Saturday, September 21, 2013
Happy Five-Year Anniversary!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
'Neighborhood Narratives' DVD in Your Library
Monday, December 7, 2009
‘Greetings From Pittsburgh: Neighborhood Narratives’ Available on DVD December 12
Last year, Pittsburgh audiences fell in love with Greetings from Pittsburgh: Neighborhood Narratives—a collection of nine short films celebrating the city’s diverse neighborhoods. Now, with the holidays just around the corner, the beloved film will be available for purchase on DVD Saturday, Dec. 12.
For just $10, the DVD can be purchased exclusively at the Dreaming Ant, located inside the Crazy Mocha coffee shop in Bloomfield. The DVD also includes a special bonus documentary about the “making of” Neighborhood Narratives.
Neighborhood Narratives not only makes a great stocking stuffer, but all proceeds from the DVD sales benefit Operation Safety Net®, Pittsburgh Mercy Health System’s award-winning medical outreach program for the unsheltered and transitional homeless population in Allegheny County.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Greetings from the Three Rivers Arts Festival!
Harris Theater, Downtown
Saturday, June 06, 2009 - 5:15 PM
Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 6:00 PM
Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 7:00 PM
Sunday, June 14, 2009 - 4:00 PM
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
‘Greetings from Pittsburgh: Neighborhood Narratives’ Premiers to a Sold-Out Audience at the Regent Square Theatre
“This was a project that emerged after Kristen and I saw ‘Paris Je t’aime last year,'” Andrew Halasz, project co-creator along with Kristen Lauth Shaeffer, told the audience before the show began. (“Paris Je t’aime” is a compilation of 18 short films celebrating the neighborhoods in Paris, France.) “We thought, ‘Why don’t we do this in Pittsburgh?’”
Audience members were glued to the screen as Neighborhood Narratives took them on a sometimes amusing, sometimes dramatic, but always interesting ride through neighborhoods such as Bloomfield, Oakland and the Strip District.
Following the premier was a reception at the Concept Art Gallery where audience members had the opportunity to meet some of the filmmakers and actors involved with the project.
“This was the biggest thing that I was ever a part of,” said an excited Timothy R. Hall, whose short film, “What Green Could Be,” told the story of a young man who grew up in the Hill District.
Hall was right – if its sold out premier was any indication, Neighborhood Narratives was going to be huge.
“We had such a great turnout,” said Shaeffer, referring to the crowd that gathered for the premier. “It made us so happy to see that Pittsburgh supported our film because that’s really who this was for.”
An hour and forty minutes long, the film opened with a story about the South Side and ended with the hosting neighborhood, Regent Square. Bloomfield, Downtown, the Hill District, Homestead, Lawrenceville, Oakland, and the Strip District were also featured.
Each story had its own unique style, and each successfully captured the personality of its characters and setting. At more than one point, the audience erupted into raucous laughter or enthusiastic applause. “Mombies,” filmed in Lawrenceville, was a mock-horror tale about the contagious nature of motherhood. The audience was in stitches as the main character went screaming down Butler Street with stroller-pushing mommies in pursuit. “Notes in the Valley,” on the other hand, had its viewers on the edge of their seats as a mysterious letter opened the door to an emotional past.
“I thought they did a really good job of pacing the movie to showcase the variety of genres touched on by the different films,” said Jason Sox, who attended the premier. “The drama was mixed between the humorous movies in a way that enhanced them both.”
The next screening of Neighborhood Narratives is scheduled to take place Oct. 3 at The Pump House in Homestead. Tickets are $5 each.
“We’re looking forward to sharing these stories with the rest of Pittsburgh,” said Shaeffer.