The ITVS Indies Roundup
A curated list of indie news and recommendations from ITVS’s Rebecca Huval.
Has the line between highbrow and lowbrow vanished? When we have film festivals for cat videos, you have to wonder. A.O. Scott and David Carr chew over this question (literally, as Carr snacks on Cheez-Its and Diet Coke) in a casual video filmed in the New York Times newsroom. Here’s a great way for directors and producers to dive into TED talks: Filmmaker IQ compiled 10 TED talks for filmmakers. The Emmys were announced this week, with ITVS winning four news and doc Emmys and our sister show POV winning 4 Emmys as well. You can watch four of POV’s award-winners online for free. This is your brain on stories. In an animated video, neuroscientist Paul Zak explains the power of empathy in storytelling and how the chemicals that stories provoke can actually change our brains. Comedians in show business, including Tina Fey, have a soft spot for an erudite writer: David Foster Wallace.
A new documentary series called A Different L.A. showcases lesser-known characters in the U.S.’s second largest city, starting with one of the last remaining typewriter shops. Cloud Atlas, directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski and starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Hugh Grant, will open this month. The author of the novel, David Mitchell, spills his reactions to having his book adapted: “At the read-through, I sat next to Lana Wachowski, and when a line earned a particularly strong response, I’d whisper, ‘Was that one of yours or one of mine?’ The tally was about 50-50, I think.”
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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…
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Protecting Our Future and Charting the Course Ahead
June 4, 2025We 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…
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ITVS Documentary "Greener Pastures" Honored by the Television Academy
May 1, 2025The 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…