SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2026 STEEL CITY EMERGING FILM FESTIVAL OPEN MAY 18, 2026.

Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA proudly presents the Steel City Emerging Film Festival, an exciting new event designed to celebrate and showcase the next generation of filmmakers. This festival invites talented students ages 14-24 from across the country to submit their short films and attend the festival to network, learn, and connect.

Aspiring young directors, writers, and cinematographers will have the opportunity to screen their films at Point Park’s state-of-the-art theaters, engage in workshops led by industry professionals, and connect with fellow creatives. The festival will feature multiple categories, including narrative, documentary, and local spotlight films, ensuring a diverse and dynamic lineup.

In addition to film screenings, the festival will include panel discussions, Q&A sessions with filmmakers, and an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding achievements in storytelling, cinematography, editing, and more.

Whether you're a filmmaker, cinephile, or simply passionate about storytelling, the Steel City Emerging Film Festival is the perfect place to experience the power of young voices in film. Join us for a weekend of inspiration, creativity, and cinematic excellence!

Awards & Prizes

Awards will be given in each category. Special awards for high school submissions will be allocated.

Awards include cash prizes, a trophy to the winner in each category, summer program scholarships to the top three high school students in each category, and university scholarships to select artists.

Rules & Terms

1. Submissions and entry to the Steel City Emerging Film Festival is all inclusive and open to anyone currently in high school.
2. Submissions are welcome from the continental United States. “Local Spotlight” films must include a primary filmmaker residing within Allegheny County.
3. All submissions need to have been created while the filmmaker was between the ages of 14-24. To be considerate for High School-specific awards, the primary filmmaker must be currently enrolled in high school or a 2026 graduate.
4. Underage participants must have a parent/guardian signed consent form and waiver.
5. All material used in the submission must be properly owned or licensed by the participant. This includes music, images, titles, footage. Be sure to use royalty free licensing resources if you do not have proper permissions.
6. If using copyrighted material, permission must be included with the submission of the project entry.
7. No inappropriate or sexually explicit submissions will be accepted.
8. Festival organizers and Point Park University reserves the right to use, copy, modify submissions for promotional and archival purposes.
9. All judges’ decisions are final.
10. Multiple submissions are welcome by one participant. Each submission must be uploaded and paid separately.
11.Runtimes can range from under a minute up to 15 minutes.This is inclusive of all credits, and pre- and post-scene material.
11. We will only accept the file formats:
a. .MP4
b. .MOV
c. Any submission shared through Vimeo, Dropbox, YouTube will not be accepted.
12. Submissions will only be accepted in 1080 HD
13. Any incomplete forms or guidelines not followed result in the submission not being accepted and fees not being returned.
14. Point Park University reserves the right to change the rules and guidelines at any time and for any reason necessary.
3 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Sea Sombar

    Genuinely such a great festival! It was very put together, communication was pretty much top tier, and I didn't feel anxious going in that they knew what they were doing. Once I got to the event at Point Park University, I was immediately blown away by the atmosphere, not only was everyone so kind, but their facilities were so good, the theater that the films were screening in was comfortable and practical. The food that was given out was good, sadly only for dinner day 1, and breakfast day 2, but still. The workshops were put together quite well, and I actually learned a lot. Overall, I 100% recommend submitting to this festival.

    September 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Hi Sea, we are so happy you had a great experience SCFF! We hope you will join us next year.

  • jayden greening

    This festival was great for young filmmakers, it’s often hard to find young people who share this interest and this was a great opportunity for that. The programming was pretty great! And there were workshops and lots of time to chat with other filmmakers. Super good time! Highly recommend.

    September 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Hi Jayden, thank you for joining us for SCFF 2025! We hope to see you again next year.

  • Owen Stillwell

    Awesome Festival! This was my first time having a film in a festival and I had a great time! The people were great, the workshops were awesome, and the screening made me feel like a true filmmaker.

    September 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Hi Owen, thank you for joining us for the inaugural SCFF! We hope to see you next year.