NEWS

PITTSBURGH, PA—Film Pittsburgh, the educational and cultural institution that serves over 30,000 people annually through exposure to acclaimed independent films and filmmakers from around the world, announces the search for its next executive director. After more than two decades of innovative leadership, founder Kathryn Spitz Cohan will retire on June 30, 2025. Film Pittsburgh is looking for a successor who will build on Spitz Cohan’s legacy and guide the organization into its next phase.

“What Kathryn has done during her nearly 25 years at Film Pittsburgh has been tremendous,” says Board Chair Daryl Hutson. “We have a reputation for excellent programming, we’re financially strong, and we have some truly special projects on the horizon. The organization is looking for someone who can strategically build on this solid foundation and lead us into the future.”

Legacy of Innovation

What is now known as Film Pittsburgh got its start in 2001 when Kathryn Spitz Cohan was hired part-time by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh to run JFilm (known at the time as the Pittsburgh Jewish-Israeli Film Festival). A modest festival with an annual budget under $40K (including its organizer’s salary), JFilm is now the region’s largest Jewish film festival and will celebrate its 31st year April 24–May 4, 2025.

An audience settles in for a screening at JFilm 2024 at the Oaks Theater, Photo by Porter Loves

In the decades since its founding, Film Pittsburgh grew from a one-person project to an 11-person organization, increased its budget more than twenty fold, and added three additional festivals to its roster. The organization officially became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2015, and has cultivated a reputation of nurturing emerging filmmakers and curating high-quality festivals.

As executive director, Spitz Cohan has deftly navigated several seismic shifts in the film industry, including the transition from 35mm prints to digital formats in 2013. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many film festivals were struggling and the organization’s primary venue closed, she spearheaded a move to alternative spaces and virtual programming. With Spitz Cohan’s guidance, Film Pittsburgh undertook these changes while nurturing steady organizational growth. Along the way, Spitz Cohan was named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Top 50 Cultural Forces list and received an Opal Award from Women in Film and Media Pittsburgh for exemplary professional achievement.

A Roster of Reputable Programming

In 2005, Teen Screen was created to share some of the JFilm selections with students through field trips to the festival. Now in its 20th year, Teen Screen has a life of its own as an educational outreach program that brings films and film experts to middle and high school classrooms to explore important, often difficult, topics through the medium. The program integrates with teachers’ curricula and is free to schools. According to Spitz Cohan, “Education has always been an important part of my DNA. Having worked with the University of Pittsburgh’s Shakespeare in the Schools, I could see that many of the films I was watching for the festival had educational value. It’s through that lens that I wanted to share these films with students.” Teen Screen continues to be a core part of Film Pittsburgh’s programming, reaching more than 25,000 students and teachers each year.

High school students pose with filmmaker Beth Lane following a Teen Screen event at the Harris Theater during the 2024 Three Rivers Film Festival.

The ReelAbilities Pittsburgh film festival, which showcases thought-provoking cinema by and about people with disabilities, launched in 2013. In 2017, the organization followed it up with Pittsburgh Shorts, a festival aligned with a multi-day filmmaking conference that provides networking opportunities for emerging filmmakers. Most recently, Film Pittsburgh took over curation and day-to-day operation of the long-standing Three Rivers Film Festival, which highlights exceptional independent films from all over the world.

In addition to running four film festivals and the Teen Screen program, Film Pittsburgh also operates a screenwriting competition as part of Pittsburgh Shorts and presents the Robinson International Short Film Competition. The Robinson Competition, which awards cash prizes to excellent Jewish-themed short films, has given away over $200K to filmmakers and will celebrate its 14th year in May 2025.

Since 2018, Film Pittsburgh has programmed 67 films that went on to be shortlisted for the Academy Awards, 30 that were then nominated, and eight that won Oscars. In 2024, four films that were played at Film Pittsburgh festivals were nominated for Academy Awards. Most recently, Gints Zilbalodis’ Flow, which played at the Three Rivers Film Festival, took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

Looking Ahead

After retirement, Spitz Cohan will continue advocating for filmmakers and serving as vice president on the national trade organization Film Festival Alliance’s Board of Directors. Says Spitz Cohan, “I believe independent filmmakers have their fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in the world, and that film is a powerful medium for change. I look forward to giving back to the film festival sector as well as staying involved in the Pittsburgh arts community.”

Film Pittsburgh looks forward to continuing to support the talent and diversity of the region by presenting the best independent films by artists from around the world. The organization anticipates building on the foundation of Spitz Cohan’s deep value for filmmaking as it embarks on the search for new leadership.

“As Film Pittsburgh enters its 25th year, we’re in a strong position to weather the constant changes of the film industry,” says Hutson. “We are looking for a leader who understands both the nonprofit and film festival worlds. The right person will have a vision for the future of the organization, and understand how to capitalize on our successes to launch us into our next chapter.”

The Search

A board-level search committee has been formed to identify potential candidates for the role of Film Pittsburgh’s second executive director. The committee will be accepting applications through May 16. More information about the application is available here.