This year, Reel Q: Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival, celebrates its 40th anniversary with the most accessible festival in its history. Running October 3-11, 2025, Reel Q spans two weekends across five Pittsburgh venues: The Andy Warhol Museum, Row House Cinema, City of Asylum’s Alphabet City, Carnegie Mellon University, and Mary’s Bar.
The film festival was founded by Pitt Social Work alumnus Rich Cummings and is currently being led by Executive Director and current BASW student TJ Murphy. The festival’s archives are also housed at the University of Pittsburgh.
"Social work and Reel Q share the same foundation: both are centered on advocacy, visibility, and building community space," says Murphy. "In social work, we fight for marginalized voices to be recognized, and through Reel Q, we showcase those voices on screen."
To celebrate their 40th anniversary Reel Q is launching “Pay What You Can" admissions for the first time across all screenings, making queer film more accessible than ever in Pittsburgh. The milestone season will feature regional premieres, international films, documentaries, and over 20 short films. Highlights include: Opening Night presents a 40th Anniversary Screening honoring Reel Q’s four-decade legacy as one of the nation’s pioneering LGBTQ+ film festivals, they will be screening a selection of local short films from 1985-present at the Andy Warhol Museum.