October 08, 2021
The Damage from Gay Conversion Therapy Still Lingers for Many LGBTQ+ People
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Caitlin Cruz In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the list of diagnosable mental illnesses, a monumental victory for early queer activists. Despite this successful effort, queer…...
September 30, 2021
Independent Lens Wins Two 2021 News & Documentary Emmy Awards
Independent Lens in Awards
Independent Lens is delighted to be the recipient of two 2021 News & Documentary Emmy Awards, as announced today by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). The…...
September 17, 2021
Road Trippin’, Part II: These Documentaries Will Show You All 50 States
Craig Phillips in Lists
[related-link link="https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/road-trippin-part-1-documentaries-for-every-state/" link_title="Read Part I: Road Trippin' here >>"] [pictured at left, in the side mirror: a scene from Tacos of Texas (Brownsville)] We continue our epic journey across America…...
September 17, 2021
Road Trippin’ Part I: These Documentaries Will Show You All 50 States
Craig Phillips in Lists
Rev up your virtual station wagon and pack your bags for a road trip across America through documentary film. No documentary or double feature will capture an entire state's essence,…...
September 16, 2021
Telling the Story of When LGBTQ+ Activists Fought the Establishment and Won
Craig Phillips in Behind the Films
The Los Angeles-based Bennett Singer and the D.C.-based Patrick Sammon have been making widely acclaimed historical documentaries for many years. Sammon was creator and Executive Producer of Codebreaker, a “superb”…...
August 03, 2021
Claressa Shields’ Workout Playlist
Craig Phillips in Lists
Check it out. Claressa "T-Rex" Shields, Olympic champ and star of the documentary T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold, sent us the tunes she pops into her iPod whenever she has to…...
July 07, 2021
And the Winner of the 2020-21 Independent Lens Audience Award Is…
Independent Lens in Announcements
? UPDATE: Tens of thousands of votes later, the results are in and the viewers have spoken. In a very tight race, PBS viewers chose Jonathan Scott's Power Trip as the…...
June 11, 2021
Filmmakers Show How Agent Orange Catastrophe Did Not End with the Vietnam War
Craig Phillips in Behind the Films
The well-oiled, three-person machine behind The People vs. Agent Orange each brought their manifold backgrounds to the table in order to put together a film that involved equal parts investigative…...
June 07, 2021
Muslim Casket Maker’s Story Becomes Cinematic Portrait of Resilience and Redemption
Craig Phillips in Behind the Films
The filmmaker brothers Zeshawn and Aman Ali are now based in New York City but originally hail from Columbus, Ohio. "Growing up right outside of Columbus, we were just two…...
May 24, 2021
UPDATE: LaTonya Myers Inspires Others to Reform the Justice System
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Renée Gasch LaTonya Myers spent nine months in jail because she couldn’t afford bail. Assessed as a “high-risk” to society by a computer algorithm, she faced the toughest of…...
May 21, 2021
From Cambodia to Southern California: Telling the Story of a King of Donut Shops
Craig Phillips in Behind the Films
A Los Angeles native, Alice Gu began her career as a Director of Photography, working with renowned directors Werner Herzog (on his fascinating Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected…...
May 19, 2021
How Much of a Donut Nut Are You?
Craig Phillips in Test Your Knowledge
Do or donut, there is no try! Do you know your donut from a spudnut? While you watch The Donut King on PBS, test yourself on all things donut-related with…...