Eif Rivera, which features Al Pacino in the cast.
Immersive media and accessibility
In collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University’s SONA Festival, the Three Rivers Film Festival will host a free immersive film exhibit on Nov. 13‑14. The exhibit will explore virtual reality, augmented reality, 360‑degree video, and interactive media, emphasizing how new technologies expand storytelling possibilities and build community among artists, researchers, and audiences.
Starting this year, all feature screenings will be presented with open captions. “Every person deserves to experience the magic of cinema in a theater,” said Shanna Carrick, executive director of Film Pittsburgh. “While English‑language films are not typically presented with open captions, we believe that everyone can benefit from captioning.”
Tickets and additional information
The full festival schedule, including showtimes and ticketing details, is available on the Film Pittsburgh website at FilmPittsburgh.org. Organizers encourage early purchase, as many events are expected to sell out quickly.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
