Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Pittsburgh Filmmakers logo
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 Location within Pittsburgh
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| Established | 1971 |
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| Location | Pittsburgh |
| Coordinates | 40°27′21″N 79°57′13″W / 40.455971°N 79.953664°W |
| Website | http://pfm.pittsburgharts.org/ |
Pittsburgh Filmmakers is one of the oldest and largest media arts centers in the United States.
This non-profit institution in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania began as a filmmaking-equipment access cooperative in 1971. That co-op is still a pillar of the organization, which now also includes an accredited school, three theaters (The Harris in the downtown Cultural District, the Regent Square in the neighborhood of the same name, and the Melwood Screening Room in North Oakland, located in the same building as the school) and the Three Rivers Film festival.
In January 2006, following votes by the Pittsburgh Filmmakers membership, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts board and Pittsburgh Filmmakers board, the merger of the two organizations became final. The Pittsburgh Filmmakers by-laws were carried over as the by-laws of the merged organization.
In Fall 2010, the combined Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts entered into merger discussions with the Pittsburgh Glass Center. By May 2011, the talks had failed, with the Pittsburgh Glass Center withdrawing from negotiations.
The Crumbling Wall was a non-denominational coffeehouse run by the Lutheran Church on Forbes Avenue, across from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The proximity of these two places is interesting, because both were to play a part in the development of Pittsburgh Filmmakers. A variety of programs were presented at The Crumbling Wall, including experimental films programmed by Chuck Glassmeyer. A group of interested people developed around these screenings, and soon they wanted more, including making their own films.
This incipient "scene" intensified in 1970, when Leon Arkus and Sally Dixon started the Section (later Department) of Film and Video at Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Dixon started bringing artists into town to screen their work. It soon seemed like a natural development that if the artists were here, they should be able to work on their films. She acquired a grant to purchase 16 mm filmmaking equipment to this end.
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