
Film Production
Pearl Gluck
Donald P. Bellisario Career Advancement Professor, Associate Professor
Education
- Bachelor's: Brandeis University
- MFA: City College of New York
Details
Biography
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Pearl Gluck joined the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State in 2014. A filmmaker, educator and community arts advocate, Gluck teaches screenwriting, directing and producing. Her work explores themes of gender, class, faith, and autobiographical storytelling. Gluck says: "... My goal is to help students uncover why they tell stories and how their voices fit into the cinematic tradition. Whether teaching screenwriting, directing, or production, I challenge students to balance creative exploration with technical discipline."
Her films through Palinka Pictures have garnered three Fulbright grants (to Hungary, Poland, and Israel), a Sundance Producer’s Lab fellowship, as well as support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Her feature film, "The Turn Out" (2018), blends documentary and fiction to address domestic sex trafficking and won several awards, including Best Debut Feature at the Female Eye Film Festival. Gluck's other award-winning films include "Castles in the Sky" (2024), "Write Me" (2020), "Summer" (2018), "Junior" (2016), "Where Is Joel Baum" (2012), and her debut documentary film, "Divan" (2004) which opened theatrically in New York’s Film Forum and broadcast premiered on the Sundance Channel.
Gluck’s films have screened at international festivals, including Cannes and Sundance, and played in theaters nationwide. She has been featured on NPR, PBS as well as other global outlets. She previously taught at institutions including Ohio University, Indiana University, Emory University and Rutgers University.
In 2019, she co-founded the Centre Film Festival, a multi-day, multi-venue event hosted in historic theaters across Philipsburg, State College and Altoona. Now entering its seventh season and awarded “Best Festival/Event of the Year” by the Happy Valley Tourism Board in 2024, the festival champions multigenerational storytelling and regional voices through screenings, masterclasses and hands-on workshops with visiting filmmakers. The festival also serves as a living classroom—anchoring first-year seminars, internships and interdisciplinary student involvement from across the university.
As the 2025–2026 Penn State Laureate, Gluck aims to expand the Centre Film Festival’s reach across the Commonwealth Campuses by bringing a traveling version of its workshops and screenings. Her goal is to inspire regional storytelling, connect students across the state and build pathways for future collaboration, residencies and artistic engagement. This initiative supports inclusive access to the arts and celebrates the legacy of Pennsylvania’s historic theaters while fostering a new generation of cinematic voices.
Websites
In the News
- Filmmaker and professor Pearl Gluck named 2025–26 Penn State Laureate
- Artistic director Pearl Gluck on this year’s Centre Film Festival
- Centre Film Festival returns for sixth year with 200 films, variety of styles
- Centre Film Festival returning for sixth year
- Centre Film Festival returns Oct. 30-Nov. 5 with ‘something for everyone’
- Penn State partners with Rowland Theatre for Centre Film Festival Nov. 8-10
- Sandi Klein's "Conversations with Creative Women" Podcast
- Conference features screenings of two films about police ethics
- PSU prof to show ‘The Turn Out’ at the Rowland
- Film sees human trafficking through eyes of truck driver
- Faculty member's short film set to debut in New York City
- Snapshot: Pearl Gluck
- Faculty film preview, panel discussion focus on sex trafficking and its victims
- Ethics panel to pose tough questions to incoming Schreyer Scholars
- Faculty member's film set for festival in Houston
- Gluck's film focuses on sex trafficking
- State Theatre to host film event
- Faculty filmmaker received grant to advance feature film
- NewFilmmakers Los Angeles reveals 8th annual Best of NFMLA Awards
- Centre Film Festival returns for second year, with dozens of selections to view from your home
- Centre Film Festival hits home screens
- Penn State professor, film director Pearl Gluck discusses career and award-winning film
- Centre Film Festival returns to share global stories, honor filmmakers
- Centre Film Festival adapts and grows to return for its third year
- Collegial, passionate faculty members drive Centre Film Festival
Publications
Contact
Pearl Gluck
105 Carnegie Building
814-865-0127
pxg28@psu.edu