20th Anniversary

The only festival in the WORLD to give Official Selection Plagues

The Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival is Pittsburgh's premiere film festival (now in it's 20th year) for truly independent films, and a headline event for micro-budget and no-budget films from around the world. PIIF offers a fantastic opportunity for undiscovered filmmakers to showcase their achievements, filmmakers who posses an independent vision and operate to create innovative work outside the studio system. We screen more films than all comparable festivals, screening 12 hours a day on both Saturday and Sunday, while still having relevant industry discussions between filmmakers in our filmmakers lounge.
Every film that is selected to screen at our festival receives an OFFICIAL SELECTION Plaque, we are the only festival (In the world) to offer a substantial plaque for being selected. For the 2016 and 2018 Best Feature Film secured a distribution deal as a result of our recommendation, upon winning our festival. Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival uses the strength of the independent film making community to put on a fantastic festival. Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival is an indie film festival by and for indie filmmakers. In 2023 eleven films we're offered distribution deals, as a result of submitting to the Pittsburgh Independent Film Fest. In 2024 9 feature films were offered distribution deals.
If you have a feature film and are looking for distribution, this is the festival for you.

We were the Best of Pittsburgh City Paper readers Poll winner 2023, 2024, 2025 three years running!
PIFF was Just voted Pittsburgh City Paper readers Poll winner 2025 First place!

Awards & Prizes

Every film selected to be in the 2026 P.I.F.F will receive a OFFICIAL SELECTION Plaque to be presented at the Awards Ceremony Opening Night!

In addition to the OFFICIAL SELECTION plaques, Awards will be presented for the following categories:

Best Feature
Best Short
Best Music Video
Best Animation
Best AI Generated
Best Short Script
Best Feature Script

Rules & Terms

GENERAL RULES
Official Regulations for the 2023 Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival
ELIGIBILITY

1. Entries that have screened on US television prior to the Festival are eligible for a Festival screening.

2. Productions produced after January 2020 are eligible.

3. If submitting DVD. Productions must be submitted on DVD Region 0 or 1,

4. Entries must be postmarked by the deadline date.

5. Entrant confirms and warrants required legal authority to submit the entry into the Festival and to use all music, images and content in the entry.

6. Entrant will allow usage of clips from the entry and all related publicity material submitted for promotional use on television, radio, in print, web and at live Festival events.

7. Upon notification of acceptance, trailers may be sent via email links to YouTube. This is a great marketing for getting an audience excited about your film.

8 .Upon notification of acceptance, Entrant will allow usage of film or script regardless of any deals made with distributors T.V stations or any other distribution deal. made after submission has been made. If accepted to the festival your film will screen and cannot be withdrawn for any reason NO exceptions. We do NOT pay screening fees of any kind, or provide transportation or Airfare to the festival for filmmakers.

9. We will look at works in progress.

10. NO Fee Waivers are available.

11. All Decisions by judges, programmers and organizers will be final and no refund of entry fee will be permitted.

12. Filmmakers will pay all transportation costs of shipping exhibition tapes / dvds to festival, DVD's, Flash Drives, Drives and Blu-rays WILL NOT BE RETURNED.

64 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • David Ogrodowski

    Excellent festival. Ron is a hero. Especially if you're from Pittsburgh, but he has Films from all over the world. I love it every time.!

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Justin Charles Gizzi

    Ron Quigley curated a fantastic film festival experience for everyone, in an intimate setting at the Parkway Theater & Film Lounge. I was elated to receive the Featured Screenplay award for my own- "The Soft Core". Ron is a very gracious and insightful host, and I'm very much looking forward to attending again next year!

    December 2025
    Helpful
  • Blair Murphy

    This festival was a real treat. Ron was so cool. And he had created plaques for all of us! I brought the whole family! We really enjoyed our visit. Thank you for championing my film "The Deep Dive."

    November 2025
    Helpful
  • michael weaver

    Ron is a lover of film and he brings a familial vibe to proceedings - this festival has a lot of heart. We really appreciate his efforts and the vote of confidence he gave us in our film.

    July 2025
    Helpful
  • Pullie Productions

    We had an absolutely wonderful experience at the Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival hosted at the Parkway Theater! From start to finish, everything was organized, welcoming, and inspiring. The communication with the team was smooth, and the quality of films curated was top-notch.

    Highly recommend this festival to any indie filmmaker looking for a genuine, supportive, and memorable platform to showcase their work. We’ll definitely be back!

    July 2025
    Helpful