Schedule :

November 8, 2023

7:00 PM: Unsinkable - OPENING NIGHT : PITTSBURGH PLAYHOUSE

This screening is followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team and a reception in the Playhouse lobby. Special ticket price applies.

In the aftermath of the Titanic disaster in April 1912, Senator William Alden Smith chaired an inquiry by the United States Senate into the causes of and responses to the shocking event. Unsinkable explores the rushed investigation and political interference in the search for accountability when the “unsinkable” RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden journey. Shot entirely in Pittsburgh, Unsinkable stars Cotter Smith (Mindhunter), Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Fiona Dourif (The Blacklist), Jayne Wisener (Jane Eyre), and many recognizable Pittsburgh-based actors.

7:00pm : The Holdovers - OPENING NIGHT : HARRIS THEATER

An Opening Night after party will take place in the Pittsburgh Playhouse lobby, a short walk from the Harris Theater. Special ticket prices apply.

From acclaimed director Alexander Payne,?The Holdovers  follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).

November 9, 2023

5:30pm : Kite Zo A - Leave the Bones - HARRIS THEATER

Followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team

A Vodou ritual took place in Bois-Caïman on the night of August 14, 1791, that set the stage for a mass uprising against slavery and led to the birth of Haiti, the world’s first Black independent republic. Ever since, ceremonies of artistic and religious expression have been a mainstay of Haitian culture.

Kite Zo A (Leave the Bones) is an exploration of Haitian rituals, from ancient to modern, delivered by director Kaveh Nabatian in collaboration with poets, dancers, musicians, fishermen, daredevil rollerbladers, and Vodou priests. Set to poetry by Haitian author Wood-Jerry Gabriel this documentary delivers an unforgettable experience of Haitian culture and rituals.

7:30pm : Two Lives in Pittsburgh - HARRIS THEATER

Followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team

Pittsburgh native Brian Silverman writes, directs, and stars in the heartwarming, fictional tale Two Lives in Pittsburgh. Confronted by his mother’s illness and his child’s exploration of gender, Bernie Evers, a traditional blue-collar guy, finds himself struggling to come to terms with the man he’s always been and the father his child needs him to be. Silverman’s feature directorial debut is a love letter to Pittsburgh and an engaging tribute to imperfect people doing their imperfect best.

November 10, 2023

5:30pm : Citizen Sleuth - HARRIS THEATER

Followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team

The true crime genre is as popular as can be in the world of pop culture, and true crime podcasts reign supreme. Director Chris Kasick gives us a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes in the making of those podcasts with Citizen Sleuth. Kasick follows Emily Nestor, a true crime podcaster from Appalachia, who finds herself unintentionally blurring the lines between fact and entertainment as she investigates a mysterious local death. This on-point documentary had its world premiere at SXSW earlier this year.

6:00pm : La Chimera - WATERWORKS CINEMAS

After being released from an Italian prison, Arthur, an English archaeological scholar with an uncanny knack for knowing just where to find hidden artifacts, reunites with a band of misfits. Together they work to extract Etruscan relics until they find a treasure beyond measure. Director Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera pieces together film stock and aspect ratios in an incredibly inventive film that is hard to classify. In the process, she delivers a film in which ancient history and the present become undeniably intertwined.

7:00pm : Two Lives in Pittsburgh - THE LINDSAY THEATER

Followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team

Pittsburgh native Brian Silverman writes, directs, and stars in the heartwarming, fictional tale Two Lives in Pittsburgh. Confronted by his mother’s illness and his child’s exploration of gender, Bernie Evers, a traditional blue-collar guy, finds himself struggling to come to terms with the man he’s always been and the father his child needs him to be. Silverman’s feature directorial debut is a love letter to Pittsburgh and an engaging tribute to imperfect people doing their imperfect best.

8pm : Love Without Walls - HARRIS THEATER

Film Pittsburgh alum Jane Gull's new film is a heart-wrenching tale of a young married couple and their efforts to keep love alive through adversity in modern day London. Despite their trials and tribulations, Sophie, an art student, and Paul, an aspiring musician, somehow manage to maintain good humor and positivity. Featuring a knock-out score and outstanding performances by Niall McNamee and Shana Swash in the lead roles, Love Without Walls is a story of love, persistence, and survival in the darkest of times.

8:30pm : Housekeeping for Beginners: SPOTLIGHT FILM - WATERWORKS CINEMAS

From multi-award-winning director Goran Stolevski comes a story exploring the universal truths of family, both the ones we're born into and the ones we find for ourselves. Dita never wanted to be a mother, but circumstances force her to raise her girlfriend's two daughters, tiny troublemaker Mia and rebellious teen Vanesa. A battle of wills ensues as the three continue to **** heads and become an unlikely family that must fight to stay together.

November 11, 2023

2pm : 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture - HARRIS THEATER

The discovery of never-before-seen archives at Yale University uncovered the origins of homophobia within the Christian church: an erroneous 1946 translation of the term “homosexual” in the bible. That mistranslation has become a weapon used against the LGBTQIA+ community ever since. Director Rocky Roggio’s experience as the queer daughter of a minister provides an incredible perspective from which to explore this deeply divisive subject.

4pm : O Pioneer - THE LINDSAY THEATER

Followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team

O Pioneer, a new documentary from the talented husband and wife duo Jonathan Lacocque and Clara Lehmann, celebrates the spirit of the pioneer by giving us a glimpse into the lives of three Appalachians from West Virginia: a blacksmith, a seamstress, and a chaplain. Featuring wonderful animation and beautiful narration, the film follows these modern-day pioneers as they embark on a journey that unfolds in the midst of a pandemic. Blending poetic vignettes, archival pioneer footage, and candid moments with each of its three subjects, O Pioneer encourages us to not only seek out but champion the pioneer that lives within us all.

4:30pm : Parachute - HARRIS THEATER

Riley (Courtney Eaton, Yellowjackets) meets Ethan (Thomas Mann, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) the night she’s released from a rehab facility. When they’re together, life makes sense, but Riley’s therapist urges her to avoid dating for a year. So, when the pair develop an intimate friendship that borders on codependency, Riley’s insecurities about her body send her back into a spiral. Brittany Snow’s (Pitch Perfect) stunning directorial debut is an emotionally raw look at a young woman’s struggle with her mental health made worse by social media’s ever-present influence. (Content Warning: drugs, sex, language)

Winner – SXSW Special Jury Award for Acting – Courtney Eaton

“The inevitable climax of Parachute not only hits hard but is set up perfectly by all that comes before.” – Rod Machen, Austin Chronicle  

“Brittany Snow dazzles in her directorial debut, a relatable tale of the path to redemption in the wake of destruction.” – Stephanie Malone, Morbidly Beautiful

5pm : Little Brother - WATERWORKS CINEMAS

When Pete attempts suicide once again, his parents recruit his younger brother Jake to drive him home for a family intervention. But on that 1400-mile trip, the brothers who were once close become an explosive combination. Played impeccably by Phillip Ettinger (Chicago Med) as Pete and Daniel Diemer (The Man in the High Castle) as Jake, the brothers’ road trip is filled with trials, tribulations, and revelations. With Little Brother, director Sheridan O’Donnell delivers an emotionally profound film exploring the complex role that families play when dealing with issues of mental health. (Content Warning: suicide ideation, drugs, language)

7pm : Dancing Queen - THE LINDSAY THEATER

Newcomer Liv Elvira Kippersund Larsson delivers an astonishing performance in her debut as Mina, a nerdy, eager-to-fit-in teenager at the start of a new school year. Despite her self-doubts, she challenges herself to participate in a dance competition to impress E.D. Win, a popular young hip-hop dancer. With the support of her thoroughly enthusiastic grandmother, Mina embarks on her own version of a hero’s journey and we get to ride along with her in this delightful coming-of-age film from Norway.   

Winner – Audience Award – Seattle International Film Festival  

“There’s room for feel-good movies like Dancing Queen, especially when they have the textured spirit Gossé and her cast bring to it.” – Joe Botten, The MN Movie Man

7:30pm : Double Down South - CENTERPIECE FILM - HARRIS THEATER

Followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team

Oscar winner Tom Schulman (Dead Poets Society) delivers a con game thriller with Double Down South, a film he both wrote and directed. Featuring strong performances from an outstanding cast, Schulman’s film immerses us in the world of high stakes keno pool gambling. Nick (Kim Coates, Van Helsing) runs an illegal gambling operation in his run-down plantation house in the deep south. Soon he finds himself enamored with Diana (Lili Simmons) a smart, tough, and charming ace who’s determined to win big. Together they prepare to risk it all to take down a world champion.  

Official Selection — Cinequest  

Winner – Best Feature – Omaha Film Festival, Cordillera International Film Festival

“…a rough, tough confidence-thriller that delivers on tension, and tells an engrossing tale about a sport you probably didn’t know existed…” – Eddie Harrison, film-authority.com 

7:30pm : Perfect Days - WATERWORKS CINEMAS

Who knew Japan has the most elegant public restrooms in the world? Wim Wender’s Perfect Days is a poetic reflection on finding the simple beauty that surrounds us in our everyday world. Kôji Yakusho delivers an award-winning performance as Hirayama, a quite-contented man who spends his days working as a cleaner of public toilets in Tokyo. His thoroughly structured daily routine reveals his passion for music and books and his love of the trees he photographs. As we are immersed in his daily life, a series of unexpected encounters gradually expose more of his past.  

Official Selection – Toronto International Film Festival  

Winner – Best Actor – Cannes Film Festival   

Japan’s submission to the Academy Awards for Best International Feature  

November 12, 2023

2pm : Dancing Queen - HARRIS THEATER

Newcomer Liv Elvira Kippersund Larsson delivers an astonishing performance in her debut as Mina, a nerdy, eager-to-fit-in teenager at the start of a new school year. Despite her self-doubts, she challenges herself to participate in a dance competition to impress E.D. Win, a popular young hip-hop dancer. With the support of her thoroughly enthusiastic grandmother, Mina embarks on her own version of a hero’s journey and we get to ride along with her in this delightful coming-of-age film from Norway.   

Winner – Audience Award – Seattle International Film Festival  

“There’s room for feel-good movies like Dancing Queen, especially when they have the textured spirit Gossé and her cast bring to it.” – Joe Botten, The MN Movie Man

4pm : Unsinkable - WATERWORKS CINEMAS

Followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team

In the aftermath of the Titanic disaster in April 1912, Senator William Alden Smith chaired an inquiry by the United States Senate into the causes of and responses to the shocking event. Unsinkable explores the rushed investigation and political interference in the search for accountability when the “unsinkable” RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden journey. Shot entirely in Pittsburgh, Unsinkable stars Cotter Smith (Mindhunter), Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Fiona Dourif (The Blacklist), Jayne Wisener (Jane Eyre), and many recognizable Pittsburgh-based actors.

4pm : Perfect Days - HARRIS THEATER

Who knew Japan has the most elegant public restrooms in the world? Wim Wender’s Perfect Days is a poetic reflection on finding the simple beauty that surrounds us in our everyday world. Kôji Yakusho delivers an award-winning performance as Hirayama, a quite-contented man who spends his days working as a cleaner of public toilets in Tokyo. His thoroughly structured daily routine reveals his passion for music and books and his love of the trees he photographs. As we are immersed in his daily life, a series of unexpected encounters gradually expose more of his past.  

Official Selection – Toronto International Film Festival  

Winner – Best Actor – Cannes Film Festival   

Japan’s submission to the Academy Awards for Best International Feature

4pm : The Secret Art of Human Flight - THE LINDSAY THEATER

Oscar nominee Paul Raci (Sound of Metal) delivers another award-worthy performance as an eccentric spiritual guide who just might be a con artist in The Secret Art of Human Flight. Delivering an equally strong performance is Grant Rosenmeyer as Ben, a widower grieving the tragic loss of his wife and best friend. Director H.P. Mendoza capitalizes on these two performances to somehow walk a tightrope maintaining a fine balance between the absurd and the serious. In the process, he delivers a tale of grief and healing by tapping into that all-too-human attribute of going to almost any length to find hope in the midst of despair.  

Official Selection — Tribeca Film Festival  

“The Secret Art of Human Flight is the kind of knowingly quirky but sincere indie comedy-drama that might have sold for five million dollars at the Sundance Film Festival back when there were enough art-house theaters and home?video companies to?recoup the purchase price.” – Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com

7pm : Double Down South: CENTERPIECE FILM - WATERWORKS CINEMAS

Followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team

Oscar winner Tom Schulman (Dead Poets Society) delivers a con game thriller with Double Down South, a film he both wrote and directed. Featuring strong performances from an outstanding cast, Schulman’s film immerses us in the world of high stakes keno pool gambling. Nick (Kim Coates, Van Helsing) runs an illegal gambling operation in his run-down plantation house in the deep south. Soon he finds himself enamored with Diana (Lili Simmons) a smart, tough, and charming ace who’s determined to win big. Together they prepare to risk it all to take down a world champion.  

Official Selection — Cinequest  

Winner – Best Feature – Omaha Film Festival, Cordillera International Film Festival

“…a rough, tough confidence-thriller that delivers on tension, and tells an engrossing tale about a sport you probably didn’t know existed…” – Eddie Harrison, film-authority.com

7pm : Sugar and Stars - HARRIS THEATER

Based on a true story, Sugar and Stars follows renowned chef Yazid Ichemrahen from his rough early beginnings to working for the world’s top chefs in Paris and Monaco. As a child, Yazid moved from one foster home to another but held onto his dream of becoming a pastry chef. In a breakout performance, newcomer Riadh Belaïche easily inhabits Yazid’s indomitable spirit, resourcefulness, and determination as he works to realize his dream of winning an international pasty championship. Sugar and Stars’ lush cinematography with slow motion, close-up shots of incredible desserts heightens this engaging and inspirational film.  

7pm : Black Barbie: A Documentary - THE LINDSAY THEATER

Barbie: love her or hate her, after the blockbuster hit of 2023, everyone knows her! But what’s not as well-known is the story behind the first Black Barbie doll. Now, with Black Barbie: A Documentary, director Lagueria Davis explores the fascinating story behind the first Black Barbie through the eyes of three former Mattel employees, including her 83-year-old aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell. Mitchell, who worked as a toymaker and receptionist, seems to have inspired the doll by asking her bosses the simple question, “Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?” Featuring a vivid canvas of colors, wonderful interviews, and thorough research, Davis delivers a delightful and insightful documentary.  

"With its deeply amusing re-creations of actual Barbie dolls sauntering into white spaces or sitting at the end of a conference room table (the only BIDOC — Black, indigenous doll of color, so to speak), the movie can be wryly playful.” -- Lisa Kennedy, Variety

November 13, 2023

5:30pm : Black Barbie: A Documentary - HARRIS THEATER

Barbie: love her or hate her, after the blockbuster hit of 2023, everyone knows her! But what’s not as well-known is the story behind the first Black Barbie doll.

Now, with Black Barbie: A Documentary, director Lagueria Davis explores the fascinating story behind the first Black Barbie through the eyes of three former Mattel employees, including her 83-year-old aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell. Mitchell, who worked as a toymaker and receptionist, seems to have inspired the doll by asking her bosses the simple question, “Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?” Featuring a vivid canvas of colors, wonderful interviews, and thorough research, Davis delivers a delightful and insightful documentary.  

"With its deeply amusing re-creations of actual Barbie dolls sauntering into white spaces or sitting at the end of a conference room table (the only BIDOC — Black, indigenous doll of color, so to speak), the movie can be wryly playful.” -- Lisa Kennedy, Variety

7:30pm : Mr. Blake at Your Service - HARRIS THEATER

John Malkovich stars as Andrew Blake, a grieving, widowed British businessman who takes a job as a butler at the Domaine de Beauvillier estate in northern France near where he and his wife spent the early days of their romance.

Although everyone at the estate seems to be just as badly off as he is, his arrival seems to spur them all back to life, leading to a healthy dose of comedy and drama. Malkovich delivers yet another multi-layered performance in the film, which is based on director Gilles Legardinier’s 2012 best-selling French novel Complètement Cramé!.  

November 14, 2023

5:30pm : Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection - HARRIS THEATER

Karen Carpenter was one of the most iconic voices of her generation, when at just 32 years old, she died of a heart attack after a long battle with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection is an intimate look at the life of this singing legend as told through interviews with Olivia Newton-John, Carol Burnett, Belinda Carlisle, Kristin Chenoweth, and more. Featuring the beautiful music of The Carpenters and including a never-before-released interview with Karen herself,?this captivating and revealing documentary offers astounding new insights into the singer’s tragically short life and enduring musical legacy.

7:30pm : My Love Affair with Marriage - HARRIS THEATER

Followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team

Latvian-born, Brooklyn-based filmmaker, artist, writer, and animator Signe Baumane delivers a semi-autobiographical musical exploration of love, sex, romance, and gender with her animated film, My Love Affair with Marriage. The protagonist, Zelma, a young, spirited woman, is determined to conform to the pressures of the mythological Sirens in order to find love. But the more she attempts to conform, the more her body resists. This tale of inner female rebellion blends both two-dimensional and stop-motion animation to take us on a journey that displays Baumane’s willingness to be both vulnerable and self-deprecating.   

“Funny, moving, and visually stunning throughout, it’s easily one of the most distinct animated films I’ve seen in quite awhile…” – Peter Sobczynski, RogerEbert.com

November 15, 2023

7pm : Hard Miles - HARRIS THEATER

Followed by a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team

Hard Miles is based on the inspirational true story of biking enthusiast Greg Townsend and the Ridge View Academy Cycling Team. Co-written and produced by Pittsburgh native Christian Sander and starring Matthew Modine and Sean Astin, this humorous coming of age sports drama follows an unlikely crew of at-risk youth on a seemingly impossible bike ride from Denver to the Grand Canyon.

Modine delivers a stellar performance as the determined Townsend who pushes the young men to their limits in an effort to teach them life’s most valuable lessons.

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November 8, 2023 - November 19, 2023

Virtual Schedule :

Dancing Queen

Newcomer Liv Elvira Kippersund Larsson delivers an astonishing performance in her debut as Mina, a nerdy, eager-to-fit-in teenager at the start of a new school year. Despite her self-doubts, she challenges herself to participate in a dance competition to impress E.D. Win, a popular young hip-hop dancer. With the support of her thoroughly enthusiastic grandmother, Mina embarks on her own version of a hero’s journey and we get to ride along with her in this delightful coming-of-age film from Norway.   

Winner – Audience Award – Seattle International Film Festival  

Director: Aurora Gossé

Length: 92 minutes

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Kite Zo A (Leave the Bones)

A Vodou ritual took place in Bois-Caïman on the night of August 14, 1791, that set the stage for a mass uprising against slavery and led to the birth of Haiti, the world’s first Black independent republic. Ever since, ceremonies of artistic and religious expression have been a mainstay of Haitian culture. Kite Zo A (Leave the Bones) is an exploration of Haitian rituals, from ancient to modern, delivered by director Kaveh Nabatian in collaboration with poets, dancers, musicians, fishermen, daredevil rollerbladers, and Vodou priests. Set to poetry by Haitian author Wood-Jerry Gabriel this documentary delivers an unforgettable experience of Haitian culture and rituals.

Director: Kaveh Nabatian

Length: 70 minutes

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Little Brother

When Pete attempts suicide once again, his parents recruit his younger brother Jake to drive him home for a family intervention. But on that 1400-mile trip, the brothers who were once close become an explosive combination. Played impeccably by Phillip Ettinger (Chicago Med) as Pete and Daniel Diemer (The Man in the High Castle) as Jake, the brothers’ road trip is filled with trials, tribulations, and revelations. With Little Brother, director Sheridan O’Donnell delivers an emotionally profound film exploring the complex role that families play when dealing with issues of mental health. (Content Warning: suicide ideation, drugs, language)

Winner – Audience Award – Atlanta Film Festival  

Director: Sheridan O’Donnell

Length: 94 minutes

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Love Without Walls

Film Pittsburgh alum Jane Gull (My Feral Heart, 2016) is back with her award-winning film, Love Without Walls. Gull’s new film is a heart-wrenching tale of a young married couple and their efforts to keep love alive through adversity in modern day London. Despite their trials and tribulations, Sophie, an art student, and Paul, an aspiring musician, somehow manage to maintain good humor and positivity. Featuring a knock-out score and outstanding performances by Niall McNamee and Shana Swash in the lead roles, Love Without Walls is a story of love, persistence, and survival in the darkest of times.

Director: Jane Gull

Length: 112 minutes

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Date : November 8, 2023 - November 15, 2023

Location : Various Location

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