Join us for a one‑day feast of comedy, community, and (naturally) cookies in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh! On Saturday, March 14 2026 the Cookies & Comedy Film Festival takes over the nearly‑200‑seat Harris Theater (809 Liberty Ave.) in the city’s Cultural District, offering the same intimate vibe as our inaugural year—just with more room to laugh.

What to expect

- A hand‑picked slate of uproarious short films from Pittsburgh yinzers and funny folks worldwide
- Live hosts for each film block, drawn from the city’s top stand‑up talent
- Interactive Q&As and plenty of networking for filmmakers and fans alike
- The legendary Pittsburgh cookie table at our evening complimentary awards bash.

Classic theater concessions on site, along with everything surrounding Downtown Pittsburgh has to offer.

Local Filmmakers:
Need a submission‑fee discount? Drop us a line at info@cookiesfilmfest.com and we’ll hook you up.

Come for the laughs, stay for the cookies—we can’t wait to see what you've baked up! (Hopefully your jokes are funnier)

Awards & Prizes

Awards will be announced at the award ceremony for:

- Best Short Film (5-20 minutes) (NEW: $500 cash prize for top pick)
- Best Super Short Film (Under 5 minutes)
- Best Comedic Acting
- Best Local Short Film
- Best Local Comedic Acting

Additional awards may be granted for other categories, to be determined.

Rules & Terms

Film Submission Criteria:

- Comedy Genre: Your film must be a comedy or have significant comedic elements.
- Completion Date: Films must have been completed after January 1, 2023.
- Language: Non-English films must include English subtitles.
- Length: Films should not exceed 20 minutes.

Local Filmmakers: To be eligible for local awards, a representative of your film must attend the award ceremony.
9 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Thomas A. Fowler

    The Cookies and Comedy Film Festival is fun! Wish I could have attended in person. The festival runners even emailed me video of the crowd response to show how it was received. They go out of their way to make sure even those who can't be in person feel included.

    March 2025
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  • Katherine Coleman

    This was such a fun time full of truly lovely people and good films! Scott was very communicative and friendly, and the event went off without a hitch. Thanks so much for including us!

    March 2025
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  • Caroline Collins

    Terrific festival - it's hard to believe it was the first year! Everything was excellent from the strong communication before the fest to the delicious (homemade!) cookies and great networking at the after party. The comedians kept the blocks lively and we were honored to be in the company of some really funny films. Highly recommend!

    March 2025
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  • Leo Mahoney

    While I was unable to attend, Scott sent me the nicest note with a short video of my entry, Lucky Saturday, being screened at the festival. With that he sent me a review of the audience reaction, which I appreciated very much. I'll be there next year Scott- THANKS!

    March 2025
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  • Thea Lux

    Scott posted on Reddit about this Pittsburgh "cookie table" tradition which caught my attention. There aren't too many dedicated comedy film festivals, so to see a programmer passionate about bringing community together to laugh was a good reason to submit. Scott was attentive and clear with his correspondence, and while we were unable to attend, he very nicely sent a short video of the audience's reaction to our film, WHEEL. We ended up taking two awards! Best Comedic Acting, and second place for Best Short Film. Like all the cookies Scott baked himself, that news was a real treat! Thanks for having us!

    March 2025
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