About

Backyard Docs is a grassroots organization supporting and showcasing the documentary arts in Pittsburgh and the surrounding Rust Belt and Appalachian regions. We program film screenings, photo exhibitions, artist talkbacks, networking events, and professional development workshops, creating a crucial network of professional non-fiction media storytellers working in our region. We think documentary film and photography should be more accessible to everyone, not just academics and documentarians. We screen documentary films and exhibit photography in unique places and communities that the work speaks to.

The idea for Backyard Docs started at the end of the 2020 pandemic as we realized a need for a support network of colleagues from our documentary film and photojournalist communities. This led us to exhibit each other's work in backyards with support from The Video Consortium and Doc Salon. Screening and exhibition attendance quickly grew as we realized the importance of showing documentary work in a time of mistrust and uncertainty. In the fall of 2024, we were able to formally launch Backyard Docs, growing our audience and network of professional non-fiction media workers. We are now home to Pennsylvania's largest documentary film festival, Backyard Docs Film Festival!

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If you happen to miss a screening or opening, please contact us to schedule a private viewing.