The inaugural SCREENSHOT:ASIA film festival will be held at the University of Pittsburgh from October 6 through 10, and a small selection of films have already been announced: Wife of a Spy (スパイの妻) and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (偶然と想像) from Japan, and Looking for a Lady with Fangs and a Moustache from Nepal.
More films will be announced in coming weeks, ahead of the festival's run from October 6th through 10th. The festival was scheduled to run last year but was cancelled due to COVID-19. Its website provides an overview of its aims:
The Festival brings together students, faculty, long-term Pittsburghers, and recently arrived residents. By screening films from across Asia, we hope to create a dialog based on shared cinematic experiences, letting our audiences learn about and embrace different cultures, peoples, and ways of being in the world. Right now, it's more important than ever to hear from a myriad of different voices from around the world, including Asian and Asian American artists.
By partnering with community groups—including nationality rooms and other local festivals—we will encourage on and off-campus investment in the success of the events. Additionally, screenings will bring new populations to campus, giving residents who may not know the University their first on-campus experience.
By screening films by lesser-known artists from overseas and emerging Asian American film professionals, the Screenshot: Asia Film Festival will impact our participants and audiences in several crucial ways: firstly, it will help our audiences understand marginalized experiences inside and outside of the United States and consider the unique challenges to minority filmmakers. Secondly Screenshot: Asia will provide a space for Asian and other minority film students to meet and learn from underrepresented filmmakers from the U.S. and abroad. We know that representation matters and learning about minority professionals encourages students of color to participate in the industry. By creating networking sessions and filmmaker discussions with students, the program will help bridge the gap between potential women and minority filmmakers and the industry.
