Pittsburgh, PA · Founded 2025 by Survivors
About the
Festival
We are Pittsburgh's only film festival dedicated entirely to mental health awareness, advocacy, and healing through the power of cinema.
Our Mission
Film as a Tool
for Healing.
Filmology Festival of Films exists to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health by creating space for honest, courageous storytelling. We believe that when people see their experiences reflected on screen — when they feel truly seen — something shifts.
We bring together filmmakers, mental health professionals, survivors, and community members in Pittsburgh each year for a festival that is equal parts cinema, advocacy, and human connection. Every screening is followed by conversation. Every panel includes lived experience alongside clinical expertise.
We are not just a film festival. We are a community that believes stories save lives.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
What We Stand For
Our Values
Radical Empathy
Every film we screen, every panel we host, begins with a commitment to meeting people where they are — without judgment, without hierarchy.
Authentic Storytelling
We believe the most powerful mental health advocacy comes from lived experience. We prioritize films made by and with the communities they represent.
Community First
Filmology is not just a festival — it's a gathering. We measure success not by ticket sales but by the conversations, connections, and resources that flow from our events.
Rooted in Pittsburgh
We are proudly Pittsburgh. Our city has a rich tradition of community resilience and artistic expression. Filmology is our contribution to that legacy.
Where We've Been
Our Story
Filmology Festival of Films is founded by survivors of mental health in Pittsburgh — a community-driven vision to use cinema as a tool for healing and advocacy.
Filmology hosts its inaugural screening at Alumni Theater in Pittsburgh — bringing together survivors, clinicians, and community members for film, conversation, and connection.
Partnership with Pittsburgh mental health organizations, August Wilson African American Cultural Center, and community leaders to host and expand the Filmology Film Festival.
Submissions now open for the 2026 festival. Expanded categories, new clinical perspectives track, and first-ever animation prize.
The People Behind It
Our Team
Ali "Lee" Deen
Founder · Houzeofwaxx & Partners
I am a survivor. What you are reading is a testament of a survivor of Anxiety, Depression, and Abuse of over 30 years. Music would save my life and become my escape. My love of music led me to write for my school newspaper and become a published columnist for Street Beat Magazine. After graduation I attended Community College of Allegheny County, receiving a Certificate in Nurse Aide Training, and worked as a CNA for 28 years. Wanting to use my own experiences to help others, I found myself seeking the power of music once again — and Houzeofwaxx was created. Houzeofwaxx has given me purpose, to feel loved and to communicate with people just like me. To let survivors know: you are not alone. You are loved. I AM A SURVIVOR OF ANXIETY & DEPRESSION!!!!
Dana Zang
Co-Founder · Houzeofwaxx & Partners
Survivors come in many forms. My name is Dana Zang and I attended Thiel College majoring in Communications, which prepared me for my passion for medicine, working in my community, and in the health care sector — where I have been for over 20 years. I am a survivor of anxiety, depression, and panic attacks for most of my adult life. Being a survivor doesn't always mean physical abuse. I was emotionally, verbally, and psychologically abused for over 2 decades. Music has always been my saving grace — helping me relax and self-soothe. I feel here at Houzeofwaxx, we can help those in need of support by using our past to brighten other survivors' futures.
Zainab Smith
Outreach Coordinator
Zainab has grown up in the city of Pittsburgh all of her life and is a mother of three loving children, also raised in Pittsburgh. She attended ICM where she earned her degree in Computer Science. After graduation she went on to work at General Nutrition Corporation in many different capacities for over 20 years. Zainab has been working for UPMC for over 10 years as Access Lead. She also has a host of volunteer hours devoted to her community — Core Leadership, United Way, East Field Gardens, and Houzeofwaxx, bringing mental health awareness to those who need it most.
Michael Jasper
Program Manager
Michael Jasper is a filmmaker, editor, and producer who has produced several award-winning short films, documentaries, and promotional videos. His work highlights the experiences of diverse populations. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, he pursued studies at Pittsburgh Filmmakers after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree and MBA from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.
Tenée Fish-Wells
Program Manager · Cosmic Rootz
Tenée Fish-Wells is a mother, teacher, artist, seeker of knowledge, thought-leader, energy alignment practitioner, and founder and owner of Cosmic Rootz — a sanctuary for wild hearts and wandering souls. Ascending from the depths of trauma, Tenée has devoted her life to evolutionary healing, integrating higher level education with lived experience to help others reclaim their wholeness, honor their story, and reconnect with their divine purpose — from the core to the cosmos.
Talib Smith
Co-Founder · IT & Creative Production
Talib is a Co-Founder of Houzeofwaxx, IT Specialist, artist, creative enthusiast, and mental health advocate. As editor and producer of Houzeofwaxx's YouTube channel, he brings years of experience in video editing, camera work, and sound production — including work on a 48-hour film project. Currently working in IT at the Bank of New York, Talib uses his skills to strengthen the program's digital presence. As an artist, he participated in the 2025 Art Crawl and is the creator of his own art brand, DEADBOY.
Sierra Mann
Program Manager
Sierra Mann is a filmmaker, co-director, and writer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She studied at Clarion University, where she minored in Theater Directing, developing a foundation in storytelling, performance, and collaborative creative work.
Malik Long
Artist & Community Partner
Malik Long is a singer born and raised in Philadelphia, now based in Pittsburgh, PA. His love for music was sparked by listening to Motown, and his passion for singing grew as a member of the choir in grade school. In 2015, he was a member of Nu Nostalgia music group performing in venues across Pittsburgh. His favorite artists include The Temptations, New Edition, and Aretha Franklin, with vocal influences including Ralph Tresvant, Michael Jackson, Eddie Kendricks, and Ray Parker Jr. As a solo artist, his mission is to share his love for music and singing with others. He also has a love of acting as a background extra in TV shows and short films, and is host of the podcast The Cool Podcast With The Coolbrother.
Filmology is also supported by a volunteer programming committee of 14 Pittsburgh filmmakers, mental health professionals, and community advocates who review all submissions and help shape each year's festival.
Our Network
Community Partners
Filmology works alongside 22 Pittsburgh-area organizations to ensure our festival reaches the communities that need it most — and that every attendee has access to mental health resources and support.
Houzeofwaxx
Better Stories Psychiatry
People's Oakland
Resolve Crisis Center
Mental Health America
Mental Health First Aid
Cosmic Rootz
Cafe Nikki
D&D Property Services
R&R Elite
Lady O
AbleVision
Realty Thinking
Alumni Theater Company
Goat Milk Fudge Studios
Soul Pit Magazine
La Nama Films
Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Women in Film Pittsburgh
NAMI Pittsburgh
Carnegie Mellon University
AFSP Western PA
Interested in partnering with Filmology? Get in touch →
Be Part of
the Story.
Whether you submit a film, attend the festival, volunteer, or partner with us — every person who shows up makes Filmology possible.