The Three Rivers Film Festival returns November 5–15, 2026 — its 45th year, and ten days of independent features, shorts, panels and filmmaker events screening across multiple Pittsburgh venues. The full lineup is announced in October, so if you are planning around it, book the nights first and pick the films later.
It is two weekends, not one. That is the part people miss. The festival covers Nov 6–8 and Nov 13–15, and the middle weekend collides with Pitt vs. Florida State on Friday, Nov. 13 at Acrisure Stadium. Downtown lodging for Nov 13–15 is carrying a film crowd and a football crowd at the same time. If your dates are flexible, the first weekend is the easier book.
Why a home beats a hotel for a festival week
Festival days run long and end late, and they rarely run on a normal meal schedule. A house gives you a kitchen for the 11 AM breakfast after a midnight screening, a living room where your group can actually argue about what you just watched, laundry if you are staying the full ten days, and parking you keep between venues instead of paying for twice a day. For anyone in town for the Filmmaker Conference or a multi-day pass, a whole home is simply the cheaper way to spend a week here.
Make a weekend of it
November is a good month to be indoors in Pittsburgh with a plan. Between screenings, the Cultural District is walkable end to end, the Strip District is a short drive, and the city’s restaurant scene does not need a festival as an excuse. Start with our Pittsburgh food guide and Things to Do in Pittsburgh. If you are staying through the following weekend, the holiday season starts almost immediately — see Christmas in Pittsburgh.
Where to stay. Rivers & Steel City Homes offers full homes across the Pittsburgh metropolitan area — parking, a kitchen, laundry, and room for everyone. 2,700+ guests since 2018; book direct and save 5–15% over Airbnb and VRBO. Find your dates at riversandsteel.com/search.
More to plan your trip: Things to Do in Pittsburgh · Festivals on the Pittsburgh events calendar. Ready to visit? Find your stay »
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