Independent Lens Announces Winter/Spring 2012 Season

Hosted by Mary-Louise Parker, the Independent Lens Winter/Spring  lineup includes the award-winning films We Were Here, Hell and Back Again, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, and more.

Independent Lens announced its winter/spring 2012 schedule this week. "Our upcoming winter/spring season features a robust slate of some of the most engaging and award-winning documentaries ever on Independent Lens,” said senior series producer Lois Vossen. "It's a perfect mix of unique characters, critical issues, and important stories that demonstrate the extraordinary range and power of independent documentary filmmakers. We can't wait to share them with millions of viewers across the country."

The winter/spring season includes recent IDA Award winners, Independent Spirit Award nominees, a duPont Award winner, and two films on the so-called "short-list" for Academy Award® nominations: Hell and Back Again, one of the most powerful documentaries ever made about war, and We Were Here, a heartfelt, heartbreaking look at the early days of the AIDS crisis in San Francisco. 

Also on the slate is The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, an explosive look inside the black power movement with never-before-seen interviews with its leaders filmed at the peak of their power, and Revenge of the Electric Car, which gives us hope that sustainable transportation is possible. Other films look at the impact of ethnic studies on Latino students, bring to life an unsung civil rights leader named Daisy Bates, and challenge the concept of Black History Month as outdated. And fans of a furry red puppet will meet its charismatic creator, Kevin Clash, in the delightful Being Elmo.

"With every program we present, and with each new season we curate, Independent Lens strives to be the leader in public television's efforts to showcase diverse programming that is relevant to all our American communities," said Vossen. "Public television is an important part of our national public square, and Independent Lens is committed to bringing these unique stories and the conversations they inspire to public television." Find the complete season lineup below and check local listings for all dates and times. 

February 2, 2012 - Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock, Produced and directed by Sharon LaCruise 

February 9, 2012 - The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, Directed by Göran Hugo Olsson 

February 16, 2012 - More Than a Month, Produced and Directed by Shukree Hassan Tilghman 

March 29, 2012 - You're Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don't, Produced and directed by Scott Kirschenbaum 

April 5, 2012 - Being Elmo, Produced and directed by Constance Marks 

April 12, 2012 - When the Drum Is Beating, Produced and directed by Whitney Dow 

April 19, 2012 - Revenge of the Electric Car, Directed by Chris Paine 

April 26, 2012 - Facing the Storm: Story of the American Bison, Producer and directed by Doug Hawes-Davis 

May 3, 2012 - Circo, Produced by directed by Aaron Schock

May 10, 2012 - Summer Pasture, A film by Lynn True, Nelson Walker III, and Tsering Perlo 

May 17, 2012 - Precious Knowledge, Directed by Ari Palos 

May 24, 2012 - Hell and Back Again, Directed by Danfung Dennis 

May 31, 2012 - Left by the Ship, Produced and Directed by Emma Rossi Landi and Alberto Vendemmiati 

June 7, 2012 - We Were Here, Directed by David Weissman 

July 2012 (date TBA) - Strong!, Produced and directed by Julie Wyman 

For more information about Independent Lens, visit www.pbs.org/independentlens.