What is Steeltown?
Steeltown began with the simple belief that Pittsburgh has the potential to have a thriving entertainment industry, which could also be one of the region's major economic engines. This belief was shared by leaders of educational, cultural, and artistic organizations in Pittsburgh as well as former Pittsburgh natives working in film and television. It was always believed that anything we accomplish would be socially meaningful and build upon the legacy of Fred Rogers.
The Steeltown Entertainment Project is working towards making this belief a reality by building an entertainment investment fund that would ultimately invest in projects relevant to the region and produce a return on investment through partnerships with studios, networks, and industry contacts. Steeltown also serves the community by building the necessary infrastructure to support an entertainment industry:
- Establishing working relationships with local resources (i.e. Pittsburgh Film Office, Women in Film and Media, WQED Multimedia, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Screenwriters, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, etc.)
- Building relationships with Pittsburgh-native TV and Film professionals (i.e. Pittsburgh Entertainment Summit)
- Nurturing emerging talent (i.e. Steeltown Film Factory)
- Educating the workforce (i.e. Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Holy Family Institute
With these initiatives, Steeltown will help to establish Southwestern Pennsylvania as an "entertainment greenhouse." Such a greenhouse will help to market the region in a unique and powerful way, retain and attract talent, especially young people drawn to this business, and help jump start a dynamic industry that will provide timely returns on investment.
Steeltown strongly believes in the strength and potential of a community uniting together to build an entertainment industry in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As a result, Steeltown's board of directors reflects people of foundations, organizations, and industries influential in the region. Steeltown's advisory board is also reflective of talented luminaries who have roots and ties to the Pittsburgh region. To see a more detailed list of the Pittsburghers working in the entertainment industry, click here.
Steeltown Spotlight
Steeltown will present at the PGA's upcoming "Produced by Conference" in LA.
Click here to see Film Factory winner Dennis Schebetta on Pittsburgh Today Live!
Industry News
A Q&A with Steve Cuden, author and co-creator of the Broadway musical, Jekyll and Hyde
