Series & Collections

The 11th season of Independent Lens on PBS showcases an eclectic lineup of films from a range of independent filmmakers. The new season of this Emmy Award-winning series showcases diverse perspectives you won't find anywhere else on television. Independent Lens airs Monday nights at 10 PM (check local listings).

Global Voices presents U.S. premieres of critically acclaimed international documentaries, offering the unique perspectives of international independent filmmakers. The series also features internationally themed programs by American filmmakers. Global Voices presents compelling stories often overlooked by American media, from tales of corruption in Chad to the hip hop movement in South America. Global Voices can be seen on the WORLD channel, Sundays at 10 PM (Check local listings).

The Global Perspectives Collection encompasses more than 140 ITVS-funded films from over nearly 90 countries around the world. These independent documentaries capture ordinary and compelling voices from the filmmakers’ own communities, offering diverse perspectives on social issues, politics, and much more. The collection’s films have aired on acclaimed PBS series and many commercial outlets, including digital platforms.

Why do a billion people still live in poverty worldwide, and what can be done to change this? The series Why Poverty? uses documentary film to get people talking about this critical problem, its causes, and its solutions. These eight films are co-productions of ITVS and STEPS International, and are part of a global cross-media project aimed at raising awareness of poverty in America and around the world.

Diverse Muslim Voices builds awareness and understanding in the U.S. of the range of Muslim societies and cultures. Advancing the mission of ITVS’s Global Perspectives Project, a two-way exchange of independent documentaries, the multiyear project elevates stories about Muslim cultures through multiplatform promotion and distribution and ignites citizen engagement through live events and educational programs.

FUTURESTATES is a series of short narrative films from veteran and emerging filmmakers, transforming complex social issues into visions of our world in the decades to come. In Season Four, seven filmmakers envision our society at a crossroads, where discrimination, environmental catastrophe, visitors from the future and other worlds test the bonds of our humanity. Will we stand together, or break apart? Nothing is inevitable but the future.

True Stories: Life in the USA shows international audiences an America rarely seen in headline news or commercial media, providing a more authentic perspective of the United States and its people. ITVS works closely with public media broadcasters around the world to present this 16-part independent documentary series that challenges preconceived notions, and to show the world the true stories of America.