Lights! Glamour! Action! Pittsburgh Celebrates Oscars & Local Filming

PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) - It's time for the Oscars, and the Pittsburgh Film Office is celebrating with its 13th annual Lights! Glamour! Action!, held on Sunday, Feb. 24, at Heinz Field.

KDKA-AM's Larry and John get all the details from Pittsburgh Film Office Director Dawn Keezer, who says they'll celebrate with a red carpet greeting, viewing of the Oscars, a big celebrity auction, and lots of movie swag. Keezer says this fundraiser is the main way of funding the office.

"There's a red carpet, the paparazzi will meet and greet you, and even a silent auction," says Keezer. "We have trips to Disney, Los Angeles, 'The David Letterman Show,' and even some of the only posters from the 'Dark Knight' signed by everyone."

Keezer also discussed the issue of the film tax credit, which is a credit used to entice movies to our region. The amount of money given out this year has hit its maximum, which means there won't be more money for filmmakers in the near future.  Keezer says this is hurting our ability to get more movies made in Pittsburgh.

"For the first time in the  seven years since we created the tax credit program, every single film person working in the industry is unemployed," Keezer says.

Keezer says that those unemployed are in the thousands, and unless Harrisburg makes a change, it will stay that way until July, when new money will be available.