Community & Inclusion

Inclusion Statement

We proudly present films produced outside the traditional film studio system, offering an opportunity to amplify stories that showcase the full range of human experiences.

Through our thoughtful curation, you will experience cultural works from around the world that represent a diverse range of racial, ethnic, and religious groups, as well as individuals with disabilities and those with diverse personal expressions across the gender and sexuality spectrums. 

It is our privilege to celebrate freedom of expression by exhibiting films that provoke and inspire thoughtful dialogue and discourse. We also acknowledge that art is inherently political in both its creation and presentation, and that we strive to curate diverse festivals in a world where power, conflict, and politics shape who can produce and distribute art. 

Our commitment to you, our community of staff, volunteers, artists, audiences, vendors, and partners, is to always strive for an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming environment, where we can experience the power of film as it was meant to be shared, together. 

To that end, we invite you to be a part of our vibrant community and hope you will join us in:

• Being Curious and Embracing Discomfort: Art is designed to challenge us and ignite our curiosity about the world. We encourage everyone to fully immerse themselves in the sensory experience of watching a film by allowing themselves to feel a full range of emotions and sensations without judgment or the urge to act immediately. Discomfort enables empathy.
• Celebrating the Diversity of Reactions: We love seeing and hearing your reactions to a film! When something surprises us, we gasp; when something scares us, we shriek—these are responses we can't control. We invite everyone to bring their authentic selves to our screenings without feeling the need to hide how they express themselves. This includes a special welcome for people who are neurodivergent. However, we expect everyone to refrain from being purposefully disruptive to the community’s film-viewing experience and, in turn, hold each other to mutual trust that any vocalizations are not intended to be disruptive.
• Continuing the Conversation: A film is an inherently collaborative art form. It is a patchwork of many visions spliced together, inviting us to discover, decipher, and draw connections. To learn about a film’s writing and production, its context and intended audience, and its influences and references is to enliven the viewing experience. We encourage you to engage with fellow patrons, utilize our discussion guides, and participate in post-screening events featuring directors and community members.
• Using Inclusive Language: We will always strive to use gender-neutral and affirming language to show respect for and acknowledge the diversity of all people, including their gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, and ability. We ask that all members of our community do the same. If a mistake is made, we will all be open to correction, allowing us to learn from it and improve for the future.
• Prioritizing Our Collective Health & Safety: We kindly request that you stay home when you feel unwell to help prevent the spread of illness. If you’re unsure, wear a mask. Masking is welcome in our spaces, without question. We will present as many films as possible virtually.
• Being an Active Participant in Our Growing Community: We encourage you to explore a new film, attend events, and provide feedback at info@filmpittsburgh.org. Bring your friends, show up in person when you can, and eat popcorn with us. We love hearing your thoughts on the films! Continue to support your local independent theaters and film nonprofits in Pittsburgh and beyond.

We strive to maintain a harassment-free, safe, and respectful environment that protects community members from conduct that is inappropriate, disruptive, abusive, or threatening. Event organizers and venue staff have the legal right to refuse entry or remove individuals from private events or spaces for reasons such as disruptive behavior, intoxication, intimidation, harassment, or failure to follow posted rules. All guests are expected to respect venue policies, and violations may result in removal without refund. If you experience or witness any inappropriate conduct, please report it to the venue staff or to Film Pittsburgh at info@filmpittsburgh.org.

Transparency is one of our core values, and we invite you to learn more about our curatorial operations:

Our Curatorial Processes

• Film For All: Film is for everyone regardless of financial status, education, background, language, ethnicity, or religion. This will guide our operations and programming decisions. This explicitly includes JFilm, as we acknowledge that the Jewish diaspora is not only diverse in religious practices but is made up of many cultures, countries, and races. All are welcome at JFilm regardless of their connection to Judaism as a culture or religion.
• Nothing About Us Without Us: People living with disabilities should be directly involved in all decisions related to our programming that pertain to the depiction of disabilities in film and other significant decisions regarding accessibility.
• Pittsburgh Is Vibrant: We will actively seek volunteers, including judges, screeners, and programming committee members, who reflect our community in terms of race, sexual orientation, disability status, age, gender expression, and other identifiers that make Pittsburgh a vibrant place. We explicitly welcome the trans and non-binary community.
• Team-based Approach: Our team of programmers, volunteers, and committee members watch over 1,000 submissions every year. As we carefully review each film, we consider both artistic excellence and alignment with our mission to bring diverse and independent voices to Pittsburgh audiences. With a limited number of screening slots, many excellent films cannot be included. These decisions are never easy and do not reflect a film’s worth, but rather the festival’s need to create a balanced program that best serves our community.

You can become a member of the previewing team by signing up to volunteer!