Blog

We always have something new in the works. Here's what you need to know.

Filmmakers Provide Insight on Taking Risks

Winter 2020 Independents Summit

Exploring the Risks Worth Taking

Jon Olshefski's Fire for QUEST
January 23, 2020

Jonathan Olshefski’s ITVS-supported QUEST (Open Call, 2015) follows Christopher “Quest” Rainey, Christine’a “Ma” Rainey, their daughter PJ, and Christine’a’s older son William over almost a decade in North Philadelphia. Deeply intimate, the film begins by focusing on the family’s involvement in their community—Quest’s name comes from his rap…
Jenny Murray Amplifies the Untold Stories of the Women in the Sandinistas Revolution
January 13, 2020

The women combatants of the Sandinistas are some of the most compelling feminist leaders of all time, yet their story has mostly been erased from history. Their contributions to the revolution helped Nicaraguan women achieve equality and higher standards of living, only to see their party turn its back on women altogether. We spoke with director Jenny…
New Powerful Slate of Open Call-Funded Films Announced
December 2, 2019

As we look forward with great anticipation to the next Open Call round (in January 2020), ITVS is excited to announce the latest Open Call-funded films.These powerful projects will take viewers from a Syrian mother fiercely determined to protect her family amidst nightmarish conditions, to a nationwide support group for mothers coming to terms with…

Learn more about funding opportunities with ITVS.

MORE INFO

“Everything Fell into Place”: Jeff Chang and Bao Nguyen Gon’ Be Alright
November 20, 2019

When everything dovetails together so nicely for a creative project, any other filmmaking team would love to know just how it happened. Serendipity? Lightning in a bottle? Blood, sweat, and tears?The collaborators behind the ITVS Digital Open Call-supported We Gon' Be Alright documentary web series, filmmaker Bao Nguyen and writer/producer Jeff…
From Fashion to Food and Beyond: Billy Luther Brings Native Stories to the Forefront
November 1, 2019

Filmmaker and producer Billy Luther's first feature documentary Miss Navajo, which follows a young woman competing in the Miss Navajo beauty pageant, aired nationally on Independent Lens after premiering in the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Since then, Luther has collaborated with Independent Lens on the alter-NATIVE series highlighting the…