Blog

August, 12, 2014

From Playwright: Rest in peace, Robin Williams, you tiger.

We are as saddened as everyone about the sudden death of actor and comedian extraordinaire Robin Williams. He was one of a kind, and will truly be missed. We were reminded of his participation in last season's Playwright: From Page…
June, 10, 2014

Independent Lens Statement on Somaly Mam

Due to the questions that have recently been raised regarding Somaly Mam, one of the women featured in Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, PBS has stopped offering to public television stations episode one of Half the Sky, which included Ms. Mam.…
October, 29, 2013

Independent Lens Nominated for IDA Awards

We're pleased to learn that the International Documentary Association, which is one of the most respected organizations devoted to promoting and assisting the documentary film community, has nominated Independent Lens for an IDA Documentary Award for Best Continuing Series. We're…
October, 22, 2013

The Island President: Maldives Elections Update

Those who have seen the Independent Lens documentary The Island President, by Jon Shenk, about the deposed former president of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed and his work fighting climate change, will likely be distressed about the latest news. As reported by The New…
August, 29, 2013

Frederick Wiseman’s At Berkeley Featured in New York Times

“What I’m interested in is making movies about as many different subjects as I can, and as many different forms of human experience." -- Frederick Wiseman Independent Lens, which featured Frederick Wiseman's The Last Letter several years ago, is proud…
In Theaters
August, 22, 2013

The Kill Team Picked Up for Distribution

We're excited that the Independent Lens documentary The Kill Team has been picked up for distribution by widely respected Oscilloscope Labs, which means you'll have the opportunity to check the film out both in theaters and on television; its Independent…
March, 14, 2013

The Film That Revolutionized the Discussion about Military Rape

Nominated for an Academy Award, The Invisible War (airing May 13) has changed the way we talk about sexual assault in the military and even impacted policy. After watching The Invisible War, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta transferred the power to prosecute…
Uncategorized
February, 22, 2013

Ai Weiwei Sparks Social Media Flames in China

Ai Weiwei is a fearless Tweeter. In 140-character snippets, the gruff Chinese artist, activist, and the subject of Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (airing Monday, Feb. 25, on Independent Lens) defends freedom of speech. Social media platforms are "like water and air,…
January, 10, 2013

The Invisible War Nominated for Oscar!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c6oOUd4Fvs We're thrilled to report that The Invisible War, a groundbreaking film exposing the epidemic of rape in the U.S. military, is one of five nominees for an Academy Award for best documentary feature. The film has already helped focus…
January, 4, 2013

Poll: Nearly Half of People Watch “TV” on Devices Other Than TVs

[caption id="attachment_2597" align="alignleft" width="268"] Poll results show we're no longer watching TV as we used to.[/caption] The results of our poll asking readers how they watch TV are in, and they're a bit surprising to us: Nearly half of respondents…
December, 10, 2012

The Waiting Room Makes Washington Post 2012 Top-10 Film List!

Independent Lens films continue to pile up incredible accolades and awards this month.  The latest: The Washington Post's Ann Hornaday just came out with her list of the top 10 films of  2012, and The Waiting Room ranked No. 3…
October, 25, 2012

The Island President’s Jon Shenk on Turmoil in the Maldives

For documentary filmmakers, breaking news can be either a blessing or a curse. By the time Jon Shenk finished directing The Island President (premiering April 2013 on Independent Lens), his title character was no longer the island president. The military and…
Where Are They Now?
October, 5, 2012

In Pictures: Janesville’s Industrial Rollercoaster, 1849-2008

As we witness in As Goes Janesville, when the General Motors plant in Janesville, Wisconsin closed for good in 2008, the town found itself in the midst of an identity crisis. Of course, Janesville is not entirely exceptional in this…
September, 24, 2012

Half the Sky: Addressing Maternal Mortality

In many developing countries, pregnancy may as well be considered a death sentence. With the premiere of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide just a week away, we felt it was the perfect time to provide…
Filmmaker Samantha Grant
September, 17, 2012

Welcome Our New Host, Stanley Tucci

It’s official! Our 11th season will be hosted by the acclaimed actor and filmmaker Stanley Tucci! From The Hunger Games to Independent Lens … a logical progression, wouldn't you say? (We can’t help it, some of us around the office…
Decisions on Deadline game
Where Are They Now?
September, 5, 2012

Herb & Dorothy Filmmaker Megumi Sasaki on the Death of Herb Vogel

You might remember the inspirational couple Herb and Dorothy Vogel from Independent Lens's 2009 film Herb & Dorothy. The pair assembled one of the most important post-1960 art collections in history on their modest civil-service salaries. Sadly, Herb Vogel passed…
July, 12, 2012

Independent Lens Snags Five Emmy Nominations!

We arrived in the office this morning to fantastic news! Four Independent Lens films have been nominated for a total of five Emmy Awards! We are thrilled that these remarkable filmmakers are receiving such a well-deserved honor. Congratulations to all…
June, 21, 2012

Ai Weiwei Bail Lifted — but Threats of New Charges Loom

Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist and dissident at the heart of Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (coming to Independent Lens next season), reports that his bail was lifted after a hearing today, and he has left his compound for the first…
Where Are They Now?
June, 15, 2012

Whatever Happened to … the Garbage Pickers from Waste Land?

What could be more embarrassing than hosting the UN Conference on Sustainable Development with the world’s largest dump festering in your backyard? That’s why the Rio +20 conference (June 20-22) prompted Rio de Janeiro to close its Jardim Gramacho landfill,…
June, 14, 2012

DoD Replaces Sexual Assault Prevention Chief Just Ahead of Invisible War Release

The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it would replace Air Force Maj. Gen. Mary Kay Hertog as the head the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) at the end of the month. She held the job for less that one…
June, 13, 2012

Chinese Delegation Pulls Out of Doc/Fest over Ai Weiwei Film

realscreen reports today that "[a] delegation of 10 Chinese commissioning editors has pulled out of attending Sheffield Doc/Fest at the last minute, after the UK festival refused demands from the Chinese Embassy in London to drop Alison Klayman’s doc Ai…
Where Are They Now?
April, 24, 2012

Facing the Storm: A Buffalo (News) Roundup!

To celebrate Earth Day, we ask, "Where do the buffalo roam?" Facing the Storm: Story of the American Bison (airing April 26, check local listings) follows the American West’s relationship with the largest land mammal on the continent. In the early…
April, 13, 2012

What Returning Soldiers Have in Common With AIDS in the 1980s

Yes it sounds like an outrageous nonsequitur, but bear with it. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow's new book Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power includes a passage in the epilogue that makes the parallel. In the book, Maddow makes the…
April, 4, 2012

Bhutto Wins a Peabody Award; Public TV Scores Multiple Awards

Our heartiest congratulations go out to Mark Seigel and Duane Baughman on winning an esteemed Peabody Award for last season's Independent Lens documentary Bhutto. SO richly deserved! Other worthy winners from our friends around the public television community include: My…
Where Are They Now?
February, 29, 2012

Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill Migrating to the ‘Burbs

We saw this item in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle, and knew we'd have to post it here for posterity. There's news about the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (the birds themselves, not the film); the flocks are migrating slowly to…
February, 25, 2012

Two Independent Lens Docs Nominated for Independent Spirit Awards

More awards season news for the Independent Lens family. The Film Independent Spirit Awards are also this weekend, and Independent Lens has two nominated films: Hell and Back Again is nominated in the Truer than Fiction category, and We Were…
Where Are They Now?
February, 21, 2012

The Island President Appears on Morning Edition After Apparent Coup

Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed appeared on Morning Edition this week. Nasheed was forced to resign earlier this month in what he referred to as a coup, a claim his successor denies. He is featured in the documentary The Island…
Where Are They Now?
February, 10, 2012

Lioness Filmmakers Respond to Pentagon Announcement

On February 9th, 2012, the Pentagon unveiled plans to allow women to serve in jobs that would put them closer to the front lines but still block them from all-male infantry, armor, and special-operation units. Although represented by the Pentagon…
Where Are They Now?
February, 9, 2012

Lioness Impact Continues: Pentagon to Change Women in Combat Rules

News today that the Pentagon plans to change some of its long-standing rules on women in combat, to reflect the reality that the ban currently in place does not represent the reality on the battlefield. Lioness, a film that influenced…
February, 8, 2012

The Island President Ousted — Filmmakers Respond

The Island President, directed by Jon Shenk and produced by Bonni Cohen and Richard Berge, debuted at Sundance just two weeks ago. We told you then how thrilled we were that the film will be on Independent Lens next season.…
January, 18, 2012

The 2012 Winter/Spring Season is Here!

Hosted by Mary-Louise Parker, the Independent Lens Winter/Spring lineup includes the award-winning films We Were Here, Hell and Back Again, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, and more! "Our upcoming winter/spring season features a robust slate of some of the most…
Where Are They Now?
January, 1, 2012

Remembering Wangari Maathai

Lisa Merton and Alan Dater, the producers of Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai, attended the Nobel laureate and environmental activist's funeral in Kenya in October. Merton offered Independent Lens this report on Maathai's legacy. Taking Root will be…
Where Are They Now?
December, 20, 2011

Whither the Abductees in a Post-Kim Jong-il North Korea?

With news of the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il, we immediately thought of the implications for the Japanese citizens abducted by Kim's regime and never returned. So we asked Chris Sheridan, who made Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story…
Where Are They Now?
October, 25, 2011

Remembering Artist Piri Thomas

Back in 2004, Independent Lens aired the film Every Child is Born a Poet, a portrait of the artist Piri Thomas. Sadly, we learned that Mr. Thomas passed away last week at the age of 83. Richard Saiz, senior programming…
B&W photo of Jerry Rothwell, director of Donor Unknown
Interviews
October, 17, 2011

Jerry Rothwell Explores the Meaning of Family in Donor Unknown

Jerry Rothwell is a documentary filmmaker whose work includes the award-winning feature docs Heavy Load (IFC/ITVS/BBC), about a group of people with learning disabilities who form a punk band; and Deep Water (Pathe/FilmFour/UK Film Council, co‐directed with Louise Osmond), about Donald…
September, 19, 2011

Introducing Our Illustrious New Host, Mary-Louise Parker!

OK, we could barely hold it in, but now we can let you know ... the award-winning actor Mary-Louise Parker is set to be the host of the 10th season of Independent Lens, which premieres on October 13, 2011! Parker,…
September, 19, 2011

Women & Girls Lead Coming to PBS This Fall

Independent Lens is honored to be a part of the innovative public media initiative Women and Girls Lead. The project seeks to use the power of documentary storytelling and the reach of public media to connect and inspire viewers around…
September, 6, 2011

Announcing our 10th Season of Remarkable Independents!

It's that time again! Time for the premiere of a new and glorious season of Independent Lens, with an eclectic and inspiring schedule full of independent documentaries guaranteed to surprise, entertain, and astound you. This season, we've got remarkable lineup…
June, 16, 2011

Judy Shepard: Children, Hate Crimes, and a Community of Grief and Progress

Judy Shepard lost her son Matthew in 1998 in a horrific hate crime. She is now the president and co-founder of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. She sent us this blog post in anticipation of Tuesday's broadcast of Two Spirits. The…
May, 25, 2011

Women and Girls Lead Featured at PBS Annual Meeting

We kicked it off with Bhutto two weeks ago, and last week the PBS family assembled in Orlando, Florida and discussed the ITVS initiative Women and Girls Lead. Check out this panel moderated by Pat Harrison, president of the Corporation…
Uncategorized
March, 15, 2011

Desert of Forbidden Art Museum Threatened in Uzbekistan

As the film opens theatrically in a few select cities in the United States, its subject -- the remarkable collection of suppressed Soviet-era art that was hidden away in Uzbekistan far from the eyes of communist censors -- has come…
February, 11, 2011

Egyptian Revolution is a Teachable Moment

The Independent Television Service (which produces Independent Lens) and PBS NewsHour have partnered to help provide Egypt & Democracy, an amazing range of resources for educators to help frame events in Egypt for students in a historical and global context.…
January, 11, 2011

Crisis in Haiti Especially Dire for Children

Children of Haiti premieres on Independent Lens tonight at 10 PM. As tomorrow's one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake approaches, the media is alight with stories of rebuilding efforts, humanitarian missions, the still-desperate conditions inside the tent camps which sprung…
December, 21, 2010

The Resurgence of the Documentary

Kenneth Turan, the Los Angeles Times film critic, devoted his year-end column to documentary films, which he says enjoyed "remarkable resurgence" in 2010: "It's also hardly a secret that the major studios have, with periodic exceptions, all but given up…
December, 6, 2010

Five Independent Lens Films Win IDA Awards

Wow, what a weekend. The International Documentary Awards bestowed high honors on several films that will make their broadcast premiere on Independent Lens in coming months. We want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the filmmakers and give you our…
October, 27, 2010

The Loss of an Artist: Vanessa Gould Remembers Eric Joisel

The world lost a gentle and brilliant origamist earlier this month in Eric Joisel, the master paper folder featured in Vanessa Gould's Peabody Award-winning film Between the Folds. The film, which premiered on Independent Lens last year and will be…
October, 21, 2010

Independent Lens Comes to You with Community Cinema

If you read today's New York Times, you may have read about a pretty cool outreach program that brings our films into local communities in partnership with area and national non-profit organizations. It's called Community Cinema, and the idea is…