Shanna Carrick, Executive Director, Film Pittsburgh

In an interview with Invest:, Shanna Carrick, executive director of Film Pittsburgh, said that inclusive storytelling is central to the organization’s mission as it expands its cultural impact in the region. “We believe film is for everyone, and we aim to create that inclusive, ephemeral experience of being in a theater together, watching independent cinema as a community,” Carrick said.

What is your overview of Film Pittsburgh, including its purpose and mission in the Pittsburgh area?

Film Pittsburgh originated from the JFilm Festival, founded in 1994 by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, beginning as a volunteer-run event. We now also produce Pittsburgh Shorts, ReelAbilities Pittsburgh, and the Three Rivers Film Festival, which has been running since 1981. It was originally part of the Three Rivers Arts Festival that takes place every summer, and while it’s changed hands over time, we’re now honored to steward that legacy.

In addition, we have an educational outreach program called Teen Screen. Though these programs differ, they are united under the common mission of presenting diverse perspectives and building empathy through film. We believe film is for everyone, and we aim to create that inclusive, ephemeral experience of being in a theater together, watching independent cinema as a community.

What are your immediate priorities as you begin this journey of fostering empathy and connection through film?

I’ve been in this position for just a few months. I come from a background in operations and arts management, so my initial focus was on strengthening our operational infrastructure and modernizing our systems. I introduced SaaS tools like Slack for internal communication, Monday.com for project management, Google Workspace for collaboration, and Brex for expense tracking. It was a lot of tech all at once, but it was all in service of improving efficiency and connecting our hybrid workforce.

We’re a small team — just eight employees — so my first priority was to support them. I wanted to understand their vision for the organization, their priorities, and how they hope to evolve Film Pittsburgh. I began with an employee-first review and have continued to focus on listening and learning. We also have an incredibly engaged board, which is a rare and wonderful asset. While I haven’t run a film festival before, I’ve managed a lecture series, which is quite similar in many ways, so I feel well-prepared and excited to lead.

What strategies are you implementing to support and sustain an independent workforce in Pittsburgh?

I hold an MBA in Sports, Arts, and Entertainment Management, so I’m well aware of the high cost of turnover, especially when you lose institutional knowledge. That’s why I’ve prioritized taking care of our employees, whether they’re part-time, hourly, or full-time.

For example, I introduced unlimited sick leave. Previously, we didn’t have a separate sick time policy. Now, staff don’t have to choose between canceling a well-earned vacation or coming in sick, which is especially important with COVID and the flu still circulating.

The goal is to make sure everyone feels supported, valued, and secure in their roles, especially in today’s unpredictable nonprofit arts landscape, where grant funding is shrinking and individual giving is decreasing. That shift means we’ll need to emphasize earned revenue more going forward.

As for broader workforce development in the filmmaking space, that’s outside of our direct purview. We’re at the tail end of the creative process — we receive submissions from filmmakers and evaluate them with our volunteer judges and programming team. The Pittsburgh Film Office is the main player in workforce development for local filmmakers, but we fully support and celebrate our independent creators especially for Pittsburgh-made films.

How would you describe the contribution of the film industry to the regional economy in Pittsburgh?

The film industry here is definitely on a growth path. Take Row House Cinema, for example. It started as a single-screen theater in Lawrenceville and has now expanded. They’ve acquired a 99-year-old legacy theater in Dormont — a Pittsburgh neighborhood — and are transforming it into an atmospheric theater. It’s actually the first atmospheric theater built in the United States in over 40 years.

Their investment is a powerful signal. At a time when streaming is more convenient than ever — watching movies on laptops or even phones — Row House is betting on the value of shared, in-person moviegoing experiences. People are still seeking opportunities to gather and engage with film as an event rather than passive consumption.

Atmospheric theaters bring the outdoors inside, and Row House will be featuring elements like a starlit ceiling and Art Deco architectural designs inspired by 1920s movie palaces. I toured the new space and am incredibly excited about what it represents, not just for film but for local economic and cultural development. It’s an investment from a local business, not a major chain, which is important for building community-rooted growth.

What do you see as the biggest investment opportunities in the film industry today?

It’s really all about the audience experience. The global trend in experiential cinema is growing, especially in Asian markets. For instance, 4DX — originating in South Korea — has expanded into the U.S. market specifically in Regal Cinemas. We don’t yet have one in Pittsburgh, but it’s a fully immersive experience: the seats move, there are wind and fog effects, even scents. I watched Fantastic Four in 4DX, and when Johnny Storm ignites, you can actually smell something burning.

Another example is the Sphere in Las Vegas, which wraps the audience in a dome screen for full immersion. They’re producing a Wizard of Oz experience where you’re in the tornado with Dorothy, feeling the wind. Then there are smaller ventures like Cosm in Los Angeles and Dallas, with wraparound ceilings and walls to make you feel like you’re inside the film.

And let’s not forget Metro Private Cinema, which is taking a different route by creating micro-cinemas for small groups, paired with gourmet dining. It’s all about transforming film into a full sensory experience that people want to pay for — not just a night out, but a memorable event.

How does Film Pittsburgh support educational opportunities for emerging filmmakers?

We engage with schools through our Teen Screen program. It provides educators with free access to curated films that align with and supplement their curriculum. The program is funded by a mix of donor and foundation support and revenue from our festivals. Beyond just screening films, we also create opportunities for students to interact directly with filmmakers — sometimes via Zoom — so they can learn firsthand about the filmmaking process and see it as a viable career path.

What programs or efforts are in place to ensure diversity, accessibility, and inclusion within the community through film?

This is something we take very seriously. One of our guiding principles is: Nothing about us without us. That means involving the communities represented in our programming. For example, we’re showing a Spanish-language film titled DEAF, about a deaf mother and hearing father raising a child and in a particular scene during childbirth navigating the challenges of medical care without access to Spanish Sign Language.

To deepen the impact, we’re hosting a talkback featuring professionals from the Sign Language Interpreting Professionals organization, a deaf mother of a hearing child, and one of our staff members who is a hearing parent of a deaf child. These conversations create powerful educational moments.

In general, we ensure our programming is diverse and one way that we can do this is by endeavoring to have our volunteer screeners — the ones selecting and rating the films — reflect that diversity as well. Inclusion has to be built into every stage of the process.

How are you measuring the success of those efforts, and where do you see opportunities for further improvement?

We’re focused on both qualitative and quantitative data. Of course, personal impact matters: if people leave a screening feeling moved or transformed, that’s a success. However, we also track metrics like ticket sales, survey responses, and contributions. We ask if attendees felt welcomed, if they see themselves as part of our community, and if they’d return next year.

We’re also doing a major brand relaunch for the Three Rivers Film Festival (3RFF). Brand-based marketing is crucial for building recognition and long-term loyalty, and we’ll be using Net Promoter Scores and other feedback tools post-festival to evaluate progress and refine our approach. 

What are Film Pittsburgh’s main goals for growth over the next few years?

Our biggest goal is to position Pittsburgh as a destination city for film. I often reference the “Paris to Pittsburgh” initiative, where downtown restaurants brought dining outdoors to create a more European atmosphere. In the same spirit, we want Pittsburgh to be seen as the Cannes of Appalachia, or the Sundance of Pennsylvania.

We envision people traveling here from around the world to attend our festivals, watch incredible independent films, stay in our fantastic downtown hotels like our partners at IHG’s  EVEN hotel and the Kimpton, and enjoy our amazing local dining scene. With events like the NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh in April, there’s a tremendous opportunity to increase tourism and make sure those visitors come back year after year, not just for sports but for film as well.