The Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival is Pittsburgh's premiere film festival 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 and 2024 two years running!

Awards & Prizes

Every film selected to be in the 2024 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 Narrative
Best Feature Documentary
Best Short Narrative
Best Short Documentary
Best Music Video
Best Webisode
Best Animation
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 2009 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.

52 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Sujay Utkarsh

    I meant to put this up earlier but this was a wonderful film festival and the selections were all great! I was very grateful to have my short film selected despite its limitations, for which I got really valuable feedback. Additionally, it was a very nice touch that the festival's organizer, Ron Quigley, handed out actual plaques to all participants for selections. He was a great presence at the festival as well. The venue was also a great selection. Overall, I would love to send another film here in the future and hopefully can get another selection!

    September 2024
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  • Robert Scott

    The Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival is great! Ron does a wonderful job of selecting and curating a wide variety of films. I was thrilled to have my short drama, "Odyssey." included among the films.

    August 2024
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  • Jared Ziegler

    This festival was perfect for the premiere of my documentary. As the film was shot in Pittsburgh it was amazing to have a festival only a few miles from my shooting location. It really had a hometown feel and the subject of my documentary was able to attend with all her friends and family. While the smaller venue doesn't lend itself to a massive networking on the night of your screening, I would defiantly recommend attending the opening ceremonies as it allowed you to connect with other filmmakers and build some interest in your film with others. The venue does provide a bar/food space that is really nice for people to hang out and mingle both before and after screening. I loved that there was a space and time for audience members to connect and converse with the filmmakers.

    July 2024
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  • MJ Alhabeeb Jr

    Pittsburgh Independent was terrific! Ron and his team did a fabulous job putting together an amazing Festival! The Parkway Theater and Film Lounge is an excellent venue. There is a brewery inside, a full bar, short order cook on hand a wonderful outdoor patio that was a great setting for the Awards and Opening Night and of course a phenomenal theater! The owners of the theater were also there, serving drinks and very welcoming to all the filmmakers and film goers.

    The films were great! The filmmakers in attendance were able to mingle and network and everybody received an Official Selection plaque in addition to the Awards plaques that were handed out.

    All in all the entire Festival weekend was superb!

    July 2024
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  • David French

    Honored to have had my film “the adjudicators’ pawn” included alongside all the great (well curated) films. Ron puts on a great fest in a very cool and intimate venue

    July 2024
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