Independent Lens on PBS Announces Maggie Gyllenhaal as New Host

The secret is out! A brand new season of Independent Lens begins on Tuesday, October 13, and we’re thrilled to have acclaimed actress Maggie Gyllenhaal as this season’s host.

No stranger to the indie film world, Gyllenhaal has starred in a wide-range of films including Secretary (2002), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination playing opposite James Spader, Donnie Darko (2001) and Sherrybaby (2006), where she received her second Golden Globe nomination.

Most recently Gyllenhaal played Rachel Dawes in the Warner Bros. box office hit The Dark Knight (2008) directed by Chris Nolan and in 2009 she appeared in Sam Mendes’s Away We Go. Upcoming, she’ll star in the dramatic film Crazy Heart, alongside Jeff Bridges and Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang with Emma Thompson.

This season, Independent Lens will showcase a powerhouse selection of 27 independent films from a vast array of settings—including the world’s largest garbage village in the outskirts of Cairo in GARBAGE DREAMS; the hills of Mongolia where a Texas family seeks an unconventional treatment for their son’s autism in THE HORSE BOY; and BUTTE, AMERICA, where five generations intersect with key historical events.

The series kicks off with Megumi Sasaki’s acclaimed and endearing documentary HERB & DOROTHY, about a postal worker and his librarian wife whose passion led them to create one of the most priceless collections of contemporary art in the world. Be sure to tune in on October 13 at 10:00 PM (check local listings).

Learn more and get the Independent Lens fall schedule >>

Tags: indie film, Maggie Gyllenhaal