A still from the spy thriller film, Zardium.

Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Through June 20
Various times

A new exhibition at Pittsburgh Filmmakers is showcasing portfolios by emerging photographers and filmmakers from throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.

Elizabeth Widder, My Name is Shirley.
Elizabeth Widder, My Name is Shirley.

Opening during a free public reception on Saturday, April 30 from 7 to 9 p.m., Identity: Inner Explorations/Outer Expressions features culminating work by students completing the organization’s year-long Photo and Filmmaking Intensive courses. The group exhibition includes 50 photographic works and seven films by artists ranging in age from from 19 to 50.

The photography component showcases work by Jesse Clifton, Anna DeLuise, Megan McGinley, MacKenzie Randall and Elizabeth Widder. Exploring themes of identity, family, loss, memory, and more, pieces range from Megan McGinley’s photographic portraits of people who identify as women, to Anna DeLuise’s editorial fashion portraits documenting diverse lifestyles, to Elizabeth Widder’s evocative still lives of homemade cakes containing curious messages written in icing.

Megan McGinley, Four o'clock in the Morning.
Megan McGinley, Four o’clock in the Morning.
Megan McGinley, Four o’clock in the Morning.

Jesse Clifton’s series of nude self-portraits examine issues of vulnerability and loneliness, while Mackenzie Randall’s double exposure family portraits address the artist’s experience of suddenly losing her father. Some of the prints also include installation art elements, and all of the students will display their online portfolios as part of the show.

Also on view will be seven films produced by Justin Collins, Michael Hawrylak, Devin Luker, Roxane Pearsall, Raquel Petersen and Dena Sutermaster. Works range from fictional films and video art to a 30-second commercial. A wide range of genres and subject matter are represented, including a horror film set in a car wash, a fantastical comedy about a woman and her abusive personal trainer, a spy thriller, a narrative about a delinquent teen and her stepmother, a prison drama, a commercial for the local nonprofit, 412 Food Rescue, and a story about a college basketball player facing a tough dilemma.

Identity: Inner Explorations/Outer Expressions is on view and open to the public through June 30 in Filmmakers’ Melwood Avenue-based facilities.

Looking for more events? Read our NEXTravaganza! 20 can’t-miss Pittsburgh events & concerts in June and our Top 10 things for families to do in June in Pittsburgh features.

Jennifer has worked at the Mattress Factory, Brooklyn Museum of Art and Dahesh Museum of Art and is co-author of Pittsburgh Signs Project: 250 Signs of Western Pennsylvania. She also is co-coordinator of Handmade Arcade. Musically, she is in a band called The Garment District and is a founding member of Brooklyn's The Ladybug Transistor.