
Independent Lens
Beyond Utopia
Beyond Utopia embeds two families risking everything to flee the totalitarian state of North Korea and the courageous pastor who guides them.
Librarians from Texas, Florida, and other states unite to examine how book restriction policies are shaping library collections.
Director/producer Kim A. Snyder is the Peabody Award-winning filmmaker of Newtown (Sundance 2016, Independent Lens, Netflix), Us Kids (Sundance 2020 and 14 subsequent awards), Lessons from a School Shooting… (Tribeca 2018–Best Documentary Short, Netflix Original, Grierson Award nominee), and Welcome to Shelbyville (Independent Lens).
As a documentary filmmaker and creative producer, Janique L. Robillard’s passion has always been elevating marginalized voices through documentary storytelling—evidenced in her short films 1000 Times and From There to Here, and work with acclaimed directors like Kim A. Snyder (Death by Numbers) and Jeremiah Zagar (The Fix).
Peabody and Emmy Award-winning producer Maria Cuomo Cole’s credits include Death By Numbers (2024, Montclair - Best Short Doc), Us Kids (Sundance 2020), Lessons from A School Shooting… (Netflix), Newtown (Sundance 2016) and Oscar-shortlisted Living for 32 (2010). EP: The Hunting Ground (2015) and Oscar-nominated The Invisible War (2014).
Emmy and DuPont Award-winning producer Jana Edelbaum, founder of Ideal Partners, recently released Beyond Utopia (Sundance Audience Award, Hulu). Previous work includes: House of Z, Strange Weather, and Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? She is producing the Alvin Ailey feature with Barry Jenkins (Searchlight) and Swifties feature.
Learn more about funding opportunities with ITVS.
Librarians from Texas, Florida, and other states unite to examine how book restriction policies are shaping library collections.
We’ll send you funding deadlines, events, and film news.
Connect with us now at itvs@itvs.org.