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INDEPENDENT LENS - PAGE 2

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Airing weekly on PBS, the five-time Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens is an independent film festival in your living room. Each week we bring you another original documentary film, each made by one of the best independent filmmakers working today.

This season, Independent Lens returns with 22 independent films that will transport you and challenge you to experience universal human themes from unique perspectives. We will delve into issues emerging from the economic crisis in America, from job loss to wealth disparity; examine the origins of soul food, its importance in African American culture, and its serious health implications; we will examine a military culture in which female soldiers are sexually assaulted at a terrifying rate, and their attackers often left unpunished; we



Latest Articles About Independent Lens on PBS

Missi Pyle and Sally Jo Fifer to Participate in 'State of the Union' Panel at the Hot Photo Missi Pyle and Sally Jo Fifer to Participate in 'State of the Union' Panel at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
by Kaitlin Milligan - October 25, 2018

The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (HSDFF), presented by Mountain Valley Spring Water, announced today that actress and HSDFF Honorary Chair Missi Pyle and Sally Jo Fifer, producer and CEO of ITVS and recipient of the 2018 “HSDFF Impact Award” will participate in a panel titled “State of the ...


PBS's INDEPENDENT LENS to Premiere THE JUDGE Photo PBS's INDEPENDENT LENS to Premiere THE JUDGE
by Kaitlin Milligan - October 30, 2018

Religious courts in the Middle East, including the Shari'a courts of Islam which adjudicate domestic and family matters, have traditionally banned women from serving as judges – until Kholoud Al-Faqih dared to challenge that history. In 2009, with the support of a progressive Sheikh, Kholoud became ...


WRESTLE Premieres on Independent Lens This May Photo WRESTLE Premieres on Independent Lens This May
by Tori Hartshorn - April 16, 2019

Go inside the lives of four members of the high school wrestling team at Huntsville's J.O. Johnson High School, a longstanding entry on Alabama's list of failing schools. Teammates Jailen, Jamario, Teague, and Jaquan face challenges far beyond a shot at the state championship: splintered families, d...


CHARLIE'S WAITING By Mêlisa Annis Starring Tony-Nominee Xanthe Photo CHARLIE'S WAITING By Mêlisa Annis Starring Tony-Nominee Xanthe
by A.A. Cristi - March 01, 2019

Parity Productions, the New York based theater company dedicated to producing new work and filling at least 50% of the creative positions (playwrights, directors, and designers) with women and/or trans and gender nonconforming (TCNG) artists, has announced the full cast and crew for their world prem...


BWW Previews: AJ Lambert's IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS 09/08 at The Rrazz Room Photo BWW Previews: AJ Lambert's IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS 09/08 at The Rrazz Room
by DT Gramkee - September 03, 2018

BWW Previews: AJ LAMBERT'S 'IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS' SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2018 at The RRAZZ ROOM New Hope PA...


Netflix to Release AMERICAN FACTORY on August 21 Photo Netflix to Release AMERICAN FACTORY on August 21
by Kaitlin Milligan - June 26, 2019

American Factory will be released globally on Netflix August 21, 2019. American Factory is a Netflix Original Documentary Presented by Higher Ground Productions and Participant Media....


Sundance Institute Announces 2020 Directors & Screenwriters Lab Fellows Photo Sundance Institute Announces 2020 Directors & Screenwriters Lab Fellows
by Kaitlin Milligan - May 28, 2020

11 independent filmmakers developing 10 projects have been selected for the 2020 Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs, reimagined and expressed digitally this year on Sundance Co//ab....


New Animated Digital Short 'Caracol Cruzando' Debuts in PBS Online Film Festival Photo New Animated Digital Short 'Caracol Cruzando' Debuts in PBS Online Film Festival
by Tori Hartshorn - July 17, 2018

The new digital short Caracol Cruzando is a timely animated film touching on the harsh realities of immigration for undocumented families which debuted today on PBS.org as part of PBS' 2018 Online Film Festival. Animated and written by Pamela Maria Chavez, the film will be presented by Latino Public...


ITVS Reaches Milestone with Over 100 Sundance Acceptances Photo ITVS Reaches Milestone with Over 100 Sundance Acceptances
by Tori Hartshorn - December 03, 2018

ITVS announced today that, with four new films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019, the organization has now funded and co-produced more than 100 Sundance premieres. Mandated by Congress in 1988 to address the lack of diverse voices in public media, ITVS has served as an incubat...


HOME TRUTH, Documentary About Domestic Violence Activist Jessica Gonzales, On PBS Sta Photo HOME TRUTH, Documentary About Domestic Violence Activist Jessica Gonzales, On PBS Stations In October
by Tori Hartshorn - August 30, 2018

In 1999, Colorado mother Jessica Gonzales experienced every parent's worst nightmare when her three young daughters were killed after her estranged husband abducted them in violation of a domestic violence restraining order. Devastated, Jessica filed a lawsuit against the police, claiming they did n...


Richard Skipper Celebrates Anastasia Barzee Monday, August 31 Photo Richard Skipper Celebrates Anastasia Barzee Monday, August 31
by A.A. Cristi - August 25, 2020

This Monday, Richard Skipper Celebrates Anastasia Barzee! Streaming LIVE through Richard Skipper Celebrates on Facebook and Youtube.  ...


DAWNLAND to Premiere on PBS' Independent Lens Photo DAWNLAND to Premiere on PBS' Independent Lens
by Kaitlin Milligan - October 10, 2018

Dawnland reveals the untold story of Indigenous child removal in the United States through the first government-endorsed truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) in the nation, tasked with investigating the devastating impact of Maine's child welfare practices on Native American communities. With e...


PBS Announces American Masters Documentary on Marian Anderson Photo PBS Announces American Masters Documentary on Marian Anderson
by Kaitlin Milligan - May 13, 2020

Today, THIRTEEN's American Masters series and Philip Gittelman Productions, in association with Black Public Media, announced a new documentary on contralto Marian Anderson (1897-1993) in production for PBS....


GREAT PERFORMANCES to Feature THE KING AND I, KINKY BOOTS, and More; Full PBS Fall Li Photo GREAT PERFORMANCES to Feature THE KING AND I, KINKY BOOTS, and More; Full PBS Fall Lineup
by Julie Musbach - July 19, 2019

PBS today unveiled its fall slate including new performance specials from Great Performances....


11th Hour Theatre Company To Present Concert Of GREY GARDENS Photo 11th Hour Theatre Company To Present Concert Of GREY GARDENS
by A.A. Cristi - September 10, 2018

11th Hour Theatre Company brings its consistently sold out concert series back home and as the series begins its 2018-2019 season it has grown. 11th Hour's Next Step Concert Series is now set to run over two weekends. They begin their season with a concert performance of Grey Gardens. Grey Gardens f...


INDEPENDENT LENS Announces Fall Season on PBS Photo INDEPENDENT LENS Announces Fall Season on PBS
by Macon Prickett - July 20, 2018

The award-winning PBS series Independent Lens opens its new season on Monday, October 29 with Young Men and Fire, a richly personal look at the lives of a western firefighting crew during one challenging season. Also on the fall schedule is Dawnland, which explores the devastating impact of the forc...


Photo Flash: Rita Moreno Honored With Peabody Career Achievement Award Photo Photo Flash: Rita Moreno Honored With Peabody Career Achievement Award
by Stephi Wild - May 19, 2019

Yesterday evening, Mercedes-Benz was on hand to celebrate the 78th Annual Peabody Awards and present the legendary Rita Moreno with the Peabody Career Achievement Award, presented by Mercedes-Benz, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York in NYC....


JIM ALLISON: BREAKTHROUGH Premieres Tonight on PBS Photo JIM ALLISON: BREAKTHROUGH Premieres Tonight on PBS
by Kaitlin Milligan - April 27, 2020

Director Bill Haney's new documentary, Jim Allison: Breakthrough, praised as “the most cheering film of the year” and listed in The Washington Post's Top 10 Films of the Year, premieres tonight on PBS' Independent Lens at 10:00-11:30 PM ET (check local listings), PBS.org and the PBS Video App...


PBS's Independent Lens Acquires Broadcast Rights to Denali Tiller's Documentary TRE M Photo PBS's Independent Lens Acquires Broadcast Rights to Denali Tiller's Documentary TRE MAISON DASAN
by Kaitlin Milligan - September 05, 2018

The award-winning PBS series Independent Lens today announced that it has acquired Denali Tiller's documentary Tre Maison Dasan for its Spring 2019 season on PBS. An intimate portrait of three boys growing up with a parent in prison, Tre Maison Dasan provides a firsthand look at children struggling ...


Documentary Film ICONIC VISION: John Parkinson, Architect of Los Angeles Premieres on Photo Documentary Film ICONIC VISION: John Parkinson, Architect of Los Angeles Premieres on Public Broadcasting in July
by Macon Prickett - June 21, 2018

PBS SoCal and Clear Sky Films announced that Iconic Vision: John Parkinson, Architect of Los Angeles will premiere on Public Broadcasting in July. The documentary film tells the story of Parkinson's influence on the development of Los Angeles through his design of noted architectural masterpieces in...


TRE MAISON DASAN to Premiere on Independent Lens Photo TRE MAISON DASAN to Premiere on Independent Lens
by Kaitlin Milligan - February 19, 2019

Told directly through the children's perspective, Tre Maison Dasan is an up-close and unfiltered look at the lives of three Rhode Island boys, each navigating childhood and adolescence with a parent behind bars. Each boy faces the pressure of growing up in a society that often demonizes their parent...


WILDLAND Kicks Off New Season of PBS's INDEPENDENT LENS Photo WILDLAND Kicks Off New Season of PBS's INDEPENDENT LENS
by Kaitlin Milligan - October 03, 2018

Filmed during two recent wildfire seasons, Wildland is a sweeping yet deeply personal account of a single wildland firefighting crew as they struggle with fear, loyalty, dreams, and demons. What emerges is a rich story of working-class men — their exterior world, their interior lives and the fire th...


PBS SoCal Nominated For Five Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards Photo PBS SoCal Nominated For Five Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards
by Macon Prickett - June 12, 2018

PBS SoCal KOCE Southern California's home for PBS will receive the Governors Award Emmy at the 70th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards the for the station's five years of extraordinary work on the 'American Graduate: Let's Make it Happen.' The initiative focuses on local programming, community outreach an...


Olmeca Announces New Album DEFINE Out Later This Month Photo Olmeca Announces New Album DEFINE Out Later This Month
by Tori Hartshorn - August 06, 2019

Olmeca is proud to announce his new album “DEFINE,” dropping August 23rd with OneRPM. The new album is a whirlwind of sounds and an introspective record that delves into the lines and borders that make up individuals and communities. Olmeca goes beyond race and politics, and creates an album that is...


PBS and THIRTEEN Announce New Documentary AMERICAN MASTERS: HOW IT FEELS TO BE FREE Photo PBS and THIRTEEN Announce New Documentary AMERICAN MASTERS: HOW IT FEELS TO BE FREE
by Kaitlin Milligan - July 28, 2020

Today at the Virtual PBS Press Tour, PBS and THIRTEEN announced American Masters: How It Feels To Be Free...






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