Skip to main content
Tickets

Steel City High School Film and Animation Festival

Submit your film here!

Steel City High School Film and Animation Festival
September 12 and 13, 2025
Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse

High school filmmakers and animators are invited to participate in the 2025 Steel City High School Film and Animation Festival September 12 and 13 at Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse.

The festival is open to high school filmmakers and animators from:

  • Pennsylvania
  • Ohio
  • West Virginia
  • New York
  • Maryland
  • New Jersey
  • Connecticut
  • Virginia
  • Michigan
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky

Categories include:

  • Drama
  • Comedy
  • Dance
  • Horror
  • Music Video
  • Short-Form Social Media
  • Documentary
  • Animation
  • Short Screenplay
  • Special Zombie Short

Awards will be given in the following categories:

  • Best Animation
  • Best Comedy
  • Best Commercial
  • Best Dance
  • Best Drama
  • Best Documentary
  • Best Horror
  • Best Music Video
  • Best Short Form (social media) 

Awards include a trophy to the winner in each category, summer program scholarships to the top three in each category, and university scholarships to select artists.

The festival includes screenings of the films, industry workshops, vendor demos and guest speakers. 

 Submission Dates and Deadlines

  • Submissions open: June 1, 2025
  • Submission deadline: June 30, 2025
  • Submission fee: Early bird $20 (June 1), Regular $25 (June 30), Late $30 (July 15)

Friday            

6:00 – 7:00 pm         Welcome reception

7:00 – 9:00 pm         Welcome and Film Pittsburgh presentation

Saturday                  

9:00 – 10:00am        Filmmaker’s Continental Breakfast and Exhibitors

10:00 - 12:00pm       Workshops/Panels

12:00 - 1:00pm         Lunch

Screenings               Highmark Theatre                         PNC Theatre

1:00 - 2:00pm           Narrative/Experimental Block 1  Animation Block 1

2:00 - 3:00pm           Documentary Block 1                     Narrative/Experimental Block 2

3:00 - 4:00pm           Animation Block 2                           Narrative/Experimental Block 3

4:00 - 5:00pm          Documentary Block 2                    Zombie Category screening

5:00 - 6:30pm           Dinner Break

7:00 - 9:00pm          Awards Screening - Winner Announcement

 

Block Entry: Youth $10, Adult $25 
All-Access Entry: Youth $25, Adult $50

  1. Submissions and entry to the Steel City High School Film Festival is all inclusive and open to anyone currently in high school.
  2. Regional submissions are welcome from the states mentioned above. 
  3. All submissions need to have been created while the filmmaker was in high school.
  4. Underage participants must have a parent/guardian signed consent form and waiver.
  5. All material used in the submission must be properly owned or licensed by the participant. This includes music, images, titles, footage. Be sure to use royalty free licensing resources if you do not have proper permissions.
  6. If using copyrighted material, permission must be included with the submission of the project entry.
  7. No inappropriate or sexually explicit submissions will be accepted.
  8. Festival organizers and Point Park University reserves the right to use, copy, modify submissions for promotional and archival purposes.
  9. All judges’ decisions are final.
  10. Multiple submissions are welcome by one participant. Each submission must be uploaded and paid separately.
  11. We will only accept the file formats:
    1. .MP4
    2. .MOV
    3. Any submission shared through Vimeo, Dropbox, YouTube will not be accepted.
  12.  Submissions will only be accepted in 1080 HD
  13. Any incomplete forms or guidelines not followed result in the submission not being accepted and fees not being returned.
  14. Point Park University reserves the right to change the rules and guidelines at any time and for any reason necessary.