Now on Indies Showcase: Lost Boys of Sudan

Emmy Award-nominated documentary from  Jon Shenk and Megan Mylan follows two young refugees of Sudan’s civil war through their first year in America. Lost Boys of Sudan streams free until Sept. 7th on ITVS’s Indies Showcase.

Orphaned as boys by Sudan’s civil war, Peter Dut and Santino Chuor survived lion attacks and gunfire to reach a Kenyan refugee camp with thousands of other children. After a decade in the camp, they come to America. Lost Boys of Sudan  follows them from Africa through their first year in the United States as they are confronted with the abundance and alienation of contemporary America.

Watch Lost Boys of Sudan now on ITVS’s Indies Showcase >>

Tags: Africa, america, civil war, documentary, Emmy, Free, immigration, Kenya, refugees, streaming, sudan, USA

FOCUS ON: Kim Snyder, Director of Welcome to Shelbyville

By Melody Morgan

FOCUS ON is a regular interview series profiling independent filmmakers and their projects. Up this week is Kim Snyder, whose documentary Welcome to Shelbyville, aired last week on Independent Lens. The documentary is currently streaming free online at PBS.org.

Why did you originally want to become a filmmaker and has that reason changed?

I love film. I’ve always enjoyed storytelling and I felt a compelling drive to express myself in this format.  My entire family was in the arts, and my father is an artist, which also greatly informed me.  With documentary, I’ve observed and experienced the power of the genre to ignite social change, and motivate people to participate in civic dialogue — and that is very rewarding for me.
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Tags: 2008 presidential election, focus on, immigration, Independent Lens, indie filmmaker, interview, ITVS, kim snyder, melody morgan, obama, welcome to shelbyville

Shelbyville Sparks Immigration Discussion in Washington

By Roseli Ilano, National Community Engagement Coordinator

On the heels of the national broadcast premiere of Welcome to Shebyville on Independent Lens, ITVS partnered with The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to host a special screening of the award-winning documentary at the George C. Marshall Conference Center in Washington, D.C. The documentary is currently streaming free online at PBS.org.

Patricia Harrison, the president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, provided the opening remarks to the packed auditorium, setting the stage for a unique convening of policy makers, advocates, service providers, and government officials working at the heart of refugee resettlement.
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Tags: d.c, immigration, ITVS, kim snyder, state department, washington, welcome to shelbyville

Welcome to Shelbyville Filmmaker Chats Live with Youth in Nashville

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Tags: community classroom, education, immigration, Independent Lens, kim snyder, oasis center, violence, welcome to shelbyville, youth

Interview: Kim Snyder on Welcome to Shelbyville

Filmmaker Kim Snyder visited ITVS last year to discuss her documentary Welcome to Shelbyville — which airs Tuesday night on Independent Lens. Set on the eve of the 2008 election, the film examines the town of Shelbyville as it grapples with issues of immigration and patriotism.

Tags: 2008 election, community cinema, filmmaker interview, immigration, Independent Lens, kim snyder, obama, welcome to shelbyville

Patricia Boero Credits ITVS & LPB Collaboration in The Storm That Swept Mexico

The former executive director of Latino Public Broadcasting recently visited ITVS and discussed the collaborative efforts behind The Storm That Swept Mexico. The documentary — which examines the complex cultural forces that shaped The Mexican Revolution — premieres Sunday, May 15 on PBS (check local listings).

Watch the trailer for The Storm That Swept Mexico after the jump…
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Tags: immigration, ITVS, Latino Culture, LPB, Patricia Boero, The Mexican Revolution, The Storm That Swept Mexico

Filmmaker Weighs in on News in Shelbyville

Kim Snyder is the director of Welcome to Shelbyville, airing this May on Independent Lens

Filmmaker Kim Snyder responds to some recent news coverage around her upcoming film Welcome to Shelbyville, which airs on Independent Lens this May. The documentary profiles Shelbyville, TN on the eve of the 2008 election and the town’s struggle to come to terms with issues around an influx of Somali immigrants and their own ideals about opportunity and patriotism.

While recently in Dublin on a tour with my documentary, Welcome to Shelbyville, my partners and I received an impassioned plea from some citizens in Corvallis, Oregon for permission to use our film as a means to initiate healing dialogue in that town following a troubling incident.

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Tags: immigration, Independent Lens, kim snyder, patriotism, somali, welcome to shelbyville

Stories of Immigration Now Available Online

Two ITVS films, both of which aired this season on Global Voices, are no available to own online. Paper Words by filmmaker Joyce Lee and Point of Entry by filmmaker Zeus Quijano each take an intimate look around immigration issues.

3-D animated film Paper Words by filmmaker Joyce Lee

Paper Words is a 3-D animated short which tells the story of a bright 5-year-old from China who uses her imagination to cope with her new life in a small, Midwestern town.

In Point of Entry, we meet Carlos, an undocumented immigrant living in the U.S. with his wife and two children. At 15, Carlos came to America and left his life and family behind in Mexico. Now Carlos is 30 and continues to send money home to his family.

Tags: immigration, indies, ITVS, paper woids, point of entry, shorts

Stories of Immigration Front and Center on Global Voices

Paper Words by filmmaker Joyce Lee

Take an intimate look at immigration this Sunday on Global Voices on PBS WORLD. First up, Paper Words by filmmaker Joyce Lee. The 3-D animated short tells the story of a bright 5-year-old from China who uses her imagination to cope with her new life in a small, Midwestern town.

Then stay tuned for Point of Entry by filmmaker Zeus Quijano. The film follows Carlos, an undocumented immigrant living in the U.S. with his wife and two children. At 15, Carlos came to America and left his life and family behind in Mexico. Now Carlos is 30 and continues to send money home to his family.

Enoy the films this Sunday and be sure to become a fan of Global Voices on Facebook to find out about upcoming broadcasts, and keep up with the filmmakers and news surrounding the stories you see on TV.

Tags: 3-D, animation, Arizona, citizenship, immigration, ITVS, Mexico, PBS, public television

Made in L.A. Arrives on Global Voices

Made in L.A. airs this Sunday on Global Voices

Follow the remarkable story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles sweatshops as they embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from a trendy clothing retailer. Catch Made in L.A. this Sunday, September 26^th on Global Voices on PBS WORLD (check local listings).

In intimate observational style, filmmakers Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar tell a story about immigration, the power of unity, and the courage it takes to find one’s voice. The film was a regular in our Women’s Empowerment screenings last month and we’re delighted to bring it to you on Global Voices this Sunday.

Tags: Global Voices, immigration, Independent Lens, indie films, ITVS, l.a., Latino, Los Angeles, PBS