Backyard Docs showcases documentary films and filmmakers directly connected to our region or that share our region’s identity and culture. Formerly known as The Rust Belt & Appalachia Documentary Film Festival, the Backyard Docs Film Festival continues its trademark DIY screening style, holding screenings in unconventional locations such as abandoned factories, dive bars, rooftops, and backyards. The four-day event will also feature a panel discussion with regional industry leaders in documentary and visual journalism, private rough-cut feedback sessions, professional development workshops with world-renowned filmmakers, and, of course, great afterparties. It’s the one time of year when filmmakers, journalists, and artists of all stripes can come together, build new connections, and help redefine the story of the Rust Belt and Appalachia.