Pittsburgh, Pa, once referred to as “Hell with the lid off,” by James Parton, is now going Hollywood.

According to Pittsburgh Film Office Director Dawn Keezer, 24 movies have filmed in Western Pa. bringing millions back to the region’s economy.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Community Development Corporation (PDCDC) is launching a new Speaker Series for the Downtown residents.  Keezer, along with several other feature experts on film in Pittsburgh, will be on the University’s campus. 

The inaugural event will take place Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. in 201 Lawrence Hall. It welcomes panelists from the Pittsburgh film industry to give a 2-3 minute introduction followed by a moderator opening discussions with the public. 

Hadley Pratt, the PDCDC Communications and Programs Director, said they started the series at Point Park as a way to offer another intellectual amenity for Downtown residents and workers.

Downtown has new nightlife options and restaurants popping up left and right. 

“Sometimes people want to do something a little different for an evening out,” Pratt said. 

One of the four featured panelists is Michael Capozzoli, the owner and founder of CAPture Production. He has hired Point Park interns in the past. 

His main talking point will be about the independent filmmaking in Pittsburgh.

“I want to create awareness of independent film here in Pittsburgh,” Capozzoli said.  

The theme of filmmaking for this series was selected by Point Park because of the rising interest in the cinema arts.

Jacob Finch, an animation major, said he will be attending and is very excited to hear actual feedback from professionals in his aspiring field. 

“The career fairs here are nice, but they don’t offer much for cinema students,” Finch said. “Networking is important with all careers, and this event will give me the chance to do so.”

Point Park’s Vice President of External Affairs Mariann Geyer said the University agreed to host to encourage community engagement. 

“One of Point Park University’s guiding values is facilitating civic engagement as a part of being a good downtown community partner,” Geyer said.  

Offering University space for community events, such as the speaker series, is just one way Point Park carries out that commitment to civic engagement. 

The next event will occur in January, and the theme is food, allowing PDCDC to showcase Point Park’s new on-campus restaurant, Hundred Wood.

There will be another event in April. Pratt says PDCDC hopes to eventually increase the number of events per year, but they’re going to start off with three and reassess next summer. 

It is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided by Point Park and Aramark will sell wine and beer. 

Please RSVP by visiting [email protected] or call 412-235-7263.