Film Kitchen gives local movie makers a place to share

All filmmakers dream of the opportunity to get their names out there — a chance for their hard work and inventiveness to be shared with complete strangers.

The Pittsburgh Filmmakers Film Kitchen, a monthly program that gives local filmmakers a chance to show their short films on the big screen, provides them with that opportunity.

“The Film Kitchen is a venue for regional film and video artists to have their movies play in front of an audience,” said Matthew Day, the host and curator of the Film Kitchen for the last six years. “You can make movies and put them on the Internet, but it is a whole different experience when you have your movie play in front of a live audience.”

For $5, viewers receive a ticket for a night’s worth of screenings, usually three short films by three different local filmmakers, as well as unlimited pizza and — if of age — beer. After an hour-long reception, the filmmakers get a chance to show their work to a live audience — often for the first time.

“That really is my favorite part about Film Kitchen,” Day said. “For some of these [filmmakers], it’s the first time they’ve ever shown something to people in an audience. That excitement, it’s really awesome. It never gets old. That’s what Film Kitchen is all about.”

For the past 16 years, Film Kitchen has been providing a venue for local, independent filmmakers to display their work. It fits into the overall mission of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, an organization and school in Pittsburgh that offers multiple screenings and special events throughout the year at a number of different theaters around the city, as well as classes in film production.

“The purpose of the Pittsburgh Filmmakers is to act as an establishment where you can go and not only learn about film and the production of film, but enjoy film, and just be immersed in the entire artform that is film,” said Stephen Kraus, a sophomore information science and business major at Pitt who works for Pittsburgh Filmmakers. “They really try and bolster the image of local and independent filmmakers, and do an excellent job of that through many outlets.”

Besides the Film Kitchen, which is held the second Tuesday of every month except August, some other outlets include a weekly series held at the Regent Square Theater that shows a classic film on Sunday night every week, as well as the annual Three Rivers Film Festival. In addition, classes in film production are offered throughout the year.

The Film Kitchen focuses on providing independent filmmakers a chance to show their work, as well as entertaining those with a love for film. The Film Kitchen attracts a wide variety of viewers, from friends and family of the filmmakers, themselves, to film enthusiasts and students interested in making their own films.

Pittsburgh local Bob Sweetland has been coming to the Film Kitchen for the last 10 years.

“I really like the environment. You run into different people, and just about everybody has an interest in film, as do I,” Sweetland said. “It’s a way to talk to other people about movies. It’s really a community in that sense.”

Day added that those who attend filmmakers events also stand to gain a strong sense of the current state of film in Pittsburgh.

“[Viewers who are there for the love of film] are the people who get the most out of Film Kitchen,” Day said. “When you come for several months in a row, you start to get a bigger idea about what the filmmaking community in Pittsburgh is doing, the different kinds of ideas they have, and different projects being made.”

Day offered some advice for students interested in filmmaking.

“Watch as many movies as you can, all different types. Have fun with it and just follow your passion,” he said.

After each screening, the filmmaker holds a question-and-answer session with the other viewers, allowing the filmmaker to explain his or her work to the audience. Question topics for the filmmakers often include what type of camera was used to shoot the film, what the motivation behind a certain technique was and what his or her next project will be.

For Day, it all comes down to the benefit and thrill of sharing a film with a live audience, and this is where he feels Film Kitchen flourishes.

“You are guaranteed a certain quality of program every month — in content, but also in the venue, itself,” he said.

The biggest draw for many of the participants, including Sweetland, however, is the fact that “it’s all about sharing” different outlooks and projects.

“It’s critic-free,” he said. “And that’s what keeps me coming back.”