Lois Vossen, Senior Series Producer of Independent Lens

Each spring, PBS hosts its Annual Meeting, an opportunity for people from across the public television landscape to come together and see what worked the year before and look ahead to what the coming year holds.  The PBS Annual Meeting is attended by public television station staff including general managers, programmers, outreach and publicity staff, along with members of the minority consortia, series producers, presenting organizations, and staff from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Independent filmmakers had especially strong representation at this year’s PBS Annual Meeting. Kicking off the first morning of the conference, POV presented the great slate of films coming to their 2012 season and paid tribute to 25 years of award-winning documentaries. Independent Lens followed by presenting a selection of films coming to the new 2012-13 season (the full season will be announced later this summer).

That same day, the upcoming Independent Lens Special Presentation Half the Sky hosted a lunch that left people wanting more. For more details see yesterday’s blog posting by my colleague Tamara Gould.

The afternoon pipeline featured presentations by our colleagues at the minority consortia, including a special performance by ukulele all-star Jake Shimabukuro. Ruth Bolan, executive director of Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) presented highlights of upcoming specials by National Black Programming Consortia (NBPC), Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Native American Public Telecommunications (NAPT), Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), and PIC.

And to round out the day, PBS hosted a special reception after the afternoon plenary sessions to celebrate the milestone 25^th Anniversary of POV, the longest running showcase for independent film on television and Independent Lens’ 10^th Anniversary. Both POV and Independent Lens presented special reels that looked back on just a tiny fraction of the highlights from the amazing body of more than 550 independent programs the two series have collectively presented.

Simon Kilmurry, Executive Director of POV

On the third day of the PBS Annual Meeting, independents were also a cornerstone of the American Graduate breakfast presented by CPB. This new initiative features films from across public media including NBPC’s DZ MET, Frontline, NPR, POV, PBS NewsHour and a special American Graduate Latino special by Bernardo Ruiz coming to Independent Lens in Fall 2013.

The Annual Meeting ended with a special presentation by Ameena Matthews, a member of CeaseFire, an inner city organization that works to disrupt violence before it occurs and one of the featured characters in Steve James The Interrupters (Frontline). Several independent filmmakers attended the conference adding another layer of visibility for the great work of independent filmmakers on PBS, television’s Original Independent Film Channel.

Watch POV Season 25 Preview on PBS. See more from POV.

POV launches its 25th season on Thursday, June 21, 2012 at 10 PM (check local listings) with award-winning filmmaker Jennifer Fox’s My Reincarnation, the story of a father’s spiritual persistence and a son’s spiritual awakening. The regular season runs through Thursday, Oct. 18 and continues with two special presentations in the fall and winter.

Click here to see the full broadcast schedule.

On Thursday, May 10th, Independent Lens Senior Series Producer Lois Vossen sat on a panel for “Doc U: The Future of Docs on PBS” in Los Angeles, CA. The event was presented by the International Documentary Association.

In preparing for last night’s Doc U: The Future of Docs on PBS, each one of the panelists (and probably most of the audience) thought that they would be gearing up for some major mobilization. Up until Wednesday, May 9, the IDA and other proponents of quality independent programming like Kartemquin Films had joined together to release a public campaign against PBS’s recent decision to move its exemplary series for independent documentaries, Independent Lens and POV, from their long-established slots on Tuesday night to Thursday night, a slot reserved for local programming. But the day before this panel was set to mobilize the documentary community to support IDA and Kartemquin’s PBS Needs Indies campaign, the Public Broadcasting Station announced that both Independent Lens and POV would find a new home on Monday nights. This was an incredible victory for everyone involved. The IDA was so pleased with this announcement, hoping it will mean a renewed viewership for the programs affected by the earlier change.

So it was with an air of celebration that IDA’s Executive Director Michael Lumpkin introduced the moderator and panelists, including Gordon Quinn, Artistic Director and founding member of Kartemquin Films; Simon Kilmurry, Executive Producer of American Documentary | POV; Lyn Goldfarb, award-winning documentary director and producer; Brenda Brkusic, Executive Producer of Program Development and National Productions at PBS SoCal; and Lois Vossen, founding and Senior Series Producer of Independent Lens. Gordon Quinn would be leading the discussion, bringing one of the two filmmaker perspectives to the conversation along with Goldfarb.

On the screen behind the panel, Michael pulled up the cover of Documentary magazine from 1988 entitled Special Issue: PBS on Trial (hit the link to find the entire issue online). In this issue from 24 years ago, articles such as “P.O.V.: New hope for documentaries on PBS” and “Great Performances?: At PBS, waste and incompetence, not money, are the root of all evil” focus on changes and difficulties facing PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) during a time when the argument between film and tape was still raging in earnest. Today, with new digital technology like 3D cameras and digital technologies now commonplace, PBS is still facing uncertainty. This is especially true when it comes to funding and programming—the NEA recently announced that media projects, including several PBS-based programs, would receive $1 million less this year than they did in 2011. By posting the magazine on the IDA’s website, Lumpkin said, the organization hopes to remind everyone that independent programming on public television is an issue to which non-fiction producers, creators, and consumers should always pay attention.

Moderator Gordon Quinn (left) kicked off the panel by reiterating that in light of recent events announced just one day prior, the night was a cause for celebration. The new timeslots given to Independent Lens and POV mean that more people will be able to find the programming that they couldn’t find on their local stations before. This in turn means that viewership would eventually increase massively. He reminded everyone of the important work to which they had contributed with their tweets, shares, emails, and discussions within the documentary community.

Each panelist was then given a chance to show a brief clip, highlighting the films they had featured on their unique and important programs. Simon Kilmurry of American Documentary | POV (above, second from left) started with a clip showcasing all of the moving programming featured on POV, including films like If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Better This World, and Food, Inc. Lois Vossen of ITVS (third from right) showed a clip highlighting the first 10 years of ITVS, featuring DocuWeeks alums Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey, Hell and Back Again, and Waste Land. Brenda Brkusic (second from right) followed with a clip from PBS SoCaL’s digital channel PBS OC, which is seen all over Southern California and was originally created to provide Orange County content to viewers in Orange County who were used to Los Angeles-centric programming and news coverage. Today the channel welcomes content from independent producers, especially if the content is Southern California related.

Filmmaker Lyn Goldfarb then showed a clip from a four-hour documentary she participated in producing that was featured on ITVS entitled California and the American Dream. She was responsible for creating this program specifically for Independent Lens, and produced both The New Los Angeles and California’s Lost Tribes. She mentioned that due to funding cuts in recent years, it’s more difficult for independent producers to execute that which they have been hired to accomplish. This makes it difficult to maintain artistic integrity, she said, emphasizing the importance of sticking to your vision. After Goldfarb’s clips, Quinn took his turn showing a clip from The New Americans, a seven-hour series that received some of its funding from PBS.

Being the only representative from an actual PBS affiliate, Brkusic (left) what happy to explain the evolution of PBS SoCal, which had to be completely rebranded over the course of two months after a major switchover was sent down from the higher levels. Brkusic emphasized their intention of showcasing locally-produced stories about local Southern Californians, stories that were distinct from those being told to the Angelinos a few miles away.

Quinn took some time to explain exactly what had happened over the past few months that lead to the formation of this panel. In 2011, both Independent Lens and POV were moved from their regular Tuesday nights to Thursday nights, an evening usually reserved for local programming. Concerned with the effect that a Thursday night timeslot was having on the ratings for Independent Lens (viewership dropped off 42%), his organization Kartemquin Films drafted an open letter to PBS asking them to reconsider their schedule for these programs. After an overwhelming response from the documentary community and supporters of independent film everywhere, the IDA came on board and aided Kartemquin in forming a steering committee that would help organize community-wide support for independent programming.

Everyone believed that they would have to wait until PBS’s annual meeting on May 15 before any news of schedule changes would be announced; but on the morning of May 9, everyone received the good news that both programs would now be moved to Monday nights.

Kilmurry (second from left) also mentioned the importance of the encouragement that his program received from the local documentary community during the PBS Needs Indies campaign. Even though this battle has been won, he said, it’s so important to “keep the energy focused on working with our local stations.”

“It’s important that we have challenging content in a space that’s non-commercial,” he pointed out. For POV, so much of their content is chosen because it is clearly authored but also creative. That voice has to seem genuine, and not like it’s been underwritten by a major corporation. Kilmurry’s view is clearly in line with Goldfarb’s, who earlier made a point of emphasizing the importance of artistic candor and sincerity.

So many people in the audience that night were independent producers, creators, and writers who cared so much about the recent changes at PBS. Independent Lens‘s Lois Vossen reminded all of them that even though it’s so important to continue to produce original content, it’s also important to tune in and support one’s peers. “We have a responsibility to also be the audience,” Vossen said, “not just the makers.”

After the lively discussion and lots of valuable audience questions, the panelists and audience members headed outside to ask more questions and mingle with fellow members of the documentary community. Below, panelist Simon Kilmurry speaks candidly to a few Doc U attendees. An advocate for long form storytelling, he made the point during the panel to not forget about the importance of feature-length films and serials. He also hinted at the future of digital distribution for POV, namely dipping into the archives to find quality programs to feature on online streaming.

The Cinefamily’s back patio is always a nice place to hang after these events. Especially when there’s free wine and treats! Some younger members of the documentary film community continue the conversation from the panel that ended moments ago.

Even after the panel had ended, Gordon Quinn could probably have talked well into the night. This man is filled with so much experience and knowledge—he doesn’t have to try hard to inspire people to effect change. One of the best takeaways from the panel was definitely Quinn’s answer to an audience member’s question. When asked what kind programming Independent Lens and POV was looking for, Quinn answered that this was the wrong question to be asking. “Make the film YOU want to make,” he emphasized. “And if it’s really good, they will take it.”

Doc U is the International Documentary Association’s series of educational seminars and workshops for aspiring and experienced documentary filmmakers. Taught by artists and industry experts, participants receive vital training and insight on various topics including: fundraising, distribution, licensing, marketing, and business tactics.

Find exclusive video clips from this and past Doc U events on the Documentary.org YouTube channel.

Originally posted on Documentary.org.

I’m pleased to report that the Independent Strategy Task Force has emerged from months of conversation to deliver a new 10 p.m. primetime slot on Monday nights for Independent Lens and POV.  This is great news for our series filmmakers and audiences, but more importantly it affirms the partnership and mission that independents and public broadcasting steward together: amplifying diverse voices to strengthen our democracy.

We are grateful to every filmmaker, station, and viewer who spoke up to tell us why the two series needed a home on the PBS core schedule. And we are grateful to PBS for working hard with us to make it possible and to develop a new strategy for more independent work to reach Americans through a broadcast and online festival that will promote POV and Independent Lens.

While significant work lies ahead to regain station carriage, we look forward to working hard to steer old and new audiences to Monday nights. And we’ll need your help.

Why is the partnership between public broadcasting and independents so important?

In concept and in practice a public broadcast — with the full surround of press, festivals, transmedia strategies, and NGO and CBO partners that bring together communities to solve problems — will continue to stand as a powerful mechanism to focus, connect, and educate society. Will the value of a solo broadcast erode as viewers scatter to second screens? Certainly. Will a primetime slot mean as much in 10 years as it does today? Probably not — but it is essential now.

We live in time when we must toggle between the present and the future. We need conventional and unconventional strategies to compete amid the asymmetry of monopolized media. We need every platform to get across our messages. And in this exalted Internet explosion, we need storytellers who create long and short-form documentaries and transmedia experiences that connect the dots and contextualize our world.

The bigger question is, do independents even need public institutions like public television and ITVS? The answer is yes, always, because neither the Internet nor commercial broadcast marketplaces is accountable to citizens. Private companies that sink or swim according to shareholder value can sometimes balance equally the business of making money and serving the public, but the common good is the first-order mission of public broadcasting. And when it isn’t, we stand to be corrected. You have, and we are the better for it. Starting in October, come watch Independent Lens at 10 p.m. on Monday nights and bring your friends.

Read about the announcement in Wednesday’s New York Times

Read more on the announcement from POV

Independent Lens and POV have continually provided a broadcast slot of independent documentary films on PBS. In May 2011, due to schedule changes in PBS’s prime-time schedule, both programs were moved to Thursday evening – a time traditionally reserved for stations’ local and syndicated programming. The inconsistent time slot has been problematic for Independent Lens, with a significant drop in viewership since the schedule change.

Since then, both shows have been the topic of much debate and the documentary community has rallied in support, resulting in PBS’s public announcement to reconsider another schedule shift and together with a newly formed Independent Strategy Task Force, work together in order to rectify the issue. Paired with the significant cuts to PBS’ nonfiction programming from the National Endowment for the Arts, the future remains unclear as to what is in store for independent documentary films and public broadcasting.

On Thursday, May 10th, Independent Lens Senior Series Producer Lois Vossen will be speaking at the panel “Doc U: The Future of Docs on PBS” in Los Angeles, CA. The panel, sponsored by the International Documentary Association, will address these issues, allowing the panelists to discuss the changing outlook and opportunities for growth in independent documentary programming at PBS. Click here to register to attend.

Other panelists will include Simon Kilmurry, Executive Director of POV; Lyn Goldfarb, award-winning documentary director and producer; Gordon Quinn, Artistic Director and founding member of Kartemquin Films; Brenda Brkusic, Executive Producer of Program Development and National Productions at PBS SoCaL.

The evening’s on-stage conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A and a reception on the Cinefamily’s backyard Spanish patio.

For more information on IDA’s Doc U: visit documentary.org/doc-u

How does a filmmaker navigate the public television submission process? What do series’ look for in a film? Should I wait until I have a fine cut to submit? A public television broadcast can be a homerun for independent filmmakers hoping to expand their audience and raise awareness around certain social issues, but often filmmakers find themselves plagued with questions about the process.

POV Series Producer Yance Ford will be on the #docchat Twitter chat this Wednesday, April 25, 2012, at 7pm ET/ 4pm PT, answering questions about getting your film on public television. POV encourages documentary filmmakers to ask Ford, who will be tweeting from @povdocs, questions beforehand using the hashtag #docchat or in a comment on their website. In addition to general questions about public television submissions, Yance will also answer specific questions you might have about POV’s Call for Entries. To learn more about the event, http://itvs.images.s3.amazonaws.com/btb/btb_povtwitterchat.jpg

Since POV went on the air in 1988, it has championed the documentary art form, offering filmmakers a venue to take creative risks. It’s where you’ve seen work from documentary greats including Errol Morris, Jonathan Demme, Albert and David Maysles, Michael Moore, Freida Lee Mock, and Frederick Wiseman.

This year’s films reveal humanity’s faith, courage, and resilience. Remarkable individuals challenge authority and their own limitations to indict a dictator, keep investigative journalism alive, rebuild after Katrina, and find strength in love.

Explore the films and the 2012 broadcast schedule here.

During most of the past decade, Independent Lens and POV together have provided a year-round broadcast slot of independent documentary films, airing on Tuesday nights at 10 PM, with POV running June to October with special presentations in other months and Independent Lens airing October through June.

In May 2011, changes in PBS’s prime-time schedule moved Independent Lens and POV to 10 PM on Thursdays, a night traditionally reserved for stations’ local and syndicated programming. For Independent Lens, the move has resulted in a significant decline in both station carriage and viewership.

ITVS and PBS have been closely monitoring this ratings trend along with POV—whose 25^th season launches in June. The three organizations are now working together on a strategy to ensure that the work of independent media makers reaches the widest possible audience on public television. In addition to addressing the schedule issue, the task force will focus on developing new and creative ways to leverage diverse and independent content within the PBS primetime portfolio.

Independent Strategy Task Force members are Jim Sommers, ITVS senior vice president of content; Tamara Gould, vice president of ITVS International; Simon Kilmurry, POV executive producer; Cynthia Lopez, POV co-executive producer; John Wilson, PBS senior vice president and chief TV programming executive; Donald H. Thoms, PBS vice president of programming; and Shawn Halford, senior director of program scheduling.

As reported Tuesday, March 13 in Current, PBS viewership data for Independent Lens in October and November 2011 indicate a ratings decrease of about 42 percent compared to the same time period last year. With the change to Thursday nights, some stations have elected to move the series off their main channel. Other stations have shifted indie programming to a time slot that does not conflict with their designated local programming night. Among them are the nation’s two largest stations; Independent Lens now broadcasts at 11:00pm or 11:30 PM in both the New York and Los Angeles media markets.

These changes have contributed to a significant drop in viewership for independent documentary programming on PBS. This downward trend represents a sudden reversal of the consistent growth of a diverse and engaged audience which has been cultivated by ITVS, our partners, and our independent producers.

ITVS has brought more than 1,000 documentary films to public television series like Frontline, POV, American Experience, and American Masters. In 2003, ITVS launched Independent Lens to provide a larger and consistent venue for independent work with a focus on diversity and innovation. ITVS also developed Community Cinema—public television’s largest engagement initiative, working closely with local stations to host community screenings of Independent Lens programs in more than 100 cities and building online tools and networks to engage the public in social issue programming.

As ITVS continues to report on the progress of the Independent Strategy Task Force, we remain committed to the work of independents and bringing their work to the American public.

Participating in the live chat will be Marshall Curry, director of Racing Dreams and the Oscar-nominated film If a Tree Falls, along with a special guest, driver Annabeth Barnes, who was featured in Curry’s POV documentary Racing Dreams. Join the chat TODAY for a chance to ask both Marshall and Annabeth your questions at 11AM PT / 2PM ET!