Live Chat on The Learning, Friday 9/16

Join ITVS, PBS NewsHour, POV and the Economist Film Project on Friday, September 16 at 12:30PM PT / 3:30PM ET for an online panel discussion on the new documentary The Learning. The NewsHour will air an excerpt of the film on September 15 as part of the Economist Film Project, and the documentary will air in its entirety on September 20 on POV.

The Learning is the story of four Filipino women who are recruited to teach in Baltimore city public schools. With their increased salaries, they hope to transform their families’ lives back in their impoverished country. But the women also bring idealistic visions of the teacher’s craft and of life in America, which soon collide with Baltimore’s tough realities.
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Tags: economist, hari sreenivasan, live chat, NewsHour, P.O.V., the learning

Lois Vossen on Emmy Honors for the Fourth Estate

Lois Vossen, Vice President of ITVS & Series Producer of Independent Lens

Independent Lens Series Producer and ITVS Vice President, Lois Vossen, was on hand Monday night in New York for the 31^st Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Earlier today she filed this report for BTB, on an evening that bestowed plenty of laurels on public television.

A warm September rain didn’t dampen the News & Documentary Emmy Awards. The most respected and recognizable faces in broadcast journalism, along with hundreds of independent documentary filmmakers, producers, and broadcasters gathered at Lincoln Center for this annual showcase to acknowledge the best in television journalism and reporting.

Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman — longtime friend of ITVS — was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award

A highlight of this year’s ceremony was a Lifetime Achievement Award for Frederick Wiseman. Independent Lens proudly premiered Fred’s narrative film The Last Letter on our third season (2005). Additionally, ITVS has worked with Fred and funded three of his films including State Legislature, Boxing Gym (broadcasting this fall on PBS), and his upcoming film on the University of California, Berkeley.

In his well-timed remarks, Fred thanked the people inside public television who have supported his work these many years including: Sandy Heberer at PBS, Tammy Robinson in her years at WNET, and Claire Aguilar of ITVS. Not just anyone can graciously accept a lifetime achievement award by effectively telling a morgue joke. Fred can. › Continue reading

Tags: dan rather, Emmy, frederick wiseman, ITVS, lincoln center, lois vossen, New York, NewsHour, P.O.V., PBS, the english surgeon

Pelosi, Other Luminaries Gather to Celebrate Bhutto

Dennis Palmieri is director of communications for ITVS, and led the team that produced the Washington D.C. premiere of Bhutto at the headquarters of the National Geographic Society on June 29th. He reports from the event:

Last night, ITVS hosted the Washington D.C. premiere of the landmark new documentary Bhutto, about the life, career, and tragic death of one of the world’s most dynamic leaders — and the first woman ever to lead an Islamic nation — Benazir Bhutto.

The film debuted at Sundance 2010 to rave reviews and Independent Lens series producer Lois Vossen quickly moved in to secure Bhutto for next season; it will air in March 2011 in celebration of Women’s History Month.

But last night, Bhutto belonged to official Washington. Nearly 400 invited guests, members of Congress and the Washington diplomatic corps, journalists, and other notables were regaled with reflections and remembrances of Ms. Bhutto’s life and work.

The pinnacle of the evening though, was a surprise appearance by another dynamic woman leader, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who took the podium during introductory remarks to share memories of her friendship with Benazir (watch the Speaker’s remarks below).

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Tags: Benazir Bhutto, CPB, documentary, ITVS, Judy Woodruff, NewsHour, Pakistan, PBS