A KEYLIGHT EVENT AT 6C CAFE | PHOTO COURTESY KEYLIGHT

Since the closing of Pittsburgh Filmmakers in 2018, Christopher Smalley and Brady Lewis wanted to create a space for the vibrant arts community to thrive in the city again.

Keylight, a new nonprofit organization, launched last month with a Sept. 12 kickoff event at Brillobox. More screenings and events for the currently “nomadic” organization are forthcoming — including a spooky-season event showing “The Fly,” the 1986 horror film starring Pittsburgh favorite Jeff Goldblum.

Lewis says that they do not foresee Keylight as an organization that can replicate what Pittsburgh Filmmakers was for the community, but hope it will fill gaps for what young filmmakers need today.

“[Pittsburgh Filmmakers] was able to become what it became, because the times were different when it started,” he says. “A lot of things have been made simpler and cheaper to own. But there are certain specialized things that we think eventually we’d like to be able to provide – things that people aren’t likely to have in their own basement or office.”

Pittsburgh Filmmakers provided film education and equipment access for over 45 years, giving eager filmmakers an opportunity for hands-on learning. Smalley and Brady, both former employees of the media arts nonprofit, saw an opportunity both to create something new and keep the legacy of Pittsburgh Filmmakers alive.

Keylight — the name refers to the main source of illumination while filming a scene — is hosting their events, which also include upcoming film workshops, at various venues as they do not have a permanent location yet. Smalley says that although an established site is ideal for a growing business, the two had to think outside of the box to get the initiative off the ground after eight years of discussions.

“We kind of restructured how we were thinking about it in terms of, maybe we didn’t need a permanent space right away,” he says. “Maybe we could do this as a nomadic way of doing it, moving from location to location.”

In the future, Smalley hopes to have a permanent space to host workshops and offer film equipment access — and, eventually, offer equipment access to aspiring filmmakers — but for now, they are using the nomadic approach as thematic inspiration, hosting screenings inspired by the venues they are able to use — like showing Jim Jarmusch’s “Coffee and Cigarettes” at an event heels at 61C Cafe in Squirrel Hill.

To tap into the Halloween spirit, Keylight is hosting a screening of “The Fly,” at Kingfly Spirits on Oct. 29. Tickets for the event are $10 for admission only — or $15 for admission and a fly-themed cocktail.