Blog

October 06, 2012

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

826chi in Where Are They Now?

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…...

September 25, 2012

Half the Sky: Addressing Maternal Mortality

826chi in

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…...

Filmmaker Samantha Grant

September 17, 2012

Welcome Our New Host, Stanley Tucci

826chi in

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?…...

Decisions on Deadline game

September 05, 2012

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

826chi in Where Are They Now?

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…...

July 13, 2012

Independent Lens Snags Five Emmy Nominations!

826chi in

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…...

June 22, 2012

Ai Weiwei Bail Lifted — but Threats of New Charges Loom

826chi in

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…...

June 16, 2012

Whatever Happened to … the Garbage Pickers from Waste Land?

826chi in Where Are They Now?

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)…...

June 15, 2012

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

826chi in

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…...

June 14, 2012

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

826chi in

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…...

April 25, 2012

Facing the Storm: A Buffalo (News) Roundup!

826chi in Where Are They Now?

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…...

April 14, 2012

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

826chi in

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…...

April 05, 2012

Bhutto Wins a Peabody Award; Public TV Scores Multiple Awards

826chi in

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…...