For Immediate Release Contact: Carol O’Sullivan

Feb. 22, 2010 412-681-5449

Pittsburgh Filmmakers Announces

March 2010 Programming

(Pittsburgh, PA) – The following are descriptions of Pittsburgh Filmmakers Film Exhibition program for March 2010. The films are screened at Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Avenue (Downtown), the Melwood Screening Room, 477 Melwood Avenue (in North Oakland) and the Regent Square Theater, 1035 S. Braddock Avenue (in Edgewood). For admission prices and current showtimes call 412-682-4111. All titles and dates are subject to change, due to film availability.

The Harris Theater – 809 Liberty Ave.

Through Mar. 4: Oscar Nominated Shorts

This popular annual program features both the live-action and the animated shorts nominated. See them before the awards are announced at this year's 82nd annual Oscars.

March 5 - 11: The Most Dangerous Man in America:

Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers

“See this movie with your teenagers and watch their jaws hit the floor…” – Boston Globe

Recently nominated for an Oscar, this finely crafted documentary has all the suspense of a snappy thriller. It’s the captivating true story of Daniel Ellsberg, a former Marine, Pentagon employee and military analyst, who in 1971, performed one of the most daring whistle-blowing acts of the century – leaking copies of the top-secret history of our involvement in Vietnam to The New York Times. This is an exhilarating story of moral courage that touched off a landmark struggle between the press, the president, and the Supreme Court. (Judith Ehrlich & Rick Goldsmith; USA; 2009; 93 min)

March 12 – 18: Police, Adjective

A sly drama, it’s the winner of both the Un Certain Regard jury prize and the Critics' Prize at Cannes in 2009, and is Romania’s Oscar entry for Best Foreign language film. True to its title, this story of a young cop assigned to nab drug users has a special interest in grammar. A key scene is not a chase or a shootout, but rather a tense, suspenseful session of dictionary reading. Here the dictionary is a versatile comic prop, and also an instrument of instruction as an argument ensues over the definitions of "conscience" and "justice." The director (12:08 East of Bucharest) has a talent for infusing mundane, absurd moments with gravity and drama as well as humor. With subtitles. (Corneliu Porumboiu; Romania; 2009; 115 min)

March 19 - 25: Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership Presents: Urban Living

Chosen by downtown residents of Pittsburgh, these films belong to an ongoing series of classics presented at the Harris Theater, and we thank the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership for their support of the series – and for supporting Downtown's neighborhood theater.

When Harry Met Sally

Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) have been best friends for years – why change a good thing? That’s the premise of this hilarious romantic comedy. (Rob Reiner; 1989; 110 min)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

In this tender love story, Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) is a madcap New Yorker intrigued by the handsome young writer who’s moved into her building. (Blake Edwards; 1961; 115 min)

Opens Mar. 26: Fish Tank

"The contradictions of adolescence have rarely been conveyed with such authenticity and force." – New York Times

This keenly observed Jury Prize Winner at Cannes is a realistic portrait of life in a UK housing project. Katie Jarvis – a revelation in her first screen role – plays Mia, an alienated, emotionally volatile teenager whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of her mother's charming new boyfriend Connor (Michael Fassbender of Hunger).  Mia’s ramshackle urban living conditions are contrasted with the lush countryside Connor shows them. (Andrea Arnold; UK; 2009; 124 min)

Regent Square Theater – 1035 South Braddock Ave.

March 6 & 7: Special Matinee Sneak Preview: The Secret of Kells

Think this Oscar-nominated film doesn’t stand a chance against Disney and Pixar? Think again! The animated masterpiece from the producers of Triplets of Belleville and Kirikou and the Sorceress is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. Magic, fantasy and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and dazzling details in a sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. Young Brendan lives in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. One day a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying an ancient but unfinished book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the book, Brendan must embark on a dangerous quest through an enchanted forest. Features the voice of Brendan Gleeson. In English. (Tomm Moore, Ireland/France/Belgium; 2009; 78 min)

Through March 18: The White Ribbon

“luminous and painterly” – TIME Magazine

Michael Haneke (Cache, The Piano Teacher) won the Palm d’Or at Cannes and recently the Golden Globe for this breathtakingly beautiful drama set in a small German village on the eve of World War I. In it, a number of unexplained accidents beset the schoolchildren and their parents. Though they at first appear coincidental, it seems in fact, they are not accidents at all. White Ribbon is a suspenseful mystery as well as an exacting gaze at a cloistered community. Filmed in ravishing black-and-white it recalls the finest works of Ingmar Bergman. With subtitles. (Michael Haneke; Germany/Austria; 2009; 144 min)

March 26 – April 1: If It Ain’t Broke, Break It – back by request!

It’s hard to say just who the star is in this feel-good local comedy from last year’s Three Rivers Film Festival. Is it the outstanding local actors: Adrienne Wehr, Patrick Jordan, Dave Petti? Is it the well-known celebs from stage, screen, and television: Richard Kind, Steve Guttenburg, Rondell Sheridan, Bill Nunn or Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan? Is it the beautiful landmarks of Pittsburgh? In fact, it’s the affable Dr. Ravi – the writer, director and physician – who plays himself. Part Gandhi, part Don Knotts, Ravi is as philosophical as he is goofy and the result is absolutely infectious. The premise in this farce-with-a-message is that when Ravi is told he has six months to live, he decides to improve the lives of six people in that time. But misunderstandings rule the day, plans go awry, and good intentions backfire. (Ravi Godse; Pittsburgh; 2009; 85 min)

Sunday Night Series: Teen Angst: J. D. Salinger’s Imprint on Film

The portrait of alienated youth in contemporary films owes much to the late J.D. Salinger. Though the author would never allow Catcher in the Rye to be made into a movie, we see its influence in countless films. Here are three outstanding examples.

Mar. 14: Rebel Without a Cause

This film remains the granddaddy of the teen angst genre, and made the red-jacketed James Dean an icon. It’s the story of the new kid in school -- a social outcast -- and the dysfunctional parents who can't help him. He finds himself in the company of a troubled beauty (Natalie Wood) and a lonely misfit (Sal Mineo). Don’t miss this Technicolor masterpiece on the big screen. (Nicholas Ray; USA; 1955; 120 min)

Mar. 21: The Last Picture Show

Starring current Oscar nominee [winner] Jeff Bridges, this acclaimed film is set in a small Texas town in 1951. As high school graduation approaches, the kids learn difficult lessons about love, loneliness, and jealousy. And with the closure of the local movie house, they feel their lives changing. Filmed in beautiful, moody, black and white. (Peter Bogdonavich; USA; 1971; 100 min)

Mar. 28: A Clockwork Orange

In the performance of his career Malcolm McDowell plays Alex, one of cinema’s most interesting juvenile delinquents. Though set in a fictional England of the future, the portrayal of teen boredom and rage at authority is universal. (Stanley Kubrick; UK; 1971; 136 min)

Melwood Screening Room – 477 Melwood Ave.

Mar. 9: Film Kitchen

The monthly series highlights regional, independent film and video work. This month features reporters from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Tribune Review who have recently started making short video stories for the web. Reception at 7:00; films at 8:00.

Mar. 18: The Blair Witch Project

This modern American horror film was released after months of a ground-breaking publicity campaign using the Internet – on which it’s suggested the story is real. It tells the tale of three young student filmmakers who hike into the Black Hills of Maryland to make a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch. They go missing but – we’re in luck – their video equipment and “recovered footage” turn up. (Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez; USA; 1999; 86 min) Co-presented with PittArts; reception.

Mar. 20: Black Maria Film & Video Festival

Since 1981 this annual program has been fulfilling its mission to advocate, exhibit and reward cutting-edge media art from independent film and video-makers. The festival is known for its international juried competition, as well as its national touring program, which features a variety of bold contemporary works drawn from more than 50 award-winning films and videos. As always Black Maria’s founder, John Columbus, will present the films in person.

Mar. 25 – 28: Faces of Globalization

Now in its fourth year, Carnegie Mellon’s Faces of Globalization Film Festival continues to put faces on the issues of globalization. For a complete schedule of films, events and locations, go to www.cmu.edu/faces.

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