The ITVS Indie Roundup

Posted on February 8, 2013

A curated list of indie news and recommendations from ITVS’s Rebecca Huval. 

Guaranteed to put a goofy smile on your face: When filmmaker Bianca Giaever asked a six-year-old what her movie should be about, she recorded the interview as narration and took up each of the kid’s dares. The resulting short film, the Scared is scared, includes whimsical animations, costumes, a bear, a mouse, sage advice, and a good ol’ fashioned sleepover. (via @CDSduke)

Filmmakers, you don’t need to survive on ramen! Moviemaker Lena Khan insists there is a middle path between Hollywood elites and indies who don’t pay their crews.  

Former Guatemalan dictator Efraín Rios Montt will stand trial in Guatemalan court on charges of genocide. The ITVS and POV co-production about the dictator and the movement to bring him to justice, Granito: How to Nail a Dictator, will be streaming online, in English and Spanish, until February 11.

If you were debating a road trip through Missouri, now is the time. The True/False Film Fest showcases the best in documentaries Feb. 28 to March 3 in Columbia, Missouri. With the rise of digital effects and high-quality post-production, filmmakers like Darren Aronofsky are spending fewer hours and dollars on production. 

Check out the Short of the Week Awards 2013 nominees! Innovative and quirky films abound in the categories of live-action, animation, and new media. Winners will be announced next week. Portland International Film Festival kicked off Thursday night and runs to Feb. 23.

Topics

From our blog

  1. ITVS Responds to Rescission Vote

    July 18, 2025

    [July 18, 2025] Carrie Lozano, President and CEO of the Independent Television Service (ITVS), issued the following statement in response to Congress' vote clawing back congressional approved funding for public media.Congress’ decision to pass the rescission package that removes the $1.1B of previously approved federal funds for the Corporation of

  2. Protecting Our Future and Charting the Course Ahead

    June 4, 2025

    We are sharing the sad and difficult news that ITVS is reducing its staff by 13 individuals across the organization. For a staff so committed to our mission and to each other, this 20% staff reduction is a painful moment. Our dedicated staff have made important contributions that are part of ITVS' legacy and success story. In the past few months, ITVS has

  3. ITVS Documentary "Greener Pastures" Honored by the Television Academy

    May 1, 2025

    The Television Academy announced that the ITVS-supported, Independent Lens documentary Greener Pastures will be celebrated at the 18th Television Academy Honors. Established in 2008, the Television Academy Honors Award recognizes “Television with a Conscience” and seeks to celebrate programs that inspire, motivate, and harness the power of