We are thinking of you–our filmmakers, partners and viewers across the country–as we all adjust to the new normal and do our part to “flatten the curve.” We're just beginning to understand the toll this will take on personal health and family responsibilities, on livelihoods and careers, on society as a whole. We stand in solidarity with those most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, many of whom are the folks that POV films and filmmakers fight for, and champion, each day.
Our small but mighty nonprofit is here to serve. We're sharing free educational resources (for those teaching remotely or from our own homes) and a bolstered slate of streaming films through our biweekly POV Playlist, with a special focus on interactive content coming soon. We are bringing documentaries to viewers like you with new seasons of POV and America ReFramed, featuring powerful stories that are as bold as they are hopeful–a reminder of our resilience and shared humanity in these uncertain times.
We remain committed to supporting our independent documentary community, as canceled events and production affect so many of our filmmakers and peer organizations. We are helping to keep our doc ecosystem connected through virtual convenings with industry partners and expanded resources, including the relaunch of our Artist Emergency Fund with a new pilot initiative focusing on mental health. We'll continue to regularly share additional opportunities from our friends, as below.
More than ever, we are proud to be part of public media's response to this pandemic when so many of our feeds are filled with panic or worse, misinformation. A huge thank you to our trusted PBS and NPR partners, as well as journalists, practitioners and advocates reporting from the front lines.
We may be six feet apart (or more!) but we are in this together. Wishing you well.
Webinar on Mental Health & Career Sustainability in the Doc Community (March 31)
Join NYWIFT and The D-Word on March 31 at 6 p.m. ET for a conversation on the financial, psychological and emotional work required of filmmakers and resources for support. Moderated by POV alumni Doug Block (The D-Word), panelists include Rebecca Day (Producer/Psychotherapist), Kelsey Koenig (Impact Partner Films), Heidi Reinberg (Documentary filmmaker) and Chithra Jeyaram (Documentary filmmaker). Register below and you will receive a link to the webinar the day of the event.
The Feeling of Being Watched and Blowin' Up Finalists for 2020 Silver Gavel Awards
The Feeling of Being Watched and Blowin’ Up, which premiered as part of POV’s 32nd season, were listed as finalists for the 2020 Silver Gavel Awards in the Television category. The winners of the award will be honored at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. this summer.
Firelight invites mid-career nonfiction filmmakers with interest in those who identify as indigenous and/or of African descent, to apply for the inaugural William Greaves Fund. Apply here.
Need help funding your short film about the Pacific Islander experience? Applications for the PIC Digital Shorts Fund are now open! Apply by April 3at 5 p.m. HT / 11 p.m. ET.
Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyncote Foundation. Additional funding comes from The John S. and James Knight Foundation, Nancy Blachman and David desJardins, Bertha Foundation, Reva & David Logan Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Chicago Media Project, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Sage Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee and public television viewers. POV is presented by a consortium of public television stations, including KQED San Francisco, WGBH Boston and THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG.
