Film Pittsburgh presents the 2026 Three Rivers Film Festival Nov. 4-15
Film Pittsburgh is presenting the 44th annual Three Rivers Film Festival Nov. 4-15, with a lineup of independent features, shorts, panels, parties, and special events across multiple venues.
This year’s festival showcases 28 feature films and more than 120 short films presented in person and online. Films will screen at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Harris Theater, The Lindsay Theater in Sewickley, and Row House Hollywood in Dormont.
The festival will open on Nov. 4 with the world premiere of “Louder Than Odds: The Mr. Smalls Story,” a documentary about the survival and impact of the family-owned independent music venue in Millvale founded by Rusted Root’s Liz Berlin and pro skater Mike Speranzo. The screening will be held at the Mr. Smalls Theatre and will be followed by an after-party at The Sanctuary across the street.
“Louder Than Odds” is part of Film Pittsburgh’s America 250 celebration along with “All American Girls,” a documentary directed by Christy Wegener, that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the cultural impact and controversies surrounding American Girl dolls. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own American Girl dolls as their “plus-one” to the screening at Row House Hollywood for a photo opportunity.
The second half of the festival will feature short films, including the return of the beloved “Chiller Theater” program hosted by Sean Collier. Named in honor of Chilly Billy Cardille, the spooky showcase features new independent horror shorts at the Hollywood Theater. In partnership with WQED-TV, the festival will also spotlight short documentaries made by Pittsburgh filmmakers, called “Shorts N’At,” at The Lindsay Theater in Sewickley, hosted by WQED’s Ryan Rust.
Films that have been picked up for distribution ahead of award season include the hotly anticipated Sylvester Stallone biopic “I Play Rocky,” directed by Peter Farrelly and starring Anthony Ippolito; “Clarissa,” a modern-day reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway” set in Nigeria; and “Killing Castro” by music video director Eif Rivera in his feature film debut. Its cast includes Al Pacino.
In addition to film screenings, the festival will have a free immersive film exhibit in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University’s SONA Festival on Nov. 13-14. SONA explores how virtual reality, augmented reality, 360 Video, and interactive media expand the ways stories are told and experienced and builds community among the artists, researchers, and audiences who care about this work.
Starting this year, all features in the Three Rivers Film Festival will be presented with open captions.
“Every person deserves to experience the magic of cinema in a theater,” according to Shanna Carrick, executive director of Film Pittsburgh. “And while English-language films are not typically presented with open captions on screen, we believe that everyone can benefit from captioning.”
The full festival lineup can be seen and tickets are available at FilmPittsburgh.org