Teen Screen

Film Pittsburgh’s Teen Screen, is a free educational experience that allows students of different backgrounds and learning styles to explore important, often difficult, topics through the dynamic medium of film. Since 2005, students and teachers have joined together in classrooms virutally and in movie theaters to watch and discuss films of historical, cultural, and social significance—and they have been changed forever.

This free film program and accompanying materials align with many curricula disciplines, including

English Language Arts, History, Science, Foreign Languages, and Art. This program helps teachers screen independent feature films, short films, narratives, and documentaries through which students can encounter challenging narratives and opportunities for analysis, discourse, and reflection. Participants can show the films in class at their own pace, or – if they’re within a few hours of Pittsburgh – can come right to a commercial movie theater.

The organization furnishes teachers with additional resources such as teacher guides, visits from Teen Screen educators, and guest speakers who are often the filmmakers or real-life subjects of the film. Teen Screen covers all costs as part of their core mission to deepen student understanding of various cultures and social issues. Many teachers use Teen Screen films to enhance classroom studies or move on to new educational challenges.

If you would like to learn more, please reach out to Teen Screen director Lori Sisson at

lsisson@filmpittsburgh.org or assistant director James Ingoldsby at james@filmpittsburgh.org. Be sure to check out our website for information and a complete roster of films: https://filmpittsburgh.org/pages/teen-screen.