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Film Factory Final Event: Script to Screen: The Final Pitch from Film Factory on Vimeo.

The highlights of the 2011 Steeltown Film Factory final event, Script to Screen: The Final Pitch. The event took place on April 30th, 2011 at the Helen Wayne Rauh Studio Theatre on Carnegie Mellon University's campus.

The three finalists, Yulin Kuang ("First Kiss"), Christopher Dimond ("Flour Baby"), and Philip Beard ("Savsies), made their last pitch to both the audience and a panel of judges, including the Executive Producer of MTV's "Made", Bob Kusbit, Executive Producers of "The Ghost Whisperer," Kim Moses and Ian Sander, and also casting director Nancy Mosser.

The true highlight of the event was when the screenwriters finally got to see their writing spring off the page as a group of talented Carnegie Mellon acting students breathed life into their words. Each script was fully acted out, giving the audience, the panelists, and most importantly, the finalists a feeling for what their film could be if they were selected to receive the $30,000. The event was then capped off with the much anticipated decision: which of these great scripts wins?

Film Factory 2011 event #3: "The Producer's Pitch" from Film Factory on Vimeo.

On March 26, 2011 the Steeltown Film Factory held the third event of its second annual screenwriting competition at the George Rowland White Theater at Point Park University. Six semi-finalists got a chance to pitch their screenplays to a panel of four Hollywood Producers (Three of which are Pittsburgh expatriates) in front of a crowd of over 250 people. The panelists included John Dellaverson (Producer, Lionsgate), Bernie Goldmann (Producer, "300"), Carl Kurlander (Executive Producer, Steeltown Film Factory), and Chris Moore (Executive Producer, "The People Speak"). Three finalists were chosen. They will take their feedback and work with actors and actresses from Carnegie Mellon University's drama program who will then perform stage readings. These readings will be held at the finale event: "Script To Screen: The Final Pitch" at CMU's Helen Wayne Rauh Studio Theatre on Saturday, April 30th, 2011.

Film Factory 2011 event #2: "The Hollywood Pitch" from Film Factory on Vimeo.

On February 19, 2011, the second event of this year's Steeltown Film Factory, "The Hollywood Pitch," took place at the Frick Fine Art building in Oakland. Ten finalists got the opportunity to pitch their screenplays in front of a panel of five Hollywood professionals (all pittsburgh expatriates) and a crowd of over 250 people. Among these professionals were Carl Kurlander (Executive Producer, Steeltown Film Factory), Jamie Widdoes (Director, Two and a Half Men), Lauren Elmer (Sony Picture Classics), Asher Garfinkel (President, Reader's Unlimited), and Bob Kusbit (Producer, MTV's Made). The scripts will be re-reviewed and the winners will move on to the next event to be held March 26, 2011 at Point Park.

Steeltown Film Factory (SFF) is a yearlong filmmaking competition, supported by a series of public workshops, panel discussions and staged readings, designed to engage aspiring filmmakers to create projects with Pittsburgh-inspired content. The competition will provide emerging talent with an opportunity to learn from internationally renowned film and television professionals about the entertainment industry. A successful SFF will lead to the training and employment of the local workforce, the incubation of talent and intellectual property, and the nurturing and development of future projects that can be spun off into commercially viable entities. These entities will create jobs, investment opportunities, and products that will be exported by our region. By bringing together local and expatriate resources in Southwestern Pennsylvania (SWPA), the SFF will help to transform this region's non-profit "Arts Sector" into a thriving "Entertainment Economy."

Mineate Seate of WQED interviews Lisa Smith, Producer of Steeltown Film Factory, on Feb. 5, 2011 in an episode of Filmmaker's Corner. Lisa describes Steeltown Entertainment Project and its annual Film Factory, currently in its second year. The winner of the filmmaking competition receives $30,000, 3 months of mentorship to make their short film, and a premiere for their film at the Three Rivers Film Festival. Last year's winners included Hustlebot's "Roll the Dice," and Ross Thomas' "Anywhere But Here," excerpts of which are included as part of the interview. "Storytellers are everywhere, all you have to do is know how to tell a good story, how to write it in a way we can actually read it and understand it, and you can enter," remarks Lisa Smith.

Lisa Smith talks about the Film Factory on "Filmmaker's Corner" from Film Factory on Vimeo.

Below is KDKA's exclusive interview with "Two and a Half Men" director Jamie Widdoes. Jamie talks about the upcoming Steeltown Entertainment Film Factory event as well as his history in Hollywood along with his tv show ("Two and a Half Men") and the show's star Charlie Sheen.

As winners of Steeltown Entertainment Project's FILM FACTORY, Hustlebot was awarded funding for their short film production... which happens to be about 4 guys who win a script contest... with a script about a film contest...

Written and directed by Hustlebot, "Roll The Dice" premiered at the 2010 Three Rivers Film Festival in November, 2010. Click here for details.

Roll The Dice (2010) EXTENDED TRAILER from Hustlebot on Vimeo.

Anywhere But Here Trailer from amtf on Vimeo.

Anywhere But Here from Film Factory on Vimeo.

As one of the 2010 winners of Steeltown Entertainment Project's FILM FACTORY, Ross Thomas was awarded funding for his short film production.

Written and directed by Ross Thomas, "Anywhere But Here" is about a man who travels to his childhood home after his father becomes ill, and a grandfather who reaches out to his grandson to make amends for the past.

You can watch "Anywhere But Here" here, originally premiered at the 2010 Three Rivers Film Festival in November, 2010.

Roll The Dice from Film Factory on Vimeo.

As 2010 winners of Steeltown Entertainment Project's FILM FACTORY, Hustlebot was awarded funding for their short film production.

Written and directed by Lawrence Phillis, Dave Fedor, John Feightner, and Joe Wichryk II of Hustlebot, "Roll The Dice" is about a comedy troupe that struggles with the idea of raising the stakes of their contest-winning script by betting the prize money.

You can watch "Roll the Dice" here, originally premiered at the 2010 Three Rivers Film Festival in November, 2010.