About Film Erie
Film as Culture. Film as Industry.
Film Erie is a 501(c)3 nonprofit film office serving Erie and the Northwest Pennsylvania region. We work at the intersection of economic development and creative industry — championing the measurable impact that film and video production brings to local businesses, communities, and workforce development.
Founded by filmmakers and regional advocates who believe in the power of place-based storytelling, Film Erie serves as the connective tissue between the region's production community and the opportunities that make sustained careers here possible. We maintain a growing directory of local talent and crew, support location scouting and production logistics, and advocate for policies and funding that strengthen the regional film economy.
Our work is guided by data. Film Erie's Northwest Pennsylvania Film Industry Economic Impact Report demonstrates the real and growing contribution of the creative sector to our regional economy — and shapes how we communicate our value to funders, civic leaders, and industry partners alike.
We are a working board of committed regional leaders, and we are building toward a fully staffed organization capable of serving the NWPA film community at the scale it deserves.
Cut to: Our Origin Story
Film Erie is the next evolution of a long-running production—a mash-up of indie passion, regional pride, and a deep love for storytelling on screen.
It all began in 2011, when the Film Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania premiered with a mission: bring high-quality film programming, events, and education to Erie. Around the same time, the need for local film infrastructure was gaining traction. So, in 2013, the Greater Erie Film Office was established to support film, television, commercial, and new media productions across Erie and Crawford Counties. Since then, it has assisted or consulted on more than 75 projects, helping put our region on the cinematic map.
And let’s not forget the cult classic in our catalog: the Eerie Horror Fest, founded in 2004, which quickly became one of the top horror and sci-fi festivals in the country. Over the years, it’s hosted celebrity guests, screened over 500 films from 30+ countries, and terrified thousands (in the best way possible) at the historic Warner Theatre. In 2021, the Film Society acquired the festival and gave it a fresh new chapter—still spooky, but now with a mission-driven twist.
Fast forward to 2025: Film Erie debuts as the unified brand and forward-facing identity for all of it. It’s not a sequel—it’s the cinematic universe we’ve been building all along. Film Erie is now the official DBA of the Film Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, combining culture, industry, and community into one powerful story. Lights, camera, action… we’re just getting started.