Impact

Connecting our films to communities. Inspiring audiences to take action.

The American flag flies in front of a brick courthouse

INDEPENDENT LENS RELEASES STORIES FOR JUSTICE IMPACT REPORT

Audience data shows documentaries increased understanding about the inequities in the U.S. justice system

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Belly of the Beast’s Impactful Engagement Strategy

Documentary film aims to end sterilizations in women’s prisons and to get reparations for survivors

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STORIES FOR JUSTICE

A public media partnership born out of a growing groundswell of interest in criminal justice issues

For Viewers

Airing weekly on PBS, this Emmy Award-winning series is television’s leading showcase of independent documentaries, and brings vital conversations directly to communities on-the-ground and online via the programs below.

Indie Lens Pop-Up

Featuring documentaries seen on PBS’s Independent Lens, this neighborhood series brings people together for film screenings and locally-driven conversations. Online and in over 90 cities across the U.S.

DocSCALE

A participatory feedback platform developed by ITVS, DocSCALE, will help gather insights from audiences in their own words, engaging communities while surfacing data that documents the evolution of understanding, dialogue, and civic decision-making at the local level.

For Educators

Get free access to innovative, standards-aligned digital resources and streaming content based on our award-winning documentaries.

From our blog

  1. Lisa Tawil Joins the International Board of INPUT

    June 1, 2023

    Discover how Lisa Tawil's appointment to the International Board of INPUT strengthens worldwide collaboration in public media.

  2. A Fruitful Collaborative Year: Filmmakers and Scholars Reflect on First Humanities Documentary Development Fund

    May 2, 2023

    With the help of the advisors and filmmakers who participated, we look back on a year of work for ITVS Humanities Documentary Development Fund recipients.

  3. ITVS Receives NEA Research Grant to Better Understand Relationship Between Documentary Makers and Participants

    March 21, 2023

    Amid intense ongoing discussions of ethics in the arts, including the potential power imbalance between filmmakers and film participants, ITVS will research evidence-based practices that documentary filmmakers may use as they work with people who participate in their films. ITVS is partnering with researchers from Columbia University and