NEWS

PITTSBURGH, PA – The 14th annual ReelAbilities Pittsburgh film festival, celebrating new independent cinema by and about people with disabilities, returns this fall with an in-person screening on September 3 at Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse, followed by a week of virtual programming available to stream September 4-13 in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

On September 3, the ReelAbilities in-person program will showcase a block of 7 short films featuring people with diverse abilities in the grand PNC Theater. The films will be preceded by the 8th annual Meritzer Award ceremony honoring recipient Tina Calabro and followed by an after-party. ReelAbilities Pittsburgh will also host an artist market in the Pittsburgh Playhouse lobby featuring works by artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities from Creative Citizen Studios and Studio Forget-Me-Not.

Virtually, patrons can stream 3 feature documentaries, 3 feature narratives, and 7 additional short films. The feature-length films include SILENT NOTES starring Daniel Durant from CODA, THE PAPER BAG PLAN, which took home best feature awards at multiple festivals, and the locally-made BECOMING BENJAMIN LAY by legendary Braddock documentarian Tony Buba and historian Marcus Rediker.

Tickets are available on August 13 at FilmPittsburgh.org.

8TH ANNUAL MERITZER AWARD

Preceding the short film program on September 3, the 8th annual Richard Meritzer Award will be presented to Tina Calabro, a writer and speaker specializing in disability issues.

The Richard Meritzer Award, co-sponsored by the City of Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Task Force on Disabilities and ReelAbilities Pittsburgh, recognizes outstanding leadership in advancing the letter and spirit of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The award is named in memory of Richard Meritzer (1953-2019), who served as ADA Coordinator for the City of Pittsburgh from 2007 to 2019 and was a leader in promoting understanding and implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

2026 Meritzer Award Winner Tina Calabro’s work as a communicator and community builder is focused on expanding public understanding of disability and highlighting the work of people and organizations that create opportunity and positive change. Her popular newspaper column, “Breaking Down Barriers,” which ran for 12 years in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, has been recognized for increasing awareness of issues, initiating positive changes and providing a voice for the disability community.

Previous Meritzer Award recipients include The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Oakland for All, Dr. Josie Badger, FISA Foundation, Mary Anderson Hartley, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and Nancy Murray.

REELABILITIES INTERNATIONAL

Recently honored by its selection in the inaugural Forbes Accessibility 100, ReelAbilities has grown from a single New York-based disability film festival into a leading independent nonprofit and the premiere global exhibitor of disability-focused cinema. Through groundbreaking award-winning films and innovative programming, ReelAbilities challenges stereotypes, celebrates authentic disability representation in movies, and expands opportunities for disabled creators worldwide.

ReelAbilities has been presented locally by Film Pittsburgh since 2013. For more information, visit FilmPittsburgh.org/ReelAbilities.

FILM PITTSBURGH

Since its inception in 1994, Film Pittsburgh celebrates independent filmmakers and curates diverse cinematic experiences to foster dialogue, learning, and human connection. Each year, Film Pittsburgh presents the Three Rivers Film Festival, ReelAbilities, and JFilm, as well as the Teen Screen program, which provides free films for educators and students throughout the school year locally in Allegheny County and beyond.