Click HERE for the 2022 SCREENSHOT: Asia Festival

Asian residents are the fastest-growing ethnicity in Southwest PA; new arrivals include Asian and Asian American students who stay after graduation; professionals brought in by tech, biomedical, and other emerging industries; and refugee communities from Bhutan, Iraq, and Syria. However, in Pittsburgh there are few arts organizations dedicated to exploring and celebrating the rich variety of Asian arts, and no dedicated film organizations. The Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh has drawn from its history of Asian and Asian diasporic media initiatives to create a dedicated film and media programming series(SCREENSHOT: Asia) to open perspectives in the community and give voice to the many Asian communities.

The festival includes features, short films, and other media arts that transcend boundaries. Possible projects include films, videos, projections, video installations, and other media. A committee drawn from Pitt faculty, community leaders, and local artists will select pieces based on their merit and relevance to the theme. Film venues include university auditoriums, theaters in Pittsburgh, and screening spaces in rural areas of Southwest PA.

The event also includes workshops and community discussions with filmmakers and will be both education (student-focused) and community focused. The program will provide space for Asian and other minority filmmakers, while community discussions will augment films and allow for all audiences to engage with diverse independent filmmakers.